Value Statements

Home 9 Resources 9 Value Statements
Below you’ll find some information on Inclusion and Diversity statements specifically, as well as some inspiration for a comprehensive values statement if you need to develop one of those too.

Identifying your own or your organisation’s values may be as simple as asking yourself (and your team) what is important to you and how you want others to perceive the way in which you work. You can then ask yourselves what behaviours or values may achieve those aspirations. 

You should probably already have one if you’re an established company; if not, no time like the present to identify what’s important to you.

Why Should You Codify Your Values?
Understanding why your organisation exists (or why you as a sole trader do what you do) and putting it down on paper has three major benefits:

 

  1. It fosters accountability – i.e. you’re keeping receipts for yourself.
  2. It empowers anyone who works with you with the knowledge about what’s important and acceptable at work.
  3. It is a helpful tool when making tricky decisions. If you’re unsure what to do, evaluating your options against your value set can be a very helpful guide.
How to Create Inclusion & Diversity Statements
  • Keep it short and sweet (approximately 50 words is great)
  • Be specific about what initiatives you may already have in place, or commitments to action you are making
  • This is a helpful guide to crafting your own statement (it’s non-music specific, but go with it).
Example Diversity Statement

At [boring company that actually wrote a great one], we appreciate the importance of creating an environment in which all of our employees can feel valued, included and empowered to bring great ideas to the table.

We recognize that each employee’s unique experiences, perspectives, and viewpoints across our various companies are critical to creating products that engage and inspire customers all over the world. Therefore, our goal is to foster an environment that is an incubator for great ideas, is attractive to the best talent, and that creates a profound sense of pride across our Company.

Our diversity and inclusion efforts will therefore focus on:

  • Leading and managing inclusively – embracing different cultures, ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations
  • Creating a work environment that fosters growth and advancement
  • Engaging with our audiences in a way that reflects and respects their unique perspectives and experiences

Our diversity and inclusion objectives, and progress towards achieving them, will be assessed annually to ensure they align with our business and talent objectives.

The Keychange Initiative

Also consider getting involved with things like the Keychange Initiative, for accountability as well as support and resources to help your organisation continue to improve your inclusion & diversity.

Big Picture Values

If you’re looking to develop some overall values for your organisation (whether that’s an artist camp, a promotions company, a venue, or a sole trader), here are a few places to start: