In my Coaching and Consultancy work with leadership teams I often raise the topic of organisational Values. This gets met with a range of reactions from “Nonsense – that’s just consultants’ jargon” (No it’s not, as we’ll see below) through “Oh yes, they are not explicit but everyone knows what they are” (I’d wager they don’t) to “We have our Values tattooed on our wrists” (Okay, I made that last one up, thankfully!).

Research shows that people want to work with organisations which have Values aligned with their own, whether as employees, customers, suppliers, investors or the wider community.  For this piece, I will focus on employees (mainly because I have always felt that if an organisation gets the employee experience right, everything else will flow).  To fully engage their employees, therefore, an organisation should identify, explain and embed Values which capture the essence of the company and which resonate with employees’ own Values.  

Easily said, but how do you do that?  Here are some suggestions based on the good (and bad) practices I have experienced:

Identify the Values honestly: Values should reflect the core beliefs of the leaders and those who work at the organisation.  They should be identified through deep reflection and honesty, not because someone thinks a particular Value sounds good.  There is no point in having ‘Innovation’ as a stated Value, no matter how exciting it sounds, if the organisation does not want to be at the cutting-edge of development, sees itself as a follower not a leader in its industry, and deflects every employee suggestion with “Ah, but we’ve always done it that way.”

If you are a start-up, you should draw the Values from the ‘why’ of the founder(s): What is the purpose of the organisation?  What do you want it to contribute to its employees, its customers, the wider community?  What do you want the organisation to stand for and be known for?  These Values, clearly articulated and lived, should attract like-minded individuals to your nascent organisation helping to reinforce the Values in a virtuous circle.

In an established business, it is vital to consider not only what the leaders consider the Values to be but also to canvass the employees on what they think the organisational Values currently are and what they would like them to be to align with their own personal Values.  I can tell you from experience that this can be an insightful and engaging process, albeit sometimes sobering or downright shocking for the leaders when the process reveals that no-one is clear on the organisational Values!

Explain each Value: We all know that words can be interpreted differently, so it is vital that there is clarity on what is meant by each Value decided upon.  The simplest way to do so is to translate the value into expected behaviours.

Let me illustrate by way of an example.  “Respect” is one of the most commonly-chosen organisational Values.  The dictionary definition of Respect is “Due regard for someone’s feelings, wishes or rights” but it is also “A feeling of deep admiration for someone elicited by the abilities, qualities or achievements”.  To ensure employees know the organisation intends the former not the latter then clarification might include: “We listen to others and encourage each other’s input and opinions.”’; “We empathise with different perspectives”; “We avoid gossip and do not badmouth others”.

Embed the Values formally and informally: All-too-often organisational Values are seen as buzz-words, something dreamt up by Marketing, HR or Consultants, but not relevant to day-to-day work.  Yes, a Values Statement is helpful.  However, if Values are to engage and resonate with employees they must be embedded into formal and informal working-practices, communications and – importantly – decision-making.  

There are a multitude of ways to do this.  Leaders must set the tone but the greater the employee involvement the better: 

  • Specific inclusion of Values in Objectives, Performance Reviews and 1-2-1s: “Here’s where I saw you role modelling Value x” or “I want to discuss this behaviour which you demonstrated which undermined Value y”.
  • When large or small successes are celebrated, align them to the Values: “We are delighted to announce that Jo Bloggs has been promoted; Jo has really set the standard for Value z and has also…”
  • Encourage employees to call out their colleagues in team meetings for demonstrating a Value through their actions.  “I was so proud when I saw Jane bring Value x to life when she….”
  • When making decisions, visibly take into account the organisation’s Values: “Whilst this contract would be profitable, it does not sit well with Value y so we have decided not to bid for it.”

The Values are brought to life in the organisation by being the everyday foundation of ‘the way we do things round here’.  As Roy E Disney famously said “It’s not hard to make decisions once you know what your values are.”

Posted in Articles, Three common themes from my consultancy work