What Are Your Core Values

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Fieldstone Corporation is a major home and commercial building company. Before the company was founded, they undertook an exercise to determine what would be their corporate values. What emerged became known as “The Freestone Values”.

There were six of them. Every employee was instructed in these foundational principles. On every desk was a card displaying them…they were on every business card and piece of letterhead. At the company picnic and Christmas party, awards were given out based on those who exemplified the Freestone Values. They were serious about the values!

Workers were never to be disciplined for mistakes that cost the firm money. Rather, they were disciplined for decisions that are at odds with the company’s values even if the decision made the company more profit.

One of the mid-managers cost the firm $150,000 in profit loss by making a decision that he made in light of the core values. In most companies that manager would have been fired. It tested the real metal of Freestone Corporation. The manager was commended and received that year’s award in front of the employees. The company was interested in protecting its credibility rather than its capital.

How much money does it take for you to abandon your core values?

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