Event Details

Forging Values - Transforming Companies From Good To Great

Presented by: Robert Ferguson

Learning objectives:

• Understand why values matter and how they can create strategic advantage

• Know the 17 common values shared across industries

• Understand how to select relevant fundamental values

• Know the difference between fundamental values and differentiating values

• Understand how to identify and define 3 differentiating values

• Know how to put values into practice

• Overview of Course: As author Jim Collins states in his best-selling book ‘Good to Great’: “Core Values are essential for enduring greatness... The point is not what core values you have, but that you have core values at all, that you know what they are, that you build them explicitly into the organization, and that you preserve them over time.”

• Unfortunately, there’s a huge gap. As Ken Blanchard highlights in his work, only 10% of companies actually have defined values. Worse, many companies with stated values don’t define them very well and don’t make it easy for employees to live by them.

• This is where my work with values comes in.

  Based on our research of the stated values, beliefs, and principles of Fortune 500 companies, we’ve identified 17 common values. While each company might choose a different label, the majority of stated values fit into 17 categories.

  In addition, our strong background in marketing has proven that great brands have just a few differentiating values – those values that truly define the brand. Examples include Volvo being known for ‘Safety’; Disney being known for ‘Magic’; and 3M being known for ‘Innovation’. Our mission is to transform organizations “from good to great” by instilling values that make a difference.

  Values are more than defining acceptable behavior. They provide strategic direction.

  This course is designed to help companies without values to identify and define a set of values. For those that already have values, this course will provide a baseline for comparison and show how to refine existing values to maximize their effectiveness.

  Learn more at http://ForgingValues.com

As a speaker, researcher and writer, Robert Ferguson uses values to help business leaders provide strategic direction and build a successful brand. Over his 20-year career as a strategic marketer, Robert has worked with large clients, including, Sprint, Nortel, FedEx, Roche pharmaceuticals, Liberty Health and many smaller companies

He has witnessed first hand both success and failure in brand building, and experienced how values can create competitive advantage. The secret lies in developing differentiating values that are unique, relevant, and sustainable.

Most recently, Robert completed an extensive analysis of values across all Fortune 500 companies, discovering 17 common values. Today he will be sharing with us details from his research and explain how to identify differentiating values. You can follow Robert online at FergusonValues.com.