Brand Values Are Just Words—Until Your Team Lives Them

Values don’t matter if they don’t show up in how people act.
Aligning your internal culture with your brand means translating high-level values into specific, observable behaviors. This helps your team understand what those values really mean in practice—and how to act on them.

Why it's Important

Makes your values feel real—not performative
Creates behavioral consistency across teams and leadership
Strengthens culture, hiring, and internal accountability
Builds customer trust by aligning what you say with how you act
Helps employees make better, faster decisions that reflect the brand

How to Implement

Start with your 3–5 core brand values (e.g. Empathy, Speed, Curiosity)
For each one, define 2–3 observable behaviors that reflect it
“Speed” → “We ship MVPs, not perfect features”
“Empathy” → “We repeat back what we hear in customer calls to confirm understanding”
Use action verbs and real-world context—not generic traits
Test whether the behaviors are measurable and coachable
Incorporate these behaviors into:
Onboarding
Performance reviews
Leadership expectations
Internal comms or rituals (e.g. shoutouts, retros)
Train managers to model and reinforce them
Share stories and examples where values were lived well (or missed)
Revisit values annually to check for relevance and clarity

How You Know You Got It Right

Team members can describe what each value looks like in action
Behaviors show up in how teams make decisions and give feedback
Leaders model values consistently, not just during all-hands
The company recognizes and rewards behavior that reflects the brand
Customers cite culture or values as a reason they trust your team
Interviewees hear the same messages from multiple team members
Your internal culture feels like an extension of your external brand

Real-World Examples

Buffer

Value: Transparency → Behavior: Public salaries, open-source financials

Zappos

Value: Deliver WOW → Behavior: Empowered support reps and generous returns

Figma

Value: Build community → Behavior: Design jams, open plugin platform, active forums

Make It Better

Use real employee voices to define and validate behaviors
Reframe values as questions to guide action (“How do we show empathy today?”)
Highlight values in retros, standups, and team celebrations
Audit whether internal processes support—or contradict—your values
Share failure stories to show growth and honesty, not just perfection

Don't Make These Mistakes

Using vague values like “excellence” without defining what it looks like
Treating values like a branding exercise instead of a culture foundation
Rewarding results that contradict stated behaviors
Leaving values out of hiring, reviews, and leadership assessments
Changing values without involving the people who live them