Ann Marie Puig explains essential business values and how to cultivate them
When this happens, morality, passion and motivation will never be lacking and the growth of the organization is a natural consequence.
On the road to business success, the first and most important thing is to ensure that the foundations of your company are solid to withstand any situation. The values of a company are the purposes that guide the attitudes of its employees and keep them linked to common objectives. In addition, these values are the ultimate expression of a companys mission and vision. Ann Marie Puig, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist from Costa Rica, discusses the essential values all businesses should follow and how to embrace them.
The values of a company define from head to toe the ethical, moral and business principles of the organization, in addition to making very clear the corporate identity, along with the mission and vision of the same. They are formed by all those ethical and professional principles on which we base all activities within the company, which evidence, in one way or another, the identity and spirit of the same. We could say, they are the personality traits of the company that, summarized in a simple and concise way, are used to transmit to their own and third parties the route that the founders or managers have decided to take.
The simplest way to choose them is to ask yourself who the company owner is and what he believes in, how he responds to crisis situations and how he wants his environment to define him. In this way, you can trace that personality and determine the values of a company. In addition, as a marketing strategy, corporate identity is fundamental to define aspects such as the target audience, tone of the message, needs, among others.
Transparency, sincerity and openness are values that the public today not only wants for companies, but that are demanded. This has to do with using the truth as a tool to gain trust and credibility in the face of the environment.
We live in a world where everyone says they have the best products on the market. But it is one thing to affirm it and the other is to guarantee it. Says Puig, The products must meet the established and promised parameters of quality that can only be considered as close to perfection as possible.
Punctuality is important, as well. This isnt only about being respectful of delivery times for goods. It also refers to the importance of punctuality at the time of arrival and departure. Also, take special consideration over time of customers, suppliers and partners in cases of meetings and bill payments.
Few things appeal more to customers than seeing people who enjoy what they do. Therefore, having passion as the value of a company will serve to create and maintain emotionality at the top and transmit that motivation abroad.
Having the clear goal that you can only settle for being at the top, is a value that very few manage to put into practice. Your company can only be the best only if the best is demanded, asserts Puig. When this happens, morality, passion and motivation will never be lacking and the growth of the organization is a natural consequence.
When have you seen a sports team win championships solely by individualities? Possibly never. The management of work teams arises as an important need in corporate environments where tolerance, respect, admiration and consideration are the priorities. But this does not come this far; the values of a company are linked to the personal principles of the heads of the company. Therefore, values such as freedom, resilience, loyalty, solidarity, among others, can also be considered.
A company that constantly strives to rethink its value proposition to adapt to the needs of its customers has everything it needs to grow sustainably. In the end, businesses only continue to exist because their consumers choose them to solve a problem or loophole, based on products and services. That is, the customer is the central axis of a successful company. Thats why customer orientation brings so many benefits to corporate processes. This value can be incorporated into the organizational culture with the following measures:
Taking into account the previous point, the role of companies in improving the quality of life of people, from their customers, is noticeable. But this movement can be further strengthened when it extends to the wider community. To make a broad and positive impact on the society around them, businesses must give strength to the value of Social Responsibility. That is, they can carry out collective actions to make their resources generate benefits for people who do not necessarily establish a consumer relationship with them.
When you enter the corporate world, the best thing is to eliminate the illusion that you can build a perfect scenario, without any problem. It is impossible, since in the attempt to grow and improve there are limitations that the company must overcome. Thats why the value of problem solving is so important in the business environment. Employees and managers should always encourage thinking oriented to the search for solutions, thus avoiding the waste of time to find culprits or regret what did not work, concludes Puig.
About Ann Marie Puig
Ann Marie Puig has been a distinguished Consultant, Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, Director of Accounting and Finance and Chief Financial Officer for almost 20 years. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and has a reputation for accurate, clear and concise record management in month-end closings, accruals, reconciliations, AP, AR and JE, as well as superior human resource skills. She is extremely knowledgeable in current technology, eCommerce and a variety of Industries.
