Most founders I meet want their business to “feel like a good place to work.” But what that actually means changes dramatically as your business moves from the early days to something bigger, more complex, and – let’s be honest – sometimes a bit messier.
In my work with scaling SMEs, I often see how company values evolve, almost in layers, as the business grows up. And it’s not about having ‘better’ or ‘worse’ values – it’s about matching your values to where your business is on its journey.
So, what do these stages look like in practice?
Stage one: the basics – show up, look smart, be polite
At the very beginning, values often sound a bit like a school noticeboard:
- Be on time
- Dress appropriately
- Be polite and respectful
Why? Because in the early days, you’re laying the foundations of professionalism. You’re teaching people what it means to work together in an organisation rather than just turning up and doing their own thing.
At this stage, values are usually quite rule-based and behaviour-focused. It’s about setting clear expectations and helping everyone understand what “good” looks like, especially if your team is new to working in structured environments.
And that’s not a bad thing. These values give your team something solid to lean on while you get the basics of running a business in place.
Stage two: beyond the rules – into shared behaviours
As the business matures, the conversation about “how we work together” naturally deepens.
Values begin to shift from basic behavioural expectations to things like:
- We do what we say we will do
- We treat people with respect
- We support each other to succeed
These are less about appearance or punctuality and more about consistency, reliability, and collaboration. They’re a sign your organisation is no longer just about “keeping people in line” – you’re starting to build trust, ownership and accountability.
At this point, values often become part of how you appraise performance, make hiring decisions, and shape your internal culture. People start to see that how they do the job matters as much as what they do.
Stage three: truly mature – values as commercial and cultural drivers
Then, in some businesses I’ve worked with over many years, values go a level deeper still.
These companies develop values like:
- Bring your best self to work
- Consider the commercial implications of every decision you make
- Think about the impact of your choices on our team and customers
These are subtle, powerful statements. They invite employees to step up and act as stewards of the business – not just good colleagues or diligent workers.
At this level, values become part of strategic thinking. They encourage people to balance commercial reality with culture, to lead themselves, and to make decisions in line with the wider purpose of the business.
And when values become this sophisticated, they stop being something you ‘refer to’ and start becoming something people live.
So why does this matter?
Because too often, businesses try to jump to stage three before they’re ready. They announce lofty, abstract values – “be courageous,” “innovate fearlessly,” “act like an owner” – before the team has a shared understanding of what those words actually mean in practice.
Without a shared foundation, those values risk sounding hollow. Worse, they can breed cynicism if people look around and see everyday behaviour that doesn’t match the words.
A few thoughts if you’re reviewing your company values:
1. Meet your business where it is. Don’t be afraid to start with the basics if you’re still building team discipline and mutual respect.
2. Keep evolving. As your people mature and your culture strengthens, revisit and stretch your values so they keep challenging and guiding behaviour.
3. Be specific. Abstract words can sound impressive, but concrete, behaviour-linked values are more useful day to day.
4. Live them. Values only matter if leaders model them and use them to guide real decisions – hiring, promotions, reward – and even letting people go when needed.
Final thought
Your company’s values aren’t a one-off branding exercise, they’re living, evolving reflections of your organisation’s maturity.
And as your business grows, your values can, and should, grow with it: from telling people what to do, to showing them how to think, decide and lead.
If you’re wondering what stage your business is at, or where your values could go next, let’s have a conversation.