Core Values Will Create Your Success

Build some real value into your business by building your business on strong values that you determine.

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The term value is often tied to a monetary measure—what something is worth in dollars and cents. Fiscal value is a moving target; however, changing with the ebb and flow of the fickle global economy. Where a business owner should focus more effort and energy is not in the value, but the values of his or her company. Those are concrete and change very little over time.

The values of an organization come from the founder. They are there from the very beginning, influencing the building blocks of vision, people and systems. The core values must not only be accepted but truly believed by all other top level executives so it becomes ingrained in each and every employee.

Values are relatively static. Who you are as a person doesn't change radically, for most, and who your company is shouldn't either. As a company evolves so will its core values. These changes should be a fine tuning rather than a complete overhaul.

OtterBox core values are concrete—not touchy-feely affirmations, but actionable attributes. We discuss our core values in terms of business decisions, processes and systems. We've even instituted a reward program aimed at honoring employees who exhibit our core values in their daily course of business. Given the diversity of the values, that's not an easy task. Below are the OtterBox core values and abbreviated definitions:

Passion: OtterBox is about an experience and a lifestyle. We strive to be the best at what we choose to do.
Integrity: We trust if we do the right things, we will get the right results.
Innovation: Built upon entrepreneurial values, we believe everything can be innovated.
Strategically Driven: We spend one-third of the year planning and strategizing for the future.
Adaptable: We are eager to embrace change.
Partner Relationships: We foster long-lasting, win-win relationships with a focus on the future.
Systemic: We are the sum of all our parts.
Accountability: We do what we say we will do.

These values are the basis for every decision made within the organization and have guided OtterBox through the potentially treacherous path that leads from small company to big business. We're not done with our journey yet but are confident that we're trekking in the right shoes.

OtterBox founder and CEO Curt Richardson created the first prototype of a waterproof case in his garage in the early '90s. OtterBox evolved into a leader in protective cases for mobile technology. @OtterBox