Making Core Values Mean Something

When you visit DuPont’s website today, you’ll find their core values proudly displayed:

• Safety & Health
• Respect for People
• Highest Ethical Behavior
• and Protecting the Planet.

DuPont is the company behind Teflon® and Styrofoam®, among many other brands.

Wow. The audacity.

This is the same company that knowingly contaminated drinking water with PFOA (a toxic chemical used in Teflon production) for decades. The same company that concealed internal studies showing birth defects in babies born to workers at their plants. The same corporation that poisoned an entire community in West Virginia, leading to cancers, immune disorders, and birth defects.

Let that sink in for a moment.

If you’ve seen the film “Dark Waters” (and if you haven’t, you should), you witnessed the gut-wrenching story of how DuPont’s actions directly contradicted every single one of their stated “core values.”

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• Understanding Personal Branding
• What is a Personagram
• How to find your Personagram
• Bringing your Personagram to Life
• Practical Applications
• Common Challenges & Solutions
• Product and Service Development
• Strategic Team Building, Partnerships and Finding Mentors

When Values Are Just Empty Words

Here’s the uncomfortable truth about core values: they mean absolutely nothing if they aren’t reflected in your actions. Nothing.

As Simon Sinek wisely points out, “Values are verbs.” They aren’t pretty words on your website or framed posters in your reception area. They’re the decisions you make when nobody’s watching. They’re how you respond when doing the right thing costs you money.

DuPont’s case represents the most extreme form of values hypocrisy, but it serves as a powerful reminder for all of us in business, including chiropractic practice owners.

Turning Values into Actions

Here’s how to ensure your core values aren’t just empty words:

1. Define the behaviors that demonstrate each value

Take each core value and identify 3-5 specific behaviors that would show this value in action. For example, if “compassion” is a value, behaviors might include:

• Following up personally with patients after their first adjustment
• Offering flexible payment options for patients experiencing financial hardship
• Taking time to truly listen to patients’ concerns without rushing them

2. Evaluate your systems and policies

Review your practice policies and ask yourself honestly: “Does this policy support or contradict our stated values?” Be willing to change policies that don’t align, even if they’ve been profitable.

3. Create accountability mechanisms

Incorporate your values into performance reviews, team meetings, and daily huddles. Ask regularly: “How did we live our values today?” and “Where might we have fallen short?” 

You can also create a team challenge for the week or the month by highlighting one core value and focusing on bringing it to life. Then, honor the team members who represented that value best at the next meeting.

4. Make values part of your hiring process

Design interview questions that reveal whether candidates naturally align with your practice values. Share specific scenarios and ask how they would respond.

5. Celebrate when values are demonstrated

Publicly recognize team members when they exemplify your core values, reinforcing that these behaviors matter deeply to your practice culture.

6. Use your values as a decision-making filter

If a big business decision lands on your desk, you can run it through the filter of your core values and ask yourself: “Does this align with our core values? Does it align with the way we do business? Does this align with how we want to be known in our community?

Authenticity is key

It all comes back to being authentic and having integrity. (Something DuPont clearly lacks.)

Your core values should be so authentic and integrated into your practice that if you were accused of living by them, there would be enough evidence to convict you.

DuPont’s hypocrisy resulted in suffering, death, and eventually massive legal settlements. But just writing those words on their website doesn’t make them a better company. Because their actions don’t match their values. Yes, they’ve paid lots of money, but they’ve never admitted to doing anything wrong. They’ve never publicly apologized to anyone they have harmed. Not to mention that they’re still making their forever chemicals (so called because they don’t break down). Supposedly they’re safe, but why would we believe DuPont? I for one don’t use Teflon or any other non-stick cookware.

You won’t find anything about Teflon on DuPonts website, by the way. They split off into two companies and Teflon is now a subbrand of Chemours, which has equally inspiring core values like Safety, Integrity, and Respect.

It’s not rocket science

While the consequences in your practice may not be so dramatic, the principle remains the same:

Integrity means alignment between what you say and what you do.

I challenge you to gather your team and honestly evaluate how well your practice is living its stated values. Have the courage to identify gaps and commit to closing them. Because your values aren’t what you claim—they’re what you demonstrate through your actions every single day.

You might realize that you need to redefine them because your current ones are too vague.

My favorite examples of corporate core values are Zappos and Keap.

Zappos doesn’t show the full extent of their core values anymore. I have a screenshot from their old website of the format they used for each of their values. I recommend you follow that format when defining your core values:

1. Action-based Core Value
2. Description (to define that value)
3. Example behaviors that show that value in action

Your values are not a marketing gimmick

You don’t have to share it all on your website. As with your Brand Purpose, Vision, and Mission, your Core Values are an INTERNAL branding tool first.

But they should be part of your messaging, as long as they’re also reflected in your brand’s actions.

Your patients deserve that authenticity. Your team members crave it. And ultimately, building a practice aligned with genuine values is the only sustainable path to fulfillment as a practice owner.

Share your core values in the comments below. I’d love to read them.

Next Steps

Need help applying this to your brand? Let’s talk! I specialize in brand strategy for chiropractors and other purpose-driven service providers. Schedule a Discovery Call with me to start building a brand that stands the test of time and feels like you.

Want to know your brand superpower? Take the quiz! Then check out this article about Personagrams and Superpowers.