Defining corporate values: Clear. Collaborative. Effective.
Why do some organizations feel close and coherent – while others remain distant? Often, the difference lies in the values . Not as posters on the wall, but as a lived attitude. This guide shows you how to define and formulate corporate values, and bring them to life in everyday life.
Brief definition: Corporate values are shared principles that guide decisions, shape collaboration, and strengthen relationships. Defining means clarifying, formulating means making understandable— living means making them tangible.
“Values are door openers – less about being right, more about perceiving, telling stories, and taking each other seriously.”
In 5 steps: Defining and formulating corporate values
This way you will find a clear, common core – without buzzwords, with real impact.
- 1) Collect (find) experiences: Where were we in flow? Where did we experience friction? Collect stories from projects, customer contacts, and conflicts.
- 2) Recognize (develop) patterns: Which attitudes recur? Which ones are missing? Cluster the stories—not the keywords.
- 3) Write (formulate) in plain text: Each cluster becomes a value with 1-2 sentences of effective language: “We ... so that ...”
- 4) Reality check (with employees): Does this work for us? Review examples, identify blind spots, simplify language.
- 5) Anchor in routines (live & communicate): Make values visible in decisions, meetings, onboarding and recognition.
Key questions for workshops
- What do we stand for when no one is looking? (Integrity over image)
- What decision would we make differently today – based on what value?
- What can a colleague expect from me? (specific behavior)
- How do our values manifest themselves in times of conflict, time pressure, and mistakes?
- How would customers know that we take this value seriously?
Tool tip: The action cards translate abstract concepts into conversations and actions. Draw a card, tell a story—and sharpen your values through discussion.
Examples: “Our corporate values” clearly formulated
This is what values that provide orientation sound like – without empty phrases.
- Trust: We create clarity and keep our promises – even when it’s difficult.
- Transparency: We proactively share information and justify decisions.
- Courage: We try new things, create small prototypes and learn quickly.
- Empathy: We listen, reflect perceptions and respect boundaries.
- Responsibility: We take ownership – for impact, the environment and togetherness.
- Customer focus: We engage customers early and shorten feedback cycles.
- Quality: We define “Done” together and regularly review standards.
Living values: examples from everyday life
Values only become true through action. These simple formats help you stay on track.
- Values check-in (10 min): Everyone briefly shares where a value was relevant during the week.
- Decide with guiding questions: “Which value guides us? What contradicts it? What do we learn?”
- Story collection: Successes and learning moments in which values became visible – share internally.
- Onboarding ritual: New colleagues choose a value and explain what it means to them.
- Recognition: Saying thank you with reference to values (“Thank you for your transparency in Project X”).
- Values Retrospective: One sprint – one value in focus. What helped? What blocked it?
Communicating corporate values: Examples
- Making values visible: short portraits with real team voices instead of slogans.
- Integrate into processes: Values field in templates for goals, roadmaps, retrospectives.
- Leadership as a role model: justifying decisions with reference to values.
- Share externally: Cases and learning moments on the website/LinkedIn – authentic rather than polished.
From word to embodiment: At the Museum of Values, we have been collaborating with The Art of Embodying Change GmbH for years. We combine embodied practices (how we experience the world), aesthetics (what touches us), narrative (your story), and relationality (the quality of our relationships). In this way, values are not prescribed—they are embodied.
“Values in a company are a platform for interaction and decision-making support – not just another performance tool.”
Want to delve deeper? The Management Centre demonstrates how values strategically transform organizations – from mission statement to implementation.
Your next step
Values are not a destination, but a path. Start small: Choose two values, define concrete behavioral anchors, and make them visible over the next four weeks.
