The Key to Sparking Purpose & Passion in Your Team: Co-Created Values
In today's world, employees are increasingly seeking work that aligns with their personal values and sense of purpose. But how can companies ignite that fire within their team and truly inspire them to work towards a shared vision? At Green Canopy NODE, we believe that one secret to sparking purpose and passion in a team lies in empowering the team to co-create the company's values.
Many companies have a mission and vision statement, but even the strongest statements may not be enough to spark the kind of passion required to achieve the impossible. At Green Canopy NODE, we regularly re-align our team with our mission and vision statements, and then we are all empowered to co-create our values together.
With a mission to regenerate communities and environments, Green Canopy NODE is working to address the acute pain in the housing industry and help our clients deliver sustainable, healthy housing faster. Through the power of manufacturing, we believe in a future where carbon negative, healthy homes are accessible for everyone.
Some may say what we’re trying to achieve is impossible. We have entered new terrain - a space where very few have gone and succeeded. So why do we at Green Canopy NODE believe the impossible is not only possible, but well within our reach? Because we have a fully integrated team with a shared set of values coupled with both purpose and passion. Our team’s energy and enthusiasm around our mission and momentum is palpable. How we work together towards our collective success feels like magic.
“None of us are truly qualified to do our jobs because what we’re creating doesn’t exist yet. We’re venturing into uncharted territory and applying our skills and expertise to a whole new world. But that’s what makes this work so exciting and fulfilling. We have the opportunity to push the boundaries of what’s possible and create something that can actually change construction and the world.”
Our values aren't just statements on the wall, they guide how we work together every day and who we aspire to be as a team. To co-create our values, we gather our team annually and ask them to reflect on the most important aspects of teamwork and relationships that allow them to do their best work and feel supported.
“Values like vulnerability, integrity, and honesty are at the core of who we are. Those are our baseline, and they’re not values we’re creating today,” Ami Nieto, HR Director reminded the team during the retreat. “To continue growing and evolving, as individuals and as a team, we need to push further. We need to ask ourselves, where is our growth edge?”
Through small group workshops and a voting process, we all co-create a set of values that our team agrees on and embraces. Once we have our values, we then create mantras that define how the value reveals itself day-to-day. This effort creates offers collective accountability and alignment around a shared set of values.
We’re pleased to share Green Canopy NODE’s 2023 Values and Mantras:
Empathy
Seek first to understand
Assume good intentions
Think generously
Empowerment
Foster opportunities for others to grow
Nurture fearless agency
Give each other what is needed to succeed
Cultivation
Nurture the seeds of innovation
Plant knowledge, grow relationships, harvest solutions
Share what you know, so others can grow
Syncopation
Listen for the offbeat, it's the opportunity for innovation
Focus on our goals, not what the industry expects
Let people march to the beat of their own drum, together
“Today was a remarkable day for me. I have never been in a room before where such powerful values were created. Unlike the typical values, such as safety and teamwork, what I witnessed today was next level thinking and very inspiring. The process was nothing short of fantastic, and it allowed me to see deeper into the heart of the company. I was moved and energized by the passion and enthusiasm of the team, driven by their desire to change the world.”
Our experience has shown that empowering our team to co-create their company values is the key to sparking both purpose and passion. While mission and vision statements provide direction, they may not be enough to ignite the fire within your team. By ceding control and empowering your team to co-create values, you can build a stronger team that is aligned around a shared purpose, passionate about their work and committed to achieving the impossible.
Wondering what our team thinks? Here are thoughts from them:
“Empathy is the foundation for all the other values. It is the one value that the world needs most, and it has the power to change everything.” - Kyle Kutz, Design Project Manager.
“Connecting with each other’s humanity makes it easy to come to work.” - Abby Willets, R&D Engineer.
“At Green Canopy NODE we have a culture of openness and vulnerability. We shed our fear of failure and embrace transparency. It’s a unique environment I haven’t found elsewhere. I believe this opens up possibilities and fuels the magic of our work together.” - Greg Lotakis, VP Integration
“Being empowered gives me the courage to put in the extra effort and I get better results.” - Christian Ledesma, Carpenter
"There's a natural inclination to collaborate and innovate. By understanding each other’s unique perspectives and approaches, we can work together better.” - Darrin Griechen, VP Products and Innovation
“I am humbled to work alongside such a passionate and inspiring group of team members. The days of employees showing up to work for a paycheck are long gone. People want and expect more. Co-creating values delivers on the promise of what we want most – finding purpose-drive work and to love what we do.” - Ami Nieto, HR Director