Why Core Values are Important

Everyone has principles by which they live. For the business owner it might be financial freedom; for the school teacher, impacting the lives of the next generation; for the Christian, faith. Whether they are aware of it or not, all have values that shape their attitudes and direct their actions. Consciously or unconsciously, they constitute the heart and soul of the person; its who they are.

Companies also have tenets they operate from. Many that have identified them may refer to them as core values. These are the things that make for the culture of a company. They might be written in mission statement on the wall or simply assumed, but these are what makes the firm tick; they constitute its core.

Whether you are an individual or a huge, multinational corporation, it is important to dig deep and find out what these are. Once found, wrap yourself or your company around them and bring everything you do into alignment.

Author Gino Wickman, in his book Traction, provides a wonderful process for determining what your businesses' core values are. The book is worth the read just for this helpful information. He even provides tools to guide you through the discovery--and yes, it is a process of discovery; what you really believe in your heart may surprise you, good or bad.

Core values can be changed. My mentor for twenty years, the late Jim Russell, once told me, "Terry, your business will take off when you change your thinking about it." What he meant was, the underlying guiding principles that held my company at bay needed to be altered. What I held to be true about T. L. Hart, Inc. had to change.

I believe it was Michael Gerber in his book, The E-myth, who pointed out that your business is you. In other words, your business is a direct reflection of who you are as a person. I understand that most companies may have more than one person to be considered, but the maxim is the same; who you are--or, who your team is, will be seen in the firm as a whole. This is why you not only need to do some digging yourself, but include other key players in your organization.

I went through the process a few years ago and included some team members. We came up with a list of seven or eight key qualities that we thought best represented our company. I wrote them down, and for a year or so taught them at our monthly staff meetings. After a while, I quizzed the group at to what they were; not one got them right.

I learned what Wickman presents in his book: keep them to a few; no more than seven or eight, but better yet four or five. So we took another look and boiled them down further. I am now confident that our four core values truly represent who I am and what I stand for. There is buy-in from the team, and they are fast becoming corporate culture.

To put this to work your core values need to permeate the entire operation. You hire and fire by them, you make your decisions based on them, and you build your products and services around them. Your core values dictate what you do and how you do it.

In my next article I will tell what my company's core values are and why, and how I incorporate them into what we do.

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Three Keys to Prospering in Your Work

By Terry Hart • January 13, 2023

“And every work that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered” (2 Chronicles 31:21). There are here in this one verse three keys to prospering in your work. One, whatever you do should be in accordance with the word of God. God’s will is revealed in his word; it is to be found in no other place. I realize the Bible does not tell us whether we should be a carpenter or a financial advisor, a realtor or a nurse, but it does tell us to do what we do as unto the Lord. So if what you are doing can be so done, it is well and good as far as God is concerned. Better yet, find out what God wants you to do, and do that. I teach that a person should get a word from God as to his occupation. It could be that God puts a certain thing on your heart, to be and do such and such a thing. This is also good in God’s sight, as he gives us the desires of our hearts. He is in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. That said, let it be “in accordance with the law and the commandments.” Two, seek God. He is a rewarder of them that seek him. Jesus taught, “seek and you shall find.” Having sought God as to what he wants you to do, keeping seeking him as to how to do it. This is a never ending endeavor. There is a verse in Scripture that goes like this: “As long as he sought the Lord, he prospered” (see 2 Chronicles 26:5). So if you are seeking God and prospering, if you want to continue to do so, keep seeking God. Three, do what you do with all your heart. The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). What is to be noticed here is who you are working for. You may think you are working for the government, or the auto-maker, or the real-estate broker. Or, if you are self-employed or own your own business, that you work for yourself. The Christian, however, is to work for the Lord. Verse 24 of this same book and chapter says, “You are serving the Lord Christ.” So, if you think a half-hearted approach to your job pleases the Lord, then go for it. Otherwise, you had better up your game. There is another verse in Ecclesiastes that addresses how you work. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (9:10). In other words, in everything you do, whatever it is—your job, your service to your family or church, or even mundane things like mowing the yard or shoveling snow, give it all you have. Do it as for Jesus, as this greatly pleases him. It should be apparent, then, that if you wish to prosper, be applying these principles. And if you want to keep on prospering, don’t let up. I have found that after enjoying a measure of success, it is easy to ease off on the intensity with which you approach your work. Jesus says it best when speaking about prayer: keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. The key words here being “keep on.” The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

What Goes into the Cost of a Paint Job

By T.L. Hart • December 8, 2020

While you can get your property painted for just about any amount, hiring a reputable commercial painting contractor will ensure you get a quality end-product with a firm that stands behind its work. To provide this, there are three cost-factors that go into a good commercial contractor’s price: labor, materials, and profit.

Keep Your Commercial Property Watertight

By T.L. Hart • November 12, 2020

Moisture is among your commercial property’s greatest enemies. Wind-driven rain, leaky gutters and downspouts, old, deteriorated caulk or glazing, plus improperly painted substrates are all factors in moisture penetration. The result of water getting into unwanted places include peeling paint, damaged substrates, and—worse yet, mold and mildew. This is why you want to keep your commercial building waterproofed. While no one can prevent unwanted weather, and leaky gutters and downspouts are outside the scope of this article, proper preparation and a good quality paint job can go a long way in preventing moisture penetration. The following will contribute to a watertight building: Caulking. It is surprising how much damage a little water can do and how small an area allowing access will allow a lot of water in. Gaps in building materials, open joints, holes, plus splits and cracks may seem insignificant, but they’re a major entry point for moisture. This is easily solved by installing a good quality caulk. Since building components vary, caulks vary as well. They can be as simple as latex caulk, acrylic, siliconized acrylic, polyurethane, butyl, and pure silicone. The key is to seal up points of entry. Painting. Your commercial building is properly painted when all the paintable substrates have an adequate and cumulative amount of coating on them. I say adequate and cumulative as typically one coat of paint applied too thin will typically not do the job. Every substrate, that needs to be protected from moisture penetration, must have the right amount of millage installed. The proper mill thickness can be found in the manufacturer’s product data sheet (PDS). Of particular concern are those commercial buildings comprised of concrete masonry units (CMUs), or block. Concrete block is extremely porous, and unless coated properly will allow a huge amount of water into the walls of your building. The most important aspect of waterproofing a masonry building is filling the pores of the CMU. This is done by applying a block-filler as a first coat, with no more than ten pin-holes (the pore) per square foot. Once this is achieved, a good quality topcoat of any sort will provide water tightness. Best for CMUs are elastomeric coatings. These are rubber-based paints that, once dry, form an impenetrable rubber film over the substrate, and are the best for preventing moisture penetration—even wind-driven rain. Another advantage to elastomeric coatings is that they expand and contract, and will actually bridge small cracks in the masonry that may develop over time. There are other options for waterproofing—actual waterproofing sealers, stains, and cementitious coatings, all of which we have applied over our 36 years in business. In summary, to keep your commercial building looking good and free of moisture damage, keep it sealed up and make sure it is properly painted. Here at T. L. Hart, Inc. our goal is to ensure your commercial property is always in excellent condition. Our team of professional painters stands ready to keep moisture out of your property. Contact us today to request a quote.