The first cubicle I ever worked in had walls the color of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

That cubicle, and every one I’d occupy as I made my moves within the insurance industry - regardless of its shade of gray or brown - would have a piece of paper tacked to the wall that read “Core Values.”

Sometimes it was a black and white photocopy - and in others, you could tell the marketing department had added their flair; it was colorful, with imagery and a glossy finish.

In some cases, the Core Values were handed to every new hire - and on that cubicle wall they’d remain.

In others, they’d be referenced in meetings with clients and colleagues.

“We embody our core values,” we’d say. “We have integrity, we put people first and we do the right thing.”

And in others, a task force would review and revise them every year as part of the corporate strategic plan, swapping last year’s buzzwords for the new.

When you left your office for the last time, did you unpin those Core Values from your cubicle wall?

As we consider future plans for the organizations we serve - sorting through the guidance, the recommendations and the rules and regulations - your core values might be just the place to start.

Core values: What’s your number one?