How to Add and Edit Core Values in Ninety
Your company's Core Values (the three to seven guiding principles that define your culture) live in the Core Values section of the Vision page on your leadership team's V/TO® (Vision/Traction Organizer®).
Owners, Admins, and Implementers on the leadership team can add, edit, reorder, and remove Core Values. The People Analyzer® and the Quarterly Review form both read Core Values from this section, so this list is the one every manager uses to rate people. Core Values are available on every Ninety plan, including the Free plan.
Where Core Values live
Core Values live on one V/TO only: your leadership team's. They sit in the Core Values section of the Vision page, where each value's name appears beside its description.
To find your Core Values:
Click V/TO in the left navigation.
Choose your leadership team from the Team dropdown.
Click the Vision tab.
Core Values can't be edited on any other team's V/TO, and neither can the 10-Year Target™ or Go to Market Strategy sections. When the leadership team cascades its Core Values, they appear on each department team's V/TO with a Leadership flag in the section's top-right corner. Department teams still keep their own goals on their Traction® page. Project Teams don't have a V/TO.
Who can add and edit Core Values
Editing Core Values takes two things: membership on the leadership team, and one of these roles:
Owner.
Admin.
Implementer.
Managers, Managees, and Observers can view Core Values but can't edit them. Someone with an editing role who isn't on the leadership team can't edit them either. The same roles edit the leadership team's 10-Year Target and Go to Market Strategy sections. For the full permissions breakdown, see User Roles and Permissions.
How to add a Core Value
Adding a Core Value happens in the edit view of the Core Values section on your leadership team's V/TO. Each value has two fields: a short name and a description of the behavior behind it. Here's how:
Click V/TO in the left navigation.
Choose your leadership team from the Team dropdown.
On the Vision tab, click the pencil icon at the top right of the Core Values section.
Click the circled plus icon at the top of the section, next to the check mark icon. A new row appears.
Type the value's name in the Core Value field.
Type one sentence describing the behavior in the Description field.
Repeat steps 4–6 for each value you want to add.
Click the check mark icon to save.
The Core Values field at the top of the edit view holds the section's title. Change it only if you want the section to have a different name on your V/TO.
Tip: Keep each name to a word or short phrase. Depending on your V/TO's layout, the Core Value field can be narrow enough to cut off long names while you edit. Put the full meaning in the description.
How to edit, reorder, or remove a Core Value
Editing, reordering, and removing Core Values all happen in the same edit view. To open it, click V/TO in the left navigation, choose your leadership team from the Team dropdown, and click the pencil icon at the top right of the Core Values section on the Vision tab.
To edit a value:
Click into its Core Value or Description field and change the text.
Click the check mark icon to save.
To reorder your values:
Hover over a value's row. A six-dot icon appears at the far left of the row.
Click and drag the six-dot icon to move the value up or down.
Click the check mark icon to save.
To remove a value:
Click the X icon at the right of the value's row.
Click the check mark icon to save.
Changing your Core Values doesn't rewrite past reviews. Each completed People Analyzer review keeps the values it was rated against.
Write a description your managers can rate against
A Core Value's description shows up in every review, so it's worth getting right. When a manager rates someone in The People Analyzer, the description sits under each value's name, and every manager rates against the same definition.
Here are some helpful tips for developing your company's Core Values:
Three to seven values. That's the EOS® guideline. A short list is easier to remember and use.
A short name. One word or a short phrase your team already says.
One sentence of behavior. Describe what someone does when they live the value, clearly enough that two managers would rate the same person the same way.
Short enough to read in full. The People Analyzer cuts off long descriptions on its review screen.
For example, a value named Collaboration might read: "We value working together as a team, and with our clients, to achieve the best outcomes."
How Core Values appear in The People Analyzer® and Quarterly Reviews
The People Analyzer and the Quarterly Review form both use the Core Values on your leadership team's V/TO, whatever team the reviewer and the person being reviewed are on.
The People Analyzer. Each value appears with its name, its description, and the -, +/-, and + ratings. Core Values must be added before anyone can complete a People Analyzer review. Learn more in The People Analyzer®.
Quarterly Reviews. The form's Core Values section lists each value's name and full description, with a dropdown for +, +/-, or -. Learn more in Preparing and Running a Quarterly Review.
Reviews in progress. A review started before a value was added won't include that value. Only reviews started afterward pick up the change.
Completed reviews. Past People Analyzer reviews are snapshots. They keep the values they were rated against, even after you edit or remove a value.
Keep Core Values with your leadership team or share them
Core Values reach other teams when the leadership team shares them, and there are two ways to do that.
Share the whole V/TO. Turn on the Share V/TO® with All Teams toggle in the filters bar of your leadership team's V/TO. Every other team can then turn on View Leadership V/TO to see the leadership team's full V/TO, Core Values included.
Cascade only the Core Values section. Cascading places the leadership team's Core Values on every team's own V/TO, with a Leadership flag. Here's how:
On your leadership team's V/TO, click the pencil icon at the top right of the Core Values section.
Turn on the Cascade to all teams toggle at the top of the edit view.
Click the check mark icon to save.
Cascading needs the Custom Vision feature turned on. See Custom V/TO® Feature and Display the Organization's Vision across All Teams.
Note: EOS Pure™ turns off Custom Vision, which removes the Cascade to all teams toggle from the Core Values edit view. The Share V/TO® with All Teams toggle stays, so you can still share the whole V/TO with every team. See Turning On the EOS Pure Setting.
While you're still drafting, leave Share V/TO® with All Teams and Cascade to all teams off. The leadership team can refine its Core Values on its own V/TO, then share them once everyone has signed off.
Frequently asked questions
Can each department have its own Core Values?
No. Core Values belong to the whole company and can be edited only on the leadership team's V/TO. Department teams keep their own goals on their Traction® page.
How many Core Values should we have?
EOS recommends three to seven. A short list is easier for everyone to remember and to rate against in The People Analyzer.
Do we need Core Values before we can use The People Analyzer?
Yes. The People Analyzer rates each person against your Core Values, so add them to your leadership team's V/TO first.
Will changing a Core Value change past reviews?
No. Completed People Analyzer reviews keep the values they were rated against. Only reviews started after the change use the new list.
Can Maz see our Core Values?
Yes, for anyone who can view them. If your leadership team's V/TO isn't shared, users who aren't on the leadership team can't ask Maz about the leadership team's Core Values. Learn more in Introduction to Maz.
Troubleshooting
Issue: I don't see the pencil icon on the Core Values section.
Solution:
Check that the Team dropdown is set to your leadership team. Core Values can't be edited on any other team's V/TO.
Confirm that you're a member of the leadership team and that your role is Owner, Admin, or Implementer. Managers can view Core Values but can't edit them. See User Roles and Permissions.
If the issue persists, contact support.
Issue: Core Values are missing from The People Analyzer or a Quarterly Review form.
Solution:
Open your leadership team's V/TO and confirm the values appear in the Core Values section. If you added them but didn't click the check mark icon, add them again and save.
Confirm the right team is set as your Leadership Team. See Creating New Teams.
A review started before you added your Core Values won't include them. Start a new review.
If the issue persists, contact support.
Issue: A Core Value's description is cut off in The People Analyzer.
Solution:
Shorten the description to one sentence on your leadership team's V/TO.
Click the check mark icon to save. New reviews show the updated description.
If the issue persists, contact support.