Values that mean something...

"Values are verbs things we do" Simon Sinek

They should come to life and not just be words in the atrium of your office building. 

According to a recent report by Right Management and Globoforce’s Workforce Mood Tracker study:

• Among a group of 91 possible factors, personal commitment to an employer’s core values is the top driver of employee engagement.
• 54% of respondents who didn’t know their company’s core values reported being engaged while 88% of those that did know the core values reported engagement.
• 65% of workers who could name their values say they had a strong grasp on company objectives versus only 23% of respondents who say they didn’t know any of their company values

Meaningful values

Values must have meaning and not just because you need to set them, otherwise you will have cynical and demotivated Team Members.  Make them stand for something.  Choosing core values can set you apart from competitors by clarifying your identity and serving as a constant point of reference for your Team as to why they want to work with there.  Values if right can contribute to the performance of your product/service and most importantly to the growth of your Team.

There are 4 categories

1. Core values - the heart of the company, the main constant beliefs that your culture is built on
2. Aspirational values - to fulfil in the future
3. Permission to play values - the values of life (how you work with each other)
4. Accidental values - coming out of your working practices

 Ask for feedback on your values

Companies and Team members grow together and therefore the values have to stay relevant and meaningful.  Ensure that you regularly re-evaluate whether they are a true reflection of your culture.  This is not just the employee survey once a year, this will be in every one to one session, all of your Team meetings and from the client experience.  Everything builds a picture as to whether your values work for your Company and your Team.

Keep your values at the forefront

Bring the values to life with examples of how Team Members have demonstrated a value, by describing behaviours and actions taken. 

Make your values visual

Company "culture decks" are visual representation of your values, the things that your company holds as the most important.

These slides should be easy to read and understand and written in conversational language with examples, more like a handbook.

To bring them to life more think about where and when they should be seen:-

• Quarterly business updates
• Regularly referenced at one to one meetings
• Team meetings
• Recruitment
• Onboarding decks
• Pitches

An image is worth a 1000 words, ask Team members to share pictures that they think connects with the values.  Making the values as memorable as possible.

Recognise team members for living your core values

Observing the behaviours that demonstrate the values and calling them out will encourage others to follow.  Behaviour is contagious so seeing alignment in action will encourage others to follow. 

Use values for interpersonal conflict

Values provide a vocabulary as to how you want to treat each other.  Culture is all about "the way things are done around here".  When conflict does arise using the values as a marker of the way you want people to act can help explain what has happened.  If a person has drifted from your core values is there a reason an extreme circumstance and therefore is there justification.  Values can be used to guide someone back to where you do want Team members to be.

Use your values to make hiring decisions  and the first 100 days

At the recruitment and selection stage asking candidates to articulate what your values mean to them is a good insight as to whether they connect with them.  Ask them to bring them to life by describing from their career already where they have demonstrated the value.  Once you have a new member of the Team, good to keep connecting at marker points 30, 60 and 90 days asking again for examples of connecting to the values. 

Zappos puts it best "Core values are more than just words. They're a way of life"

Please do get in touch for a values workshop.