Core Values Performance Barometer
Translate company values into observable ratings, coaching, and accountability
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 96%
The framework uses core values as a shared performance barometer. Once a business begins building a team, leaders define the values that describe how excellent work is performed. During a review, each employee scores themselves against every value with a positive, neutral, or negative assessment, while the manager independently completes the same exercise. Differences expose misalignment between the employee's understanding of good performance and the company's expected standard. The manager then explains the behavioral gap and translates it into measurable key performance indicators. When improvement is required, the employee receives a performance improvement plan, clear guidance, and a 90-day period to reach the bar. The system makes expectations visible and gives both development and termination decisions a consistent basis.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show, where Jasmine explained how her company began operationalizing core values after crossing seven figures and hiring a team.
Core principles
- 01Core values must define behavior rather than decorate a website.
- 02Employees and managers should assess the same standards independently.
- 03Rating disagreements reveal expectations that need clarification.
- 04Improvement plans require explicit metrics and adequate time.
- 05Termination should follow a transparent opportunity to meet the standard.
How to run it
- 1
Define the Values
Choose values that describe the standard and behavior expected from every team member. Make each one specific enough to guide real decisions.
Pro tip Use language that can be connected to observable work, ownership, and outcomes.
Watch out Values that merely sound inspiring cannot function as evaluation criteria.
- 2
Create Behavioral Anchors
Document examples of positive, acceptable, and below-standard behavior for each value. Give managers and employees a shared reference point.
Pro tip Use examples drawn from actual team situations.
Watch out Do not assume everyone interprets words such as extraordinary or ownership identically.
- 3
Run Dual Assessments
Ask the employee and manager to rate the employee independently against every value. Use a simple plus, check, or minus scale.
Pro tip Complete both assessments before the review conversation to reduce anchoring.
Watch out A manager-only scorecard misses valuable evidence about self-awareness and expectation gaps.
- 4
Examine Misalignment
Compare the two assessments and focus discussion where ratings differ. Explain the company's standard with concrete examples.
Pro tip Treat rating differences as diagnostic information before treating them as defiance.
Watch out Do not leave the employee with a vague instruction to improve.
- 5
Set a Measurable Plan
Translate weak areas into explicit metrics, KPIs, actions, and support. Place the expectations in a formal performance improvement plan when necessary.
Pro tip Connect every metric directly to a value and role responsibility.
Watch out Metrics unrelated to the stated cultural gap make the process appear arbitrary.
- 6
Review After 90 Days
Support the employee throughout the improvement period, then reassess against the same standards. Decide whether performance now meets the bar.
Pro tip Schedule interim checkpoints rather than waiting until the final day.
Watch out Do not surprise the employee with new criteria at the end of the plan.
In the wild
Jasmine described a review where an employee might award themselves positive ratings while the manager records neutral or negative ratings against values such as extraordinary performance, playing to win, and ownership. The disagreement becomes the starting point for explaining the expected bar and setting a 90-day plan.
→ The employee receives a clear opportunity to understand and meet the company's standard.
Common mistakes
Using Values as Decoration
Values that are never applied to hiring, reviews, or decisions cannot shape the culture.
Leaving Standards Subjective
Without behavioral examples and KPIs, employees cannot reliably act on feedback.
Terminating Without a Fair Path
Removing someone before explaining the gap and supporting improvement undermines trust in the system.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for companies that have begun hiring a team and need consistent standards beyond the founder's personal judgment.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for teams whose values are still generic slogans without agreed behavioral definitions.
From the transcript
“core values like at first, like we think that they sound nice, but they're actually become a barometer in which we hold people to.”
“We're going to put you on a Pip a performance improvement plan.”
“We're going to give you 90 days to do it.”
From the episode
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