Core values -- from various companies

Going through core values for some of the companies I'm familiar with due to friends working there.  Interesting differences and implications for what happens at each company...

My favorite?
I really like Google's -- can see why people are drawn to Google -- lots of great values and statements and ideas.  But I also really like Khan Academy's statement of who they are and the passion they hold.  Not sure Facebook does much for me -- and definitely shows why they often are changing policies, changing looks, etc.

• CISCO
• CREE
• IBM
• NCSU
• LORD Corporation
• GOOGLE
• FACEBOOK
• AMAZON
• KHAN ACADEMY

CISCO

Interestingly, I couldn't find CISCO core values anywhere...

CREE

Core Principles

The standards of conduct embodied in this Code are based upon the following core principles by which we operate our business:

• We act honestly and ethically in all of our Cree activities and relationships. 
• We seek to avoid all conflicts of interest between our work and personal interests. 
• We obey all laws, rules and regulations applicable to Cree's business worldwide. 
• We seek to foster a workplace in which all individuals are treated fairly. 
• We endeavor to maintain a safe workplace and to protect the environment. 
• We strive to recognize and value ethical conduct.

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IBM

IBMers determined that our actions will be driven by these values:

• Dedication to every client's success
• Innovation that matters, for our company and for the world
• Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships

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NCSU

Vision 
The University Sustainability Office efficiently advances NC State as an innovative, sustainable community. Our action-oriented team is sought after for our agility in initiating effective programs, providing interdisciplinary educational awareness, empowering shared responsibility and sense of community, resulting in real and balanced environmental, financial and social impact.

Values We Stand For:

• Commitment
• Excellence
• Achievement
• Accountability
• Accessibility
• Integrity
• Quality

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LORD Corporation

Creed

We believe in the worth and dignity of each individual and in the need to provide an environment which promotes individual and team development as demonstrated by continuous improvement, leading to external and internal customer satisfaction. We encourage and expect the participation of every employee to generate and develop ideas to achieve corporate values and goals in the pursuit of excellence. We will do our best to see that organizations, systems and resources are provided to enable decisions on these ideas as close as possible to their point of impact. We pledge that our business will be conducted with integrity and high ethical standards incorporating a sense of community and civic responsibility.

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Google's Core Values

• 1) We want to work with great people
  We hire great people and expect a lot from them
  We create an environment where people can flourish and grow
  We treat people with fairness and respect
  We challenge each other's ideas openly
  We value diversity in people and ideas
  We are a quantitative company that uses data to make decisions
• 2) Technology innovation is our lifeblood
  Build the world's best technology and products
  We apply technology and creativity to solve important problems
• 3) Working at Google is fun
  We expect our people to know and enjoy each other
  We have a challenging/energetic work environment
  We celebrate our successes and each other's accomplishments – both professional and personal
• 4) Be actively involved; you are Google
  Honor commitments
  We openly communicate and trust you with a great deal of information and we expect you to honor our confidentiality
  Understand when you are representing Google and act appropriately
• 5) Don't take success for granted
  Think and act like an underdog
  Be humble with success; don't be arrogant
  Be scrappy and resourceful
• 6) Do the right thing; don't be evil
  Honesty and integrity in all we do
  Our business practices are beyond reproach
  We make money by doing good things
• 7) Earn customer and user loyalty and respect every day
  Create, enhance and maintain great products and services
  Sustainable long-term growth and profitability are key to our success
  Think scale and efficiency
  Every dollar is yours
  Do things that matter
• 9) Google cares about and supports the communities where we work and live
  We encourage and enable our people to support local community involvement and expect them to participate

• 10) We aspire to improve and change the world
  Aim high; think BIG, take risks
  A healthy disregard for the impossible

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Facebook's 5 core values

1. Focus on Impact
If we want to have the biggest impact, the best way to do this is to make sure we always focus on solving the most important problems. It sounds simple, but we think most companies do this poorly and waste a lot of time. We expect everyone at Facebook to be good at finding the biggest problems to work on.

2. Move Fast
Moving fast enables us to build more things and learn faster. However, as most companies grow, they slow down too much because they're more afraid of making mistakes than they are of losing opportunities by moving too slowly. We have a saying: "Move fast and break things." The idea is that if you never break anything, you're probably not moving fast enough.


3. Be Bold
Building great things means taking risks. This can be scary and prevents most companies from doing the bold things they should. However, in a world that's changing so quickly, you're guaranteed to fail if you don't take any risks. We have another saying: "The riskiest thing is to take no risks." We encourage everyone to make bold decisions, even if that means being wrong some of the time.


4. Be Open
We believe that a more open world is a better world because people with more information can make better decisions and have a greater impact. That goes for running our company as well. We work hard to make sure everyone at Facebook has access to as much information as possible about every part of the company so they can make the best decisions and have the greatest impact.


5. Build Social Value
Once again, Facebook exists to make the world more open and connected, and not just to build a company. We expect everyone at Facebook to focus every day on how to build real value for the world in everything they do.

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Amazon

Amazon Leadership Principles

Whether you are an individual contributor or a manager of a large team, you are an Amazon leader. These are our leadership principles and every Amazonian is guided by these principles.

Customer Obsession
Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.

Ownership
Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job”.

Invent and Simplify
Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here”. As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.

Are Right, A Lot
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong business judgment and good instincts.

Hire and Develop the Best
Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others.

Insist on the Highest Standards
Leaders have relentlessly high standards - many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.

Think Big
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.

Bias for Action
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.

Frugality
We try not to spend money on things that don’t matter to customers. Frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention. There are no extra points for headcount, budget size or fixed expense.

Vocally Self Critical
Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body odor smells of perfume. Leaders come forward with problems or information, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.

Earn Trust of Others
Leaders are sincerely open-minded, genuinely listen, and are willing to examine their strongest convictions with humility.

Dive Deep Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details and audit frequently. No task is beneath them.

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.

Deliver Results
Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle. 

Kahn Academy

A small team trying to do something big

We're a small team trying our best to improve the way the world learns. Too many people around the globe don’t have access to good education materials, or they are forced to learn through a system that doesn't properly cater to their individual needs. We think the technology exists today to fundamentally change this, and we're trying to build the tools and resources every student deserves.

• We believe a few great people can make a big difference. 
• We strive to hire the very best — people who are passionate, thoughtful and creative. 
• We believe it is our obligation to relentlessly focus on what the learner values, and we make every decision with the learner in mind.