The Case For Core Values, Even During Chaos
By: Valeska Toro
Tags: Core Values, Startup, Culture, Team Building, Women Of Color

As Chief of Staff for digitalundivided, I’m focused on building an incredible culture that supports our vision of creating a world where ALL women own their work. As a Coach, I aim to help others become self-aware with the tools they need to overcome challenges. Over the last few weeks, as COVID-19 fears have become a cornerstone of daily life, I’ve had many conversations with entrepreneurs and organizations that are, rightfully, afraid of the future. People who were fully living in possibility and hope, are now consumed by fear and prepared to abandon their ambitious plan A for the safety of plan B.

I get it. Uncertainty about the world we’re living in, is real. Fear has the power to stop us, to take control of our thoughts, and to impact our actions. As leaders, we worry. “How will this impact my 2020 goals? My team? My family?” As a pillar of strength for my organization, I even find myself pausing in the middle of the day when I think about friends and family that have lost their income until further notice. Every single person is being affected by this.

And while circumstances have changed, challenges are greater, and uncertainty is more palpable than ever, it IS possible to keep going with strength and confidence. Now is the time to choose our actions, not from fear, but from a place of commitment and core values.

Our mission at digitalundivided is to use innovation to create system change by catalyzing economic growth for Black and Latinx communities through women entrepreneurs. Back in 2019, through a series of workshops and conversations, I laid the foundation for DID’s core values by working with the executive team and asking powerful questions like:

What are we committed to?

What key qualities drive the work that we do?

What are the shared beliefs that connect us to our work?

And, equally important: What characteristics are unacceptable and may distract us from the work we do?

Through these exercises, we identified qualities that would keep us grounded in the face of adversity and vulnerability. Below is a sample of the core values we’re choosing to act from, even in the face of uncertainty, chaos and confusion.

Cultural Competency: We relate to all people and cultures at their highest and best.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this pandemic, it’s just how interconnected we all are and how important it is for us to work together to make change happen. We have to see every person we interact with at their highest and best. This means that we believe in the magic of each person and we trust that they’re capable of great things. This also means we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where every person matters, and we make no pre-judgments based on your background.

We’re practicing this by supporting Black and Latinx women founders from all stages. We’re committed to supporting them with emergency funding initiatives that help both our internal DID alumni community (women of color founders who have graduated from our programs) as well as our external community of Black & Latinx female founders (like with the Doonie Fund). Regardless of your background or level, we’re here to help.

2. Curiosity: We believe that curiosity drives innovation, collaboration, and growth.

Curiosity is the most consistent quality among successful companies in our portfolio, especially those who go on to build high growth tech startups. It makes sense.

Curiosity allows you to look at problems as opportunities. Rather than accepting things as they are, look at the issues, explore them, and ask questions. The best solutions come from working together, letting go of assumptions or judgments, and asking the right questions.

We’re practicing this through our commitment to data, research and evaluation. As we looked for ways to best support founders during the crisis, it was not only important to provide them with funds, but to also ask questions, gather data, and understand the impact on their businesses. You can read more about our findings here in this post about COVID-19’s Impact on Women of Color Entrepreneurs.

3. Ownership: We fully own our choices, our consequences, and our future.

We believe in creating the future, not falling victim to it. This means that we’re responsible for our choices, and the consequences. At a time like this, it may feel like the future is out of our control, but we all play a part in how this will go. We can all take action to come out of this stronger.

Our team at DID is practicing this by doing our part, staying home, and working remotely. We’re also actively looking for ways to make all digitalundivided programming for Black & Latinx women founders virtual, so we can continue to support them during this time.

4. Integrity: We model leadership by practicing integrity in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

As leaders, we strive to show up consistently despite the changes or circumstances we’re faced with. We continue to be considerate with everyone we interact with. Right now, integrity requires a high level of vulnerability and honesty. We want our team, partners, friends, and founders to have a safe space to embrace the new “normal”, share how they feel and ask for help when they need it. One way we’re practicing integrity is by empowering our staff to use our “daily stand-up” to not only check-in, but also to feel supported and connected to the greater team (and their families).

We share these values with you, our greater community, to reinforce our commitment to you and to inspire confidence. Take the time to pause and revisit your thoughts and actions from a place of love and commitment today.

Even during this time of chaos, there’s a case for core values. Let’s take care of ourselves, so we can keep changing the world.