Core Values

Core Values are more than nice words on a wall. In The 90 Way, they are operating standards—a practical, visible, and daily part of how great companies hire, fire, coach, celebrate, and lead.

When defined and reinforced properly, Core Values clarify how your team should behave when no one is watching. They create internal consistency across decisions, systems, and relationships—especially as your company grows. When neglected, Core Values become vague ideals. When activated, they become your company’s immune system and culture compass.

In high-trust, high-growth organizations, Core Values aren’t just remembered—they’re lived.

Without Core Values, companies experience:

Cultural drift, especially as the company grows or hires quickly
Inconsistent decision-making, especially across departments
Toxic behaviors, going unchecked due to unclear standards
Misaligned hiring, resulting in poor team fit and low retention
Erosion of accountability, with no behavior baseline
Confusion around priorities, when values aren't used to filter decisions

Strong Core Values solve these by:

Defining what “right fit” means across hiring and team behavior
Providing a shared framework for recognition, feedback, and leadership
Anchoring company identity during growth, change, or transition
Reinforcing accountability through agreed-upon standards
Supporting a resilient, values-based culture people trust and want to be part of

Core Values are the culture scaffolding you build everything else on.

Overview

What Stage of Development is your business currently in?

Learn More about the Stages:

Blog

3 Levels of Organizational Culture: Aligning Core Values with Actual Practice

Blog

Grow or Die #6: Culture Matters

Next Steps