Moving Company Values off the Wall and into Action

When we talk about corporate values, I’ve seen a bunch.  They’ve spanned the gamut from “Don’t Suck” to “We believe philanthropy can help create a better world” and “Be Creative, Be Respectful, Be Jones” to “Enjoy the Ride.” I can't honestly tell you what any of them are supposed to mean.

Most organizations have a list of values. And they’re full of big ideas – great ideas – like respect, integrity, teamwork, and excellence, but the definitions and implications are different things for different people. This is where most corporate values fall down: they're too vague to be useful.

What’s the point of corporate values?  They’re meant to drive similar behaviors across the organization and guide decision-making so the organization feels coherent, integrated, and operating as a whole.  But when the values are so vague, they can end up being interpreted differently across the company.

Let’s use respect as an example.  You might define it as:

• listening without interrupting

• being direct rather than sugarcoating

• giving people autonomy

• responding quickly

• following the existing hierarchy

So if my company values respect, which behavior is the most important and “respectful”?

Shared values require shared definitions.  (That’s why you see so many tiny printed paragraphs following the two-to-three word value.)  So how do you make a value concrete?  Turn it into a behavior or a decision-making criterion.  And you can do it as a leader even if your company doesn’t print those tiny explanatory paragraphs.

Start with a simple question: “What would I see people doing at work if this value were actually being lived?”

For example:

Value	Instead of…	Define it as…
Respect	“Treat people well”	Listen before responding; disagree without attacking
Integrity	“Do the right thing”	Tell the truth even when it's uncomfortable
Accountability	“Own your work”	Raise problems early and follow through on commitments
Collaboration	“Work together”	Seek input before making decisions that affect others

It’s helpful to indicate not just what a value encourages you to do, but also what it doesn’t.  For example, respect doesn't mean avoiding difficult conversations. Collaboration doesn't mean everyone gets a vote.  Compassion doesn't mean eliminating accountability.  Clarifying the boundaries around a value makes it much more applicable.

(All this said, I generally encourage leaders to stay away from espousing values that are, themselves, a negative (like “Don’t Suck,” above).  Focus your values on a positive goal, and then identify what’s in and what’s out.)

In addition to driving similar behaviors, values are meant to guide decision-making.  A great way to see if your team is understanding and interpreting the values the same way you are is to give them a hypothetical situation where there isn't an obvious answer.  For example, "do we accommodate one employee if it creates an inconsistency for others?"  Then ask them, “Which value should guide us here?”  This turns values from inspirational words into a decision-making framework.  (Note how none of the values listed at the top of this article would help in answering this question.)

Another way you can check for understanding from your team is to simply ask them:

• What does this value mean to you?

• What behaviors demonstrate it?

• What behaviors violate it?

• Where do we consistently live this value?

• Where do we fall short?

If their answers are all the same, you’ve likely done a good job of sharing and explaining your take on the value.  If they’re not, it can show you where your communication has fallen short or needs some more attention.

Now, I’m not saying that your team needs an identical interpretation of every value.  They’re often designed to be vague so people can internalize them in a way that makes sense to them.  But your team needs enough shared understanding to make consistent decisions and hold one another accountable.  Values are most powerful when they create a common language for behavior and action.

The other thing to pay attention to is how you demonstrate and live the values your company wants you to espouse.  What gets praised?  What gets ignored?  Who gets promoted?  What happens when a leader violates a stated value?  Employees learn organizational values by watching what actually happens, not by reading the values statement.  (I especially like the companies that say they value diversity and then have an entirely all-white male executive team.)

Your company's values aren't just what you see printed in the employee handbook. They're what people understand those words to mean, and what you and your colleagues do every day.  So how are you helping your team understand them?  And how are you getting in their way?