The Value of Values in Your Organization

Organizational values are most noticeable when they are not being followed. They are viewed as the guiding beliefs upon which an organization is based and help identify both what is in bounds and out of bounds for how decisions are made and ultimately how things get done. Most leadership teams dedicate long hours to developing and documenting their business’ values, but when employees are asked to define them, frequently they respond with a puzzled look.  Even if you have not defined your values, they still exist and are determined by interactions within your organization. Following are some tips for defining and utilizing values in your organization.

1. If you have not done so already, take the time to define your values – Beginning with popular values such as honesty and integrity is a great start, but take the time to define values that differentiate your organization. It is OK to have aspirational values, but make sure they are attainable for your organization. Also, be careful to ensure the values you select result in desired behaviors. For example, a value of “aggressive” may yield some results you don’t want in parts of your business.
2. Communicate your values at multiple levels in your organization – Describing how a recent success is reflective of your values can be a good start. Individual and team recognition can also be described in terms of the values they represent. When recruiting candidates, encourage your interviewers to probe how prospects may have demonstrated that they have “lived your values” in their prior roles.
3. Lead by example – How you and your leadership team interact and communicate should be consistent with your values. If you are not demonstrating your values, I recommend you either change your behavior or adjust your values. 
4. Look for ways to positively reward those who demonstrate your values – It is easy to get tied into day-to-day urgencies while forgetting the “how” of getting things done. Look for ways to recognize those who consistently live your values.  Actions that support the importance of your values tend to resonate better than verbal and written communications. For example, if living your values is a requirement for promotion, you are demonstrating in action the importance values play in your organization. 
5. Make sure your high performers consistently demonstrate your values – Your high performers are the gold standard for success in your business. Their actions tend to cascade throughout your organization. It is important that their positive outcomes are not coupled with behaviors that are inconsistent with your values.  If you have a rainmaker who does not demonstrate your values and is sucking the wind out of everyone else’s sails, their negative impact may be much stronger than their positive impact.