Nowadays, many companies pride themselves on having an excellent workplace and company culture that lets their employees thrive. For some people, it has become a significant factor in choosing their next job, as they look for an organisation that respects and shares their values. 

As a software development company, Evojam provides services to external businesses. We believe that shared team values are the core of employee satisfaction and successful collaboration with our colleagues and clients. The success of any software development project relies heavily on the cohesion and alignment of our values. Possessing technical expertise is not enough.

Our views on core company values and culture differed due to our diverse backgrounds. However, working in a team requires sharing values and principles. In addition to fostering a positive work environment, team values facilitate collaboration and cooperation between members, allowing mutual understanding and guiding decision-making. 

Some of us needed help understanding how Evojam approaches values in our daily work towards our clients and team members. This drove our urge for transparency in company culture and values. We didn’t want them to be just a buzzword; instead, we aimed for something we all believed in.

So, what did we do?

Our Path to Establishing Core Values in a Technical Team

The book by Ken Blanchard and Michael O’Connor, ‘Managing By Values: How to Put Your Values into Action for Extraordinary Results’ came to our rescue. To follow its advice, we invited the whole Delivery Team consisting of developers, project managers, a QA engineer, and a UX/UI designer. We wanted every team member to help narrow down the specific values we stand for. 

Our company offsite (our team-building event) turned out to be an excellent opportunity to do so. 

During the workshop, we aimed to come up with three values that would become the core principles of the Delivery Team. The whole team was involved in choosing the values from the list of over 50 words that could become the core of our culture. 

Firstly, each person chose three values from the list. After a while, bigger and bigger teams were created to choose three values from the list they compiled.

In the last round, we had two large teams with six values to choose from. This led to a discussion on how we perceive corporate values, what is the most important when choosing them, and what their purpose will be in the future. 

As it turned out, the criteria by which these two teams chose the values varied. The values were similar but with different depth levels and side meanings. Eventually, we decided to proceed entirely with the values picked by one of the teams, as the workshop was over.

But it wasn’t the end.

Later that day, the workshop discussions didn't cease. Some of our colleagues felt they hadn’t had enough time to finish the debate, and they couldn’t fully agree with the established values.

The objective of the workshop was to pick the values we all share, and we hadn’t met it. Without a clear set of shared values, our team could easily become fragmented and struggle to work towards common goals. This could negatively impact employee engagement and decelerate business growth.

The second round was necessary. 

After a few weeks, during another company team-building event, we reviewed the six values again. We worked in groups, and we gave each team member enough time and space to express their views. By involving everyone in the decision-making process, we ensured that our values truly reflected our team's collective beliefs and aspirations. It also fostered a sense of ownership among team members, as they felt invested in the outcome.

By the end of the session, the Delivery Team successfully identified three values to serve as the core of our culture: Sustainability, Trust and Rightfulness.

Let’s dive into what these established values mean to us!

Sustainability

Sustainability is one of our main requirements when choosing the projects we will work on. We strive to deliver software that positively impacts the world and/or society. It's not just about environmental responsibility; it also encompasses the long-term viability of our team and the impact we have on our clients. 

By prioritizing sustainability, we ensure that our actions today contribute to a better future for everyone involved. We always opt for solutions that will lead to a successful outcome in the long run.

Trust

To collaborate successfully with our clients, trust is essential. We know that to earn their trust, we must communicate openly and transparently. We present all possible solutions and recommend the best one rather than the easiest. If the project assumptions, scope or timeline change, our client is immediately notified.

Rightfulness

No matter what we do, we always do it the right way. This involves considering the potential impact on users, society, and the environment, and making choices that align with ethical principles. 

Communicating and Living Our Team's Values

The intensity of the discussion regarding values has proven that we have gathered outstanding IT specialists with an ownership mentality. This means taking responsibility for what kind of company culture they will represent as the Delivery Team. The workshops have created a sense of unity and purpose among us, allowing us to work towards a common goal with shared enthusiasm and commitment. 

Now, after we have decided which values we want to follow, we can show them off both internally and externally. We do our best to make sure that the candidates in the recruitment process, new team members, and clients understand them and feel they can cherish them in their daily work by collaborating with us.

Sustainability, trust, and rightfulness are the core values that define us as a team. Sustainability guides us to make choices that have a positive impact on the environment and society. Trust is the foundation of our relationships within the team and with our clients, which enables open and constant communication. Rightfulness drives us to act ethically, ensuring fairness in all aspects of our work. These values serve as guiding principles for all business decisions we make, helping us focus on what truly matters!