Many values statements are too vague to guide anyone. Words like integrity and teamwork could describe any company, so candidates cannot judge fit from them and managers cannot use them in feedback. This five-page Google Docs template sets out five values for leadership teams. Each value gets a one-line meaning and a line on what it does not mean, so the values can be used in hiring, onboarding and feedback.

The sample shows Glenmoor Foods, a fictional food company, and its five values: own the outcome, food safety before speed, say the hard thing early, share the credit and learn in the open. The Values page gives the meaning and the non-meaning of each value, and the What it means page shows how each one is tested, with sample figures for values alignment and hiring weight. Replace the names, values and figures with your own, and have ten employees check the wording before you share it.