People often hear me talk passionately about company values. I have a major issue with values being reduced to fancy words on a wall, often crafted with a marketing mindset. These values might look cool on a website or sound impressive to clients, but they should serve a much deeper purpose. Internal company values are crucial for shaping the internal experience and guiding employee behavior to achieve the company’s vision and mission. Let’s dive into why values matter and how to create ones that truly resonate.
The Problem with Surface-Level Values
Common Mistakes in Defining Values
Many companies fall into the trap of choosing values that are either too obvious or too generic. Words like “honesty,” “integrity,” and “customer service” are frequently selected. While these are essential traits, they are baseline expectations for any business. They don’t need to be spelled out as core values because they should be a given.
The Marketing Mindset
Often, values are created with an external focus, aimed at impressing clients rather than guiding internal behavior. This approach misses the point.
Creating Meaningful Values
The Purpose of Values
Values should be practical tools that employees can call upon when they are uncertain about what to do or when they need to realign with the company’s mission and vision. They should address the unique challenges and characteristics of the company, industry, and clients.
Key Questions to Define Values:
- What challenges do we face in our industry?
- What are the characteristics of our staff and clients?
- What behaviors are essential to achieve our vision and mission?
Real-World Example: Courage to Tell It as It Is
In our consulting firm, we identified a key challenge: our natural tendency as consultants to want our clients to like us. However, our primary job is to provide honest, sometimes tough advice that clients might not want to hear. To address this, we established a value: “We have the courage to tell it as it is.”
Why This Value Matters:
- Honesty and Integrity: While these are basic expectations, our value goes a step further by emphasizing the courage to speak uncomfortable truths.
- Client Relationships: This value helps maintain the balance between being likable and providing valuable, honest advice.
- Employee Guidance: It serves as a reminder for our team to prioritize truth and value over being liked.
Implementing and Living by Your Values
Steps to Embed Values in Your Culture
Once you’ve defined meaningful values, the next step is to integrate them into your company culture. This involves consistent reinforcement and practical application in everyday situations.
Steps to Implement Values:
- Communicate Clearly: Ensure everyone understands the values and the reasons behind them.
- Lead by Example: Leadership should model the values in their actions and decisions.
- Incorporate into Processes: Embed values into hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and daily operations.
- Reinforce Regularly: Regularly discuss and reinforce the values in team meetings and company communications.
- Recognize and Reward: Acknowledge and reward employees who exemplify the values.
Practical Application
Values should not just be words on a wall; they should be actively used in decision-making and problem-solving. Here’s how to make values a living part of your organization:
- Decision-Making: Encourage employees to refer to the values when making decisions. For example, when faced with a tough client situation, ask, “Are we having the courage to tell it as it is?”
- Conflict Resolution: Use values as a framework for resolving conflicts. Remind employees of the values when addressing disagreements or issues.
- Performance Reviews: Include values in performance evaluations. Assess how well employees are living up to the company’s values and how they are helping the employee.
Evaluating and Evolving Your Values
Continuous Improvement
Company values should evolve as the business grows and changes. Regularly evaluate whether the values are still relevant and effective.
Questions for Evaluation:
- Are our values still relevant to our mission and vision?
- Do our employees understand and use the values?
- Are there new challenges that our current values don’t address?
Gathering Feedback
Collect feedback from employees about the values and how they impact their experience. Use this feedback to refine and improve the values.
Feedback Methods:
- Surveys: Conduct regular surveys to gather input from employees.
- Focus Groups: Organize focus groups to discuss the values and their impact.
- One-on-One Conversations: Have individual conversations with employees to get in-depth feedback.
The Impact of Authentic Values
Positive Workplace Culture
When values are authentic and integrated into the company culture, they can significantly enhance the workplace environment. Employees feel more connected to the company’s mission and are more likely to exhibit behaviors that align with the values.
Benefits:
- Increased Engagement: Employees are more engaged when they feel their work aligns with the company’s values.
- Better Decision-Making: Values provide a framework for making consistent and aligned decisions.
- Stronger Brand Reputation: Authentic values improve the company’s reputation among both employees and clients.
Long-Term Success
Authentic values contribute to long-term success by creating a strong foundation for growth and adaptation. They help the company navigate challenges and stay true to its mission.
Success Factors:
- Consistency: Values provide a consistent approach to behavior and decision-making.
- Adaptability: Values help the company adapt to changes while maintaining its core principles.
- Employee Retention: A positive and value-driven culture improves employee retention and satisfaction.
Creating and living by authentic company values is essential for long-term success. Values should go beyond buzzwords and fancy phrases; they should be practical tools that guide behavior and decision-making. By focusing on internal needs and challenges, you can develop values that truly support your company’s mission and vision.
