Lisa Earle McLeod says times change and challenges come and go but organisational values should remain constant and front of every employee’s mind.
Have you heard about the fast growth Texas company that had their core values etched in stone in their lobby?
Integrity was at the top. Still struggling to remember? They became really famous.
It was Enron.
Epic level value failures like Enron show up frequently in the news.
Yet, in many organisations, values fail more quietly.
People don’t flagrantly violate them, but they don’t really live them either.
Too often, organisational values are nothing more than an exercise in corporate speak.
When I ask employees what their organisation’s values are, I usually get stumbling answers, like: “Uh, I think, um, innovation, and something about accountability.
“Hmm, I can’t remember the rest; I think there are seven. Wait, let me check our website.”
It doesn’t have to be this way.
We have several clients whose values drive daily behaviour and differentiate them in competitive markets.
There are three key reasons most organisational values don’t stick.
Too many nebulous words:
Once you get past three or four values, you’re just rambling.
If you want people to focus you need to identify two to four critically important values that represent the true essence of what you want your organisation to be.
No actionable behaviour:
Words like innovation and efficiency are nice, but they don’t actually tell people what to do.
When we work with organisations, we help them turn their values into behaviour.
For example, we were working with the executive team of a financial organisation whose three core values were Integrity, Teamwork, and Client-driven.
To make these values actionable, we translated them into three measurable, coachable sets of behaviour.
Integrity:
We treat each other with respect.
Teamwork:
We see problems through to a solution.
Client-driven:
We always ask, how will this affect the client?
The three sets of behaviour were the result of an executive team discussion about where the organisation needs improvement?
Which behaviour will have the biggest impact on the business?
What kind of behaviour will apply to every single employee from the chief executive to the front line?
For example, it’s one thing to say you’re client-driven.
It’s another thing for leaders to ask: “How will this affect clients?” before they make decisions or implement policies.
No stretch behaviour:
Our company values don’t include honesty.
It’s not because we’re dishonest. It’s the opposite. We don’t struggle with honesty.
We do however, struggle with trying to do too much too quickly with people who aren’t ready.
That’s why one of our core values is: We meet people where they are.
Living up to this value is a challenge almost every single day. That’s the point.
Organisational values should help you and your team step into something bigger than you might be otherwise.
Done well, your values drive daily behaviour and they differentiate you from the competition.
Your core values should define you.
Much like the values many of us learned in childhood, your core values are what you draw on during times of trouble and indecision.
You don’t have to be a big company to define your values. We defined our values when we were a company of three.
Whether you have three people or 30,000, taking the time to identify who you are and what you stand for is critical.
Times will change, events will happen. Your values are the constant that see you through.
* Lisa Earle McLeod is the leadership specialist who created the business concept Noble Purpose. She is the author of Selling with Noble Purpose and Leading with Noble Purpose. She can be contacted at mcleodandmore.com.
This article first appeared on Lisa’s blogsite
