Many years ago we engaged in a process for determining the core values held by our firm. We went round and round and settled on five brief statements that capture who we are and what we stand for. We didn’t look for aspirational values. We pushed ourselves to figure out what we were already all about. We looked at the way we behaved with one another and examined the things our actions indicated that we cared about.

The most important question we asked one another was “would we fire someone for failing to live this value?” Answering that question was the key to clarifying our thoughts.

We’ve lived with the core values we committed to writing for many years. Those of us that have been with the firm for a long time have an easy time remembering the values and what they mean.

But we want to keep them alive. We want newcomers to understand the values.

Once per quarter, at our regular firm-wide meeting, we present three awards to individuals that have demonstrated, by their behavior, one of the five core values. The awards are presented by one employee to another and the recipients are selected by the employees rather than by the firm’s management team. Everyone is eligible and the awards tend to go to lawyers and other team members in fairly equal numbers. Our various teams meet a few weeks before the quarterly meeting and agree on who will be given the awards. They also figure out a gift for the recipient that will really fit each winner.

The process of taking nominations, discussing the nominees, selecting a winner and deciding on a gift help keep the core values alive in the minds of everyone in firm. The award presentations further reinforce the values. The entire process, repeated every quarter, goes a long way toward keeping us in alignment with our values.