Core Values Performance Benchmark
Turn a short set of values into observable standards for every team member
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 93%
This framework treats core values as operating benchmarks rather than decorative statements. Leadership first reviews whether the existing values still represent the current organization, especially after growth or diversification. The team then creates a small, memorable set of values and defines the observable conduct behind each one. Jasmine’s examples translate abstract culture into explicit expectations: own a task from beginning to end, train and perform with competitive intent, and treat extraordinary work as the minimum standard. These definitions make the values usable during project execution, peer support, coaching, and performance conversations. Every team member can be assessed against the same criteria, while leaders define what success looks like for the organization. The mechanism works only when the values influence everyday behavior and consequences rather than remaining language on a document.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show after Jasmine Star and her leadership team replaced five outdated values with three standards for their expanded organization.
Core principles
- 01Core values must describe the organization as it exists now.
- 02Memorable values are more useful than a long disconnected list.
- 03Each value needs observable behavioral meaning.
- 04Performance should be evaluated against the same shared standards.
- 05Leaders must clearly define what winning and excellence look like.
How to run it
- 1
Audit the Existing Values
Compare the current values with the organization’s present structure, ambitions, and behavior. Identify values that feel outdated, disconnected, or difficult to remember.
Pro tip Revisit the values after major changes in business model, leadership, or organizational scope.
Watch out Do not preserve stale values merely because the company has used them for years.
- 2
Define Organizational Identity
Ask leadership to articulate who the organization is and how its people should operate. Use that identity to establish the direction everyone should run toward.
Pro tip Include leaders who understand multiple arms of the organization.
Watch out Values designed for only one department may fail to align a broader company.
- 3
Create a Memorable Set
Reduce the culture to a small number of concise values that people can recall and apply. Give each value distinctive language.
Pro tip Favor three strong values over five disconnected ones.
Watch out Too many values weaken recall and prioritization.
- 4
Operationalize Each Value
Define the concrete behaviors, decisions, and responsibilities associated with every value. Explain what the value looks like across an entire project, including collaboration and missed deadlines.
Pro tip Use real workplace scenarios to test whether each definition is actionable.
Watch out Words such as excellence remain ambiguous until leaders specify the expected behavior.
- 5
Set the Performance Benchmark
Evaluate team members and work products against every core value. Use the standards to guide coaching, recognition, and decisions about continued fit.
Pro tip Discuss values during regular performance conversations, not only during onboarding.
Watch out Selective enforcement signals that the values are optional.
- 6
Model and Reinforce the Standard
Leaders consistently demonstrate the values and define what winning means in each context. Teams reinforce them by helping one another reach shared endpoints.
Pro tip Celebrate examples that clearly demonstrate the desired standard.
Watch out Demanding behavior that leaders do not model will undermine trust.
In the wild
A project owner sees that a teammate is likely to miss a deadline. Instead of saying the delay belongs to someone else, the owner asks what support is needed, reorganizes the work, and remains accountable for delivering the full project.
→ Accountability extends across dependencies and the team reaches the shared endpoint.
Customers repeatedly described Jasmine’s team as excellent, but the word felt too vague to guide behavior. The leadership team reframed the expectation as “extraordinary is our baseline” and defined it as working differently, doing things better, and going the extra mile.
→ External praise became a clearer internal performance expectation.
Common mistakes
Keeping Values That No Longer Fit
An organization can change substantially while its values remain frozen. The resulting mismatch makes the values irrelevant to current decisions.
Choosing Vague Aspirations
A value such as excellence cannot guide performance until the team defines what people must actually do differently.
Using Values Only for Branding
Values have little operational power if they never appear in accountability, coaching, or performance decisions.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for organizations whose structure, ambitions, or working style have outgrown their original values.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for leaders who are unwilling to model the standards or address repeated misalignment.
From the transcript
“core values for an organization are entirely important because it becomes the benchmark and how you guide your team, but also the benchmark of how…”
“So when you sit with a team member and you run your team members performance against your core values, they have to hold true every…”
“It starts and it ends with you.”
From the episode
Plan Your Breakout Year: Identify Top Objectives and Build a Winning Team