What are your core guiding PRINCIPLES?

Today I want to help you identify the core PRINCIPLES which are the foundation for your business, brand and blog. These are universal values which have a particular relevance to the unique way that that you work.

Identifying a set of clear PRINCIPLES will help keep you on track with creating the most appropriate content as well as developing a distinctive and resonant style and tone of voice.

See if you can list 5 qualities which are most important to you in your work, and what your blog is all about. If you find this difficult, you might find it easier to think about it from the other way round. Consider a time when you had a bad experience in your work – maybe you were dealing with a difficult client, or a project went wrong, you had a disagreement with a supplier, you felt that something important to you was being compromised or called into question.

Can you articulate what specifically about that situation was uncomfortable? Why was it difficult? What value, quality or guiding PRINCIPLE was being challenged for you?

See if you can avoid using Professionalism, Integrity, Quality, Authenticity in your list. Anyone in business should be acting with these qualities so they do not help to explain how YOU do things differently. Also – if you are fully embodying your guiding principles at all times then you will always be acting with integrity and authenticity.

Once you have completed this exercise, you can pin your list above your desk or keep it to hand so that when you write your blog you keep in mind the qualities you want to express through your writing – both WHAT you say and HOW you say it.

If you’d like to see an example of a big brand’s core values check out John Lewis: http://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/about/our-principles.html