Professionalism is striving for excellence in everything we do. We work hard to deliver high quality results, do our job to the best of our ability and take pride in our achievements. We are sensitive to changes in our working environment and are ready to respond. We provide impartial, comprehensive, timely and accurate advice. We constantly seek to improve our work performance.

Loyalty is being committed to each other and to Defence. We serve the government of the day and support our leaders and colleagues to undertake tasks and achieve results in line with government direction. We treat everyone at all levels with respect, care and compassion. We work to uphold the best interests of the Australian people.

Integrity is doing what is right. We behave honestly and ethically, and demonstrate the highest standards of probity in our personal conduct. We act fairly and accept personal responsibility for our decisions and actions. We build trust through productive working relationships. We do not allow mateship to be misused to cover up bad behaviour or bring the organisation into disrepute. Our actions clearly match our words.

Courage is the strength of character to honour our convictions (moral courage) and bravery in the face of personal harm (physical courage). In Defence we stand up for what we believe is right and we speak out robustly and openly against what is wrong. We have the courage to accept valid criticism, admit to errors, learn lessons and improve. We give honest feedback on work performance.

Innovation is actively looking for better ways of doing our business. In Defence we are open to new ideas and strive to identify and implement better ways of doing business. We are clever and make best use of the resources that we have to do our job. We encourage sensible risk taking, and strive to identify opportunities to eliminate inefficiency and waste.

Teamwork is working together with respect, trust and a sense  collective purpose. Teamwork is cultivated through strong, positive leadership and attention to the needs of team members. In Defence teamwork is integral to everything we do, and characterises our working relationships inside Defence and across the whole of Government. We foster collaborative workplaces, communicate openly and solve problems in a collegiate manner, share ideas and take advantage of the diversity of our knowledge and experience.