November 6, 2025 • 26 mins
We wrap up the Culture Alignment dimension in our seven-part mini-series on Creating Alignment with Your People by exploring the final piece — Non-Negotiables.
In this episode of Building a Clear Authentic Brand, I explain why defining what you won’t tolerate is just as important as defining what you value. You’ll learn how to identify the behaviors and attitudes that erode trust, damage culture, and create friction — and how calling them out brings clarity, accountability, and consistency to your organization.
Because great culture isn’t just about what you promote — it’s about what you protect.
Episode Highlights
- What non-negotiables are and why they matter
- How defining what you stand against protects what you stand for
- The most common culture-destroying behaviors businesses overlook
- How to connect your values to clear behavioral boundaries
- Why clarity around non-negotiables creates safety and accountability
- The light‑and‑dark contrast as a practical mental model
- How calling out red-flag behaviors strengthens trust and unity
Resources & Links:
- Learn more at ClearAuthenticBrands.com
- Galatians 5:19-23
Related Episodes:
- Episode 12: Creating Alignment With Your People
- Episode 13: Why Defining What You Believe Is Key to Team Alignment
- Episode 14: Why Work Style Alignment Impacts Employee Engagement and Performance
- Episode 15: Why Traits Alignment Determines Who Thrives in Your Business
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amy Dardis (00:14):
I'm your host, Amy Dardis, and we are continuing
our seven-part series oncreating alignment with your
people.
In this series, we're exploringthe three dimensions of
alignment culture, capacity, andcontribution.
So far in this series, we'veunpacked the first three parts
of culture alignment.
(00:35):
And so if you've missed any ofthose episodes so far, in
episode 12, we talked about justthe creating alignment with
your people overview.
In episode 13, we talked aboutvalues alignment and defining
what we believe.
In episode 14, we talked aboutwork style alignment and
(00:56):
understanding how we operate.
And in episode 15, we talkedabout traits alignment and
understanding what to look forin the people who will thrive
within our organization.
And so today we are diving intothe fourth and final piece of
the culture alignment dimension,which is non-negotiables.
(01:20):
So your non-negotiables whatyou will not tolerate.
They are the behaviors,attitudes, and choices that
cross a line that if leftunchecked, if allowed to
breathe, breed, if allowed togrow, if allowed to just be
(01:40):
tolerated, it will erode trust.
It will damage your culture andit will undo everything you've
worked to build.
So what we're trying to do isprovide clear, objective clarity
to negative behavior that weunderstand violates what we
(02:06):
value and what we believe.
So if core values are thelight, then non-negotiables are
the dark.
And we're simply defining bothso that we have a more solid
boundary and we have a clearerpicture.
So we're not necessarilycreating something new, we're
(02:27):
just adding an additional lensto what it is we believe and
what it is that we standagainst.
So core values are the lightside, they're the good side.
If we're talking about goodversus evil, if we're talking
about the force and Star Warsand, you know, the good side and
(02:48):
the dark side.
You know, this is this is thathelps you imagine it.
We are looking at the values asbeing the beliefs and the
behaviors that we want to seemore of.
We want that to really permeatehow we operate.
We want that to be the drivingforce.
(03:10):
We want that to be what we seeall the time.
And then the non-negotiablesdefine the dark side.
And they're the behaviors thatstand in direct opposition to
what you believe, to thebehaviors and the beliefs that
you want to be driving yourorganization.
So it's not an emotionalreaction or a punishment list,
(03:35):
it's an objective boundary thatprotects what's good.
And non-negotiables just helpbring clarity to that negative
behavior and it creates helps itto be objective, not
subjective.
So that when we define it, whenwe call it out, it removes any
(04:02):
room for there to be a grayarea.
It removes any opportunity forthere to be misinterpretation
because we're so clear aboutwhat it is we stand for, and
we're so clear about what it isthat we will not tolerate within
our organization or what wewill recognize as a red flag
(04:25):
that needs to be nipped in thebutt immediately.
And by having put words to it,by having made it objective, it
makes it easier and easier tocall out, to address, to coach
on, for your people to hold eachother accountable, for you to
hold your people accountable,for you to hold yourself
(04:45):
accountable.
Like this really does helpcreate an environment of
accountability when we candefine both what it is that is
good that we want to promote andwhat it is that we are staying
away from.
So some examples ofnon-negotiables.
(05:09):
So if your values define whatyou stand for, your
non-negotiables define what youstand against.
And I'm gonna give you someexamples because this isn't a
rocket science concept by anymeans.
Um, it's prettystraightforward.
It's honestly just the power ofcalling it out and writing it
(05:29):
down and talking about it thatis really what makes a
difference.
So some examples that you mightbe familiar with that you would
be like, yeah, that's anon-negotiable, obviously, would
be like lying or stealing.
Like those are common workplacetablets habits that violate
(05:50):
core values.
And you're like, yes,obviously, fireball offense,
like that's not okay.
But here are some otherexamples that maybe you're like,
oh my gosh, these things happenall the time in workplace
cultures that people get awaywith it.
And it's like, yes, they do.
Which of these things are younot going to allow to happen in
(06:14):
your organization?
So here are some examples.
One example is excuse making.
So deflecting responsibility orblaming others.
If you are an organization thatvalues extreme ownership, then
excuse making would be theopposite of that.
It is there is no room todeflect responsibility or blame
(06:36):
others.
Another example would betolerating mediocrity, doing
just enough to get by.
Well, if you are a culture thatvalues excellence, then
mediocrity is is notnegotiating, it's
non-negotiable.
Like we don't have room forthat here.
We do not allow that, we do nottolerate that.
(06:56):
Uh, chronic urgency, socreating chaos or unnecessary
pressure.
Like if you are a business thatvalues peace and thoughtfulness
and making wise, thoughtfuldecisions and planning ahead,
then allowing urgencies andfires and emergencies to happen
(07:20):
in order to upheave the system,like that is not that's that's
the opposite of what you value.
Comfort over growth, soresisting change, feedback, or
new ideas.
So that's gonna be the oppositeof someone who values
innovation, who valuesbrainstorming, who values new
(07:40):
ideas.
Now, in some organizations,comfort over growth is not in
opposition to what someonevalues.
If if what you value is notinnovation, if it's consistency,
if it's rule following, if it'sstructure, then something like
comfort over growth, that's notin violation to what you
(08:00):
believe.
But for someone who valuesinnovation, it is.
Ego-driven leadership can alsobe an example of a
non-negotiable.
So needing to be right insteadof doing what's right, or really
promoting selfish ambition overthe team and the greater good,
(08:21):
just like you could havesomething very similar, like
self-preservation over service.
So employees or leaders whoprotect their own image, their
own pride, their own comfort atthe expense of the team's
success.
Is that something that violateswhat you stand for?
(08:42):
Or you're like, uh, well,depending on depending on what
it is you value, it's going todetermine this, this
non-negotiable that you that youmay or may not have.
Broken commitments, sayingyou'll do something and then not
following through.
So if you are a company thatvalues doing what you say you
will do, being dependable, beingreliable, then broken
(09:06):
commitments would be anon-negotiable that very much
aligns and stands in oppositionto what you value.
Having an us versus themmentality, so creating division
between departments or roles,this can cause all kinds of
dysfunction and chaos.
(09:26):
However, if you're a businessthat very much has a team of
lone independent thinkers, whereyou have a team, you have a
mission, and the goal is toaccomplish the mission, to
accomplish the objective, andyou send them out in their
different directions each day togo and get it done, then an us
(09:49):
versus them mentality isn'tnecessarily in direct opposition
to that.
But if you're a team thatvalues teamwork and
collaboration and there beingunity and cohesiveness within
how your teams and yourdepartments work together, then
having someone who ismanipulating or causing drama or
(10:11):
purposely trying to create somekind of division or discord,
that stands in direct oppositionto what it is that you value.
You could have a non-negotiablelike neglecting preparation,
which for some businesses islike, uh, that's that's not
really a big deal here.
But if you're a business thatvalues being prepared,
(10:35):
thoughtful research, showing upon time, organized and ready to
go, then neglecting preparationviolates that because you have
people who are showing upunready, they're unorganized,
and they're just winging it.
And that is, you are not abusiness that values winging it.
(10:56):
You decide what it is thatmakes the most sense for you.
You could have something likedismissive attitudes, so
disregarding ideas or input fromothers, defensiveness, reacting
to feedback instead ofreceiving it, carelessness,
ignoring safety, quality, orprocess standards.
Like, but if you were a companythat values process, values
(11:18):
safety, value standards, justlike one of the examples
businesses we've been talkingabout, carelessness would be in
direct opposition.
That would be a non-negotiable,or something like disrespectful
communication.
So eye rolling, interrupting,or talking over people.
And you can probably listen tothese things, and some of them
(11:39):
are gonna like really ruffleyour feathers, and some of them
are gonna be like, I get it, Isee why that could be an issue,
but you know, in our business,it it's it's not a big deal.
But culture and alignment verymuch is dictated by what you
tolerate, what you allow.
(12:01):
And I say culture is the sum ofthe behaviors you allow.
So by calling these specificthings out as a non-negotiable,
you are saying you arecommitting, you are making it
clear, you are setting thestandard that you will not
tolerate these specificattitudes, these specific
(12:23):
behaviors.
And it's not about having along list, it's not about it
being this like restrictiveenvironment.
It's really about prioritizingthe things that are in direct
opposition to your values andthat will threaten that
alignment, that will threatenunity, cohesiveness, trust,
because that is so important foryour business to succeed and be
(12:47):
consistent and to be authentic.
We can't do those things.
We can't be accountable to eachother and to our brand and to
our customers if we are allowingthese non-negotiable behaviors
to exist in our organization.
So by just defining them, it'sgonna help you avoid these
(13:11):
behaviors intentionally andunapologetically.
Like you are coming out boldlywith this by making a statement,
you are making a stand and knowthat it is a battle you are
willing to fight.
And the more specific you are,the less doubt and uncertainty
(13:33):
can exist.
Like the less room there is formisinterpretation or, oh, well,
I thought it was this.
I didn't know that that's whatyou meant by that.
Don't allow that situation toeven exist because you've been
so clear up front.
And the other cool thing apartabout being so clear is when
(13:56):
you're building your team andyou're going through your
interview process, youronboarding process, or your
recruiting process, the moreupfront you can be about these
things, the better you are goingto qualify your candidates.
And being able to ask questionsin an interview process about
(14:17):
some of these non-negotiables,it'll give you a better idea of
like, okay, wow, I thought thisperson valued what we valued.
I thought this person alignedwith our work style.
But they're telling me storiesthat highlight some of these red
flags.
So by defining what our redflags are, it puts it on our
(14:38):
radar.
It just makes us more aware ofstaying away from these things,
of avoiding these behaviors atall costs.
So, in our example of our taleof two brands and our two
builders that we have, we haveprecision builders and we have
vision builders.
(14:59):
So, precision builders, theyvalue safety, consistency,
integrity, and their work styleis very structured and process
driven.
And their non-negotiables wouldprotect those pillars by
eliminating behaviors thatcreate risk, chaos, or
(15:20):
compromise quality.
So for them, non-negotiableswould look like cutting corners.
Like we do not cut corners, wedo not ignore checklists, SOPs,
or safety tips to save time.
Well, that's really superclear, isn't it?
It's like, oh, okay, don't everignore the SOP.
You follow it to the letter.
Broken commitments.
When you say saying you'll dosomething and then not following
(15:43):
through.
Like when we say we will dosomething, like we are
dependable, we are accountable,and we're a type of team that
when we say we're going to dosomething, we're going to follow
through.
Uh, careless documentation,skipping change orders,
inspection reports, orsign-offs, or not documenting
the changes that need to be, ordocumenting the processes to the
(16:08):
level of detail that we need.
Complacency, assuming goodenough instead of double
checking for accuracy, or adisregard for safety.
So neglecting protective gearor protocol.
So this is gonna be a companythat that really does value
things being black and white.
It values the process, itvalues the clarity, it values
(16:33):
the safety.
And so you're they're lookingfor people who like to follow
the rules, who like to be clearon the rules, who like a process
to follow.
This is not the this is not theplace for someone who enjoys
the gray area, who enjoys, youknow, interpreting things
(16:58):
creatively.
Like, and the and the more weknow that, the better and better
we're going to make decisions,and the better and better we're
going to be able to disqualifypeople.
And honestly, it's it's fortheir benefit.
It's it's for your benefit too.
(17:18):
It's for your business, it'sfor your team, but honestly,
it's for them as well.
Because they would not be happyworking in a company that was
this strict and this rigid.
And it would create all kindsof frustration, it would create
all kinds of tension.
And they would feel like a badperson because you would
(17:41):
consistently having thesecoaching conversations,
consistently having to addressthese issues of, hey, you didn't
follow the process, you didn'tfollow these safety procedures,
you cut this corner here to bemore efficient, or you found a
better way to do it.
But that's not how we do ithere.
And it's just gonna be likethis constantly pointing out all
(18:04):
their mistakes and all theirflaws, except that for them,
they're like, I'm trying to dothe best I can, and it feels
like it's never good enough.
And it's the they are justmisaligned.
And the sooner we can identifythat, the better for everybody
involved.
And the best place to identifythat is in the interview
(18:27):
process, is before you ever hirethem and have them join your
team.
And you can do this because youcan be so clear about this is
what we value, this is our workstyle, these are our
non-negotiables, and they can belike, oh, yikes, that that
doesn't really sound all thatappealing.
Like you are being very clearabout your expectations, and it
(18:48):
gives them a chance to walk awayand find something better.
So Vision Builders, however, isa different kind of company.
They value innovation,adaptability, creativity, and
challenging the ordinary.
So their work style is fastmoving, they're flexible,
they're very collaborative.
(19:10):
And so some of theirnon-negotiables are going to be
they have no tolerance forclosed-mindedness.
So people who reject new ideasor feedback without
consideration.
Like that is not how they buildbetter and smarter.
Chronic indecision, I mean,you're like, oh, I analysis,
(19:31):
paralysis, right?
But in this specific situation,they they don't want to slow
their progress down because offear of overanalysis, the fear
of someone who needs to measure99 times and cut once and really
needs to be sure this is abusiness that values trial and
(19:52):
error and just like, hey, let'stry it.
Let's see if it works.
And if it doesn't, we'll pivotand we'll try something else.
Someone who is makes excuses,someone who blames others
instead of finding a wayforward.
So, in like coming up to anobstacle in an issue, like let's
(20:13):
say we're, you know, goingthrough this build process and
and there's an obstacle in theway, it's the person who throws
their hands up and getsfrustrated and be like, I don't
know what to do about it.
There's no way around this,versus someone who's like, no,
like let's think about this,let's let's get the whiteboard
out, let's talk through this,like let's think outside the box
here.
Two very different reactions.
(20:35):
Now, the person who is going tothrive at vision builders is
not gonna thrive at precisionbuilders, and the person who
works for precision builders isnot gonna thrive at vision
builders.
And I wanna bring in one moreexample of why it's so important
(21:02):
to define both sides of this.
So, even in the Bible, theBible talks about the fruits of
the spirit, and in Galatians 5,Paul lists the acts of our
sinful nature.
So he's very specific and heactually lists it out and he
(21:22):
talks about things like envy,jealousy, selfish ambition,
anger, impurity, hatred.
Like he gives us a list of whatit looks like when we're living
in our sinful nature.
And then he contrasts it withthe fruit of the spirit love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness,
(21:44):
gentleness, and self-control.
So one list shows what lifelooks like when it's led by the
flesh, and the other shows whatit looks like when it's led by
the spirit.
So Galatians 5, 19 through 23says, When you follow the
desires of your sinful nature,the results are very clear:
sexual immorality, impurity,lustful pleasures, idolatry,
(22:08):
sorcery, hostility, quarrels,jealousy, outbursts of anger,
selfish ambition, dissension,division, envy, drunkenness,
wild parties, and other sinslike these.
Let me tell you again, as Ihave before, that anyone living
that sort of life will notinherit the kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit producesthis kind of fruit in our lives:
(22:33):
love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, andself-control.
There is no law against thesethings.
So even in the Bible, we arebeing given this clear idea,
this picture of this is what itlooks like to follow God, to
(22:56):
live a life that bears goodfruit.
This is what it looks like.
But then he also gives us anexample of this is what it looks
like when you don't abide, whenyou don't stay connected, when
you don't plant your roots intoGod's word.
Like he gives you what it lookslike differently.
(23:18):
So that way, not only do weknow what good looks like, we
know what not good looks like.
And that helps us recognizewhen we're doing the right thing
and when there are thingscoming up in our life that
shouldn't it helps us call itout because it's not just like
(23:40):
this one-time thing.
We're not perfect.
Even when we have the bestvalues and the best traits and
the best working style, evenwhen we have this alignment, at
the end of the day, we are stillhuman, we still fall short, we
still sin, we still have baddays, we still need to be
(24:03):
corrected and encouraged andaffirmed.
And these principles, thesevalues we have, these
non-negotiables that we have,they help us do that within our
business.
They help our our employees beclear so that they know when
they're when they're thriving,they know when they're doing
(24:25):
well, they're clear about whatsuccess looks like.
But it also helps themrecognize, like self-recognize,
oh man, there's something goingon in my life, and it is
bringing out this side of me,and I need to correct this
behavior, I need to address thisbehavior.
(24:45):
Or maybe they're sensing thatthere's some misalignment that's
happening, and it's they'reseeing that it's causing this
tension and this friction withinthe team and the business, and
maybe they even have thethoughts of maybe this isn't the
place for me.
And that's what having thispicture helps us do.
(25:09):
So our core values are kind oflike the fruit of the spirit,
and our non-negotiables are kindof like the acts of the flesh.
And so the fruits of the spiritand our values, they're
representing the light, they'rerepresenting what we want to
cultivate and multiply.
And our non-negotiables,they're the things that destroy
(25:31):
trust, destroy unity, and needto be checked.
They need to be addressed.
And so we want to just paintthe whole picture, not just one
side of it.
So that wraps up this culturedimension of creating alignment
(25:52):
with our people and the fourcomponents of it, which were our
values, our work style, thetraits, and the non-negotiables.
And so, next episode, we arediving into the capacity
dimension.
So stay tuned for the nextepisode.
As always, you can learn moreat ClearAuthenticbrands.com.
(26:16):
That's all for this episode.
See you next time.
I'm your host, Amy Dardis, and we are continuing
our seven-part series oncreating alignment with your
people.
In this series, we're exploringthe three dimensions of
alignment culture, capacity, andcontribution.
So far in this series, we'veunpacked the first three parts
of culture alignment.
(00:35):
And so if you've missed any ofthose episodes so far, in
episode 12, we talked about justthe creating alignment with
your people overview.
In episode 13, we talked aboutvalues alignment and defining
what we believe.
In episode 14, we talked aboutwork style alignment and
(00:56):
understanding how we operate.
And in episode 15, we talkedabout traits alignment and
understanding what to look forin the people who will thrive
within our organization.
And so today we are diving intothe fourth and final piece of
the culture alignment dimension,which is non-negotiables.
(01:20):
So your non-negotiables whatyou will not tolerate.
They are the behaviors,attitudes, and choices that
cross a line that if leftunchecked, if allowed to
breathe, breed, if allowed togrow, if allowed to just be
(01:40):
tolerated, it will erode trust.
It will damage your culture andit will undo everything you've
worked to build.
So what we're trying to do isprovide clear, objective clarity
to negative behavior that weunderstand violates what we
(02:06):
value and what we believe.
So if core values are thelight, then non-negotiables are
the dark.
And we're simply defining bothso that we have a more solid
boundary and we have a clearerpicture.
So we're not necessarilycreating something new, we're
(02:27):
just adding an additional lensto what it is we believe and
what it is that we standagainst.
So core values are the lightside, they're the good side.
If we're talking about goodversus evil, if we're talking
about the force and Star Warsand, you know, the good side and
(02:48):
the dark side.
You know, this is this is thathelps you imagine it.
We are looking at the values asbeing the beliefs and the
behaviors that we want to seemore of.
We want that to really permeatehow we operate.
We want that to be the drivingforce.
(03:10):
We want that to be what we seeall the time.
And then the non-negotiablesdefine the dark side.
And they're the behaviors thatstand in direct opposition to
what you believe, to thebehaviors and the beliefs that
you want to be driving yourorganization.
So it's not an emotionalreaction or a punishment list,
(03:35):
it's an objective boundary thatprotects what's good.
And non-negotiables just helpbring clarity to that negative
behavior and it creates helps itto be objective, not
subjective.
So that when we define it, whenwe call it out, it removes any
(04:02):
room for there to be a grayarea.
It removes any opportunity forthere to be misinterpretation
because we're so clear aboutwhat it is we stand for, and
we're so clear about what it isthat we will not tolerate within
our organization or what wewill recognize as a red flag
(04:25):
that needs to be nipped in thebutt immediately.
And by having put words to it,by having made it objective, it
makes it easier and easier tocall out, to address, to coach
on, for your people to hold eachother accountable, for you to
hold your people accountable,for you to hold yourself
(04:45):
accountable.
Like this really does helpcreate an environment of
accountability when we candefine both what it is that is
good that we want to promote andwhat it is that we are staying
away from.
So some examples ofnon-negotiables.
(05:09):
So if your values define whatyou stand for, your
non-negotiables define what youstand against.
And I'm gonna give you someexamples because this isn't a
rocket science concept by anymeans.
Um, it's prettystraightforward.
It's honestly just the power ofcalling it out and writing it
(05:29):
down and talking about it thatis really what makes a
difference.
So some examples that you mightbe familiar with that you would
be like, yeah, that's anon-negotiable, obviously, would
be like lying or stealing.
Like those are common workplacetablets habits that violate
(05:50):
core values.
And you're like, yes,obviously, fireball offense,
like that's not okay.
But here are some otherexamples that maybe you're like,
oh my gosh, these things happenall the time in workplace
cultures that people get awaywith it.
And it's like, yes, they do.
Which of these things are younot going to allow to happen in
(06:14):
your organization?
So here are some examples.
One example is excuse making.
So deflecting responsibility orblaming others.
If you are an organization thatvalues extreme ownership, then
excuse making would be theopposite of that.
It is there is no room todeflect responsibility or blame
(06:36):
others.
Another example would betolerating mediocrity, doing
just enough to get by.
Well, if you are a culture thatvalues excellence, then
mediocrity is is notnegotiating, it's
non-negotiable.
Like we don't have room forthat here.
We do not allow that, we do nottolerate that.
(06:56):
Uh, chronic urgency, socreating chaos or unnecessary
pressure.
Like if you are a business thatvalues peace and thoughtfulness
and making wise, thoughtfuldecisions and planning ahead,
then allowing urgencies andfires and emergencies to happen
(07:20):
in order to upheave the system,like that is not that's that's
the opposite of what you value.
Comfort over growth, soresisting change, feedback, or
new ideas.
So that's gonna be the oppositeof someone who values
innovation, who valuesbrainstorming, who values new
(07:40):
ideas.
Now, in some organizations,comfort over growth is not in
opposition to what someonevalues.
If if what you value is notinnovation, if it's consistency,
if it's rule following, if it'sstructure, then something like
comfort over growth, that's notin violation to what you
(08:00):
believe.
But for someone who valuesinnovation, it is.
Ego-driven leadership can alsobe an example of a
non-negotiable.
So needing to be right insteadof doing what's right, or really
promoting selfish ambition overthe team and the greater good,
(08:21):
just like you could havesomething very similar, like
self-preservation over service.
So employees or leaders whoprotect their own image, their
own pride, their own comfort atthe expense of the team's
success.
Is that something that violateswhat you stand for?
(08:42):
Or you're like, uh, well,depending on depending on what
it is you value, it's going todetermine this, this
non-negotiable that you that youmay or may not have.
Broken commitments, sayingyou'll do something and then not
following through.
So if you are a company thatvalues doing what you say you
will do, being dependable, beingreliable, then broken
(09:06):
commitments would be anon-negotiable that very much
aligns and stands in oppositionto what you value.
Having an us versus themmentality, so creating division
between departments or roles,this can cause all kinds of
dysfunction and chaos.
(09:26):
However, if you're a businessthat very much has a team of
lone independent thinkers, whereyou have a team, you have a
mission, and the goal is toaccomplish the mission, to
accomplish the objective, andyou send them out in their
different directions each day togo and get it done, then an us
(09:49):
versus them mentality isn'tnecessarily in direct opposition
to that.
But if you're a team thatvalues teamwork and
collaboration and there beingunity and cohesiveness within
how your teams and yourdepartments work together, then
having someone who ismanipulating or causing drama or
(10:11):
purposely trying to create somekind of division or discord,
that stands in direct oppositionto what it is that you value.
You could have a non-negotiablelike neglecting preparation,
which for some businesses islike, uh, that's that's not
really a big deal here.
But if you're a business thatvalues being prepared,
(10:35):
thoughtful research, showing upon time, organized and ready to
go, then neglecting preparationviolates that because you have
people who are showing upunready, they're unorganized,
and they're just winging it.
And that is, you are not abusiness that values winging it.
(10:56):
You decide what it is thatmakes the most sense for you.
You could have something likedismissive attitudes, so
disregarding ideas or input fromothers, defensiveness, reacting
to feedback instead ofreceiving it, carelessness,
ignoring safety, quality, orprocess standards.
Like, but if you were a companythat values process, values
(11:18):
safety, value standards, justlike one of the examples
businesses we've been talkingabout, carelessness would be in
direct opposition.
That would be a non-negotiable,or something like disrespectful
communication.
So eye rolling, interrupting,or talking over people.
And you can probably listen tothese things, and some of them
(11:39):
are gonna like really ruffleyour feathers, and some of them
are gonna be like, I get it, Isee why that could be an issue,
but you know, in our business,it it's it's not a big deal.
But culture and alignment verymuch is dictated by what you
tolerate, what you allow.
(12:01):
And I say culture is the sum ofthe behaviors you allow.
So by calling these specificthings out as a non-negotiable,
you are saying you arecommitting, you are making it
clear, you are setting thestandard that you will not
tolerate these specificattitudes, these specific
(12:23):
behaviors.
And it's not about having along list, it's not about it
being this like restrictiveenvironment.
It's really about prioritizingthe things that are in direct
opposition to your values andthat will threaten that
alignment, that will threatenunity, cohesiveness, trust,
because that is so important foryour business to succeed and be
(12:47):
consistent and to be authentic.
We can't do those things.
We can't be accountable to eachother and to our brand and to
our customers if we are allowingthese non-negotiable behaviors
to exist in our organization.
So by just defining them, it'sgonna help you avoid these
(13:11):
behaviors intentionally andunapologetically.
Like you are coming out boldlywith this by making a statement,
you are making a stand and knowthat it is a battle you are
willing to fight.
And the more specific you are,the less doubt and uncertainty
(13:33):
can exist.
Like the less room there is formisinterpretation or, oh, well,
I thought it was this.
I didn't know that that's whatyou meant by that.
Don't allow that situation toeven exist because you've been
so clear up front.
And the other cool thing apartabout being so clear is when
(13:56):
you're building your team andyou're going through your
interview process, youronboarding process, or your
recruiting process, the moreupfront you can be about these
things, the better you are goingto qualify your candidates.
And being able to ask questionsin an interview process about
(14:17):
some of these non-negotiables,it'll give you a better idea of
like, okay, wow, I thought thisperson valued what we valued.
I thought this person alignedwith our work style.
But they're telling me storiesthat highlight some of these red
flags.
So by defining what our redflags are, it puts it on our
(14:38):
radar.
It just makes us more aware ofstaying away from these things,
of avoiding these behaviors atall costs.
So, in our example of our taleof two brands and our two
builders that we have, we haveprecision builders and we have
vision builders.
(14:59):
So, precision builders, theyvalue safety, consistency,
integrity, and their work styleis very structured and process
driven.
And their non-negotiables wouldprotect those pillars by
eliminating behaviors thatcreate risk, chaos, or
(15:20):
compromise quality.
So for them, non-negotiableswould look like cutting corners.
Like we do not cut corners, wedo not ignore checklists, SOPs,
or safety tips to save time.
Well, that's really superclear, isn't it?
It's like, oh, okay, don't everignore the SOP.
You follow it to the letter.
Broken commitments.
When you say saying you'll dosomething and then not following
(15:43):
through.
Like when we say we will dosomething, like we are
dependable, we are accountable,and we're a type of team that
when we say we're going to dosomething, we're going to follow
through.
Uh, careless documentation,skipping change orders,
inspection reports, orsign-offs, or not documenting
the changes that need to be, ordocumenting the processes to the
(16:08):
level of detail that we need.
Complacency, assuming goodenough instead of double
checking for accuracy, or adisregard for safety.
So neglecting protective gearor protocol.
So this is gonna be a companythat that really does value
things being black and white.
It values the process, itvalues the clarity, it values
(16:33):
the safety.
And so you're they're lookingfor people who like to follow
the rules, who like to be clearon the rules, who like a process
to follow.
This is not the this is not theplace for someone who enjoys
the gray area, who enjoys, youknow, interpreting things
(16:58):
creatively.
Like, and the and the more weknow that, the better and better
we're going to make decisions,and the better and better we're
going to be able to disqualifypeople.
And honestly, it's it's fortheir benefit.
It's it's for your benefit too.
(17:18):
It's for your business, it'sfor your team, but honestly,
it's for them as well.
Because they would not be happyworking in a company that was
this strict and this rigid.
And it would create all kindsof frustration, it would create
all kinds of tension.
And they would feel like a badperson because you would
(17:41):
consistently having thesecoaching conversations,
consistently having to addressthese issues of, hey, you didn't
follow the process, you didn'tfollow these safety procedures,
you cut this corner here to bemore efficient, or you found a
better way to do it.
But that's not how we do ithere.
And it's just gonna be likethis constantly pointing out all
(18:04):
their mistakes and all theirflaws, except that for them,
they're like, I'm trying to dothe best I can, and it feels
like it's never good enough.
And it's the they are justmisaligned.
And the sooner we can identifythat, the better for everybody
involved.
And the best place to identifythat is in the interview
(18:27):
process, is before you ever hirethem and have them join your
team.
And you can do this because youcan be so clear about this is
what we value, this is our workstyle, these are our
non-negotiables, and they can belike, oh, yikes, that that
doesn't really sound all thatappealing.
Like you are being very clearabout your expectations, and it
(18:48):
gives them a chance to walk awayand find something better.
So Vision Builders, however, isa different kind of company.
They value innovation,adaptability, creativity, and
challenging the ordinary.
So their work style is fastmoving, they're flexible,
they're very collaborative.
(19:10):
And so some of theirnon-negotiables are going to be
they have no tolerance forclosed-mindedness.
So people who reject new ideasor feedback without
consideration.
Like that is not how they buildbetter and smarter.
Chronic indecision, I mean,you're like, oh, I analysis,
(19:31):
paralysis, right?
But in this specific situation,they they don't want to slow
their progress down because offear of overanalysis, the fear
of someone who needs to measure99 times and cut once and really
needs to be sure this is abusiness that values trial and
(19:52):
error and just like, hey, let'stry it.
Let's see if it works.
And if it doesn't, we'll pivotand we'll try something else.
Someone who is makes excuses,someone who blames others
instead of finding a wayforward.
So, in like coming up to anobstacle in an issue, like let's
(20:13):
say we're, you know, goingthrough this build process and
and there's an obstacle in theway, it's the person who throws
their hands up and getsfrustrated and be like, I don't
know what to do about it.
There's no way around this,versus someone who's like, no,
like let's think about this,let's let's get the whiteboard
out, let's talk through this,like let's think outside the box
here.
Two very different reactions.
(20:35):
Now, the person who is going tothrive at vision builders is
not gonna thrive at precisionbuilders, and the person who
works for precision builders isnot gonna thrive at vision
builders.
And I wanna bring in one moreexample of why it's so important
(21:02):
to define both sides of this.
So, even in the Bible, theBible talks about the fruits of
the spirit, and in Galatians 5,Paul lists the acts of our
sinful nature.
So he's very specific and heactually lists it out and he
(21:22):
talks about things like envy,jealousy, selfish ambition,
anger, impurity, hatred.
Like he gives us a list of whatit looks like when we're living
in our sinful nature.
And then he contrasts it withthe fruit of the spirit love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness, faithfulness,
(21:44):
gentleness, and self-control.
So one list shows what lifelooks like when it's led by the
flesh, and the other shows whatit looks like when it's led by
the spirit.
So Galatians 5, 19 through 23says, When you follow the
desires of your sinful nature,the results are very clear:
sexual immorality, impurity,lustful pleasures, idolatry,
(22:08):
sorcery, hostility, quarrels,jealousy, outbursts of anger,
selfish ambition, dissension,division, envy, drunkenness,
wild parties, and other sinslike these.
Let me tell you again, as Ihave before, that anyone living
that sort of life will notinherit the kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit producesthis kind of fruit in our lives:
(22:33):
love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, andself-control.
There is no law against thesethings.
So even in the Bible, we arebeing given this clear idea,
this picture of this is what itlooks like to follow God, to
(22:56):
live a life that bears goodfruit.
This is what it looks like.
But then he also gives us anexample of this is what it looks
like when you don't abide, whenyou don't stay connected, when
you don't plant your roots intoGod's word.
Like he gives you what it lookslike differently.
(23:18):
So that way, not only do weknow what good looks like, we
know what not good looks like.
And that helps us recognizewhen we're doing the right thing
and when there are thingscoming up in our life that
shouldn't it helps us call itout because it's not just like
(23:40):
this one-time thing.
We're not perfect.
Even when we have the bestvalues and the best traits and
the best working style, evenwhen we have this alignment, at
the end of the day, we are stillhuman, we still fall short, we
still sin, we still have baddays, we still need to be
(24:03):
corrected and encouraged andaffirmed.
And these principles, thesevalues we have, these
non-negotiables that we have,they help us do that within our
business.
They help our our employees beclear so that they know when
they're when they're thriving,they know when they're doing
(24:25):
well, they're clear about whatsuccess looks like.
But it also helps themrecognize, like self-recognize,
oh man, there's something goingon in my life, and it is
bringing out this side of me,and I need to correct this
behavior, I need to address thisbehavior.
(24:45):
Or maybe they're sensing thatthere's some misalignment that's
happening, and it's they'reseeing that it's causing this
tension and this friction withinthe team and the business, and
maybe they even have thethoughts of maybe this isn't the
place for me.
And that's what having thispicture helps us do.
(25:09):
So our core values are kind oflike the fruit of the spirit,
and our non-negotiables are kindof like the acts of the flesh.
And so the fruits of the spiritand our values, they're
representing the light, they'rerepresenting what we want to
cultivate and multiply.
And our non-negotiables,they're the things that destroy
(25:31):
trust, destroy unity, and needto be checked.
They need to be addressed.
And so we want to just paintthe whole picture, not just one
side of it.
So that wraps up this culturedimension of creating alignment
(25:52):
with our people and the fourcomponents of it, which were our
values, our work style, thetraits, and the non-negotiables.
And so, next episode, we arediving into the capacity
dimension.
So stay tuned for the nextepisode.
As always, you can learn moreat ClearAuthenticbrands.com.
(26:16):
That's all for this episode.
See you next time.
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