Building a Values-Based Culture

While the more minor details may vary, here are just a few reasons:

1. The need to unify disparate groups (e.g. following a merger or acquisition).
2. The recognition of a competitive marketplace.
3. An ever-changing talent pool.
4. Emotional and physical welfare of leaders and employees.

A values-based culture holds that an organisation’s values support its’ vision, shape its’ culture, and reflect what’s essential to the organisation. In essence, they are the organisation’s core principles and beliefs — an identity.

As a whole, an organisation must believe our values define who we are, guiding standards of behaviour. This means both internally, with colleagues, and externally with our customers.

If your organisation seeks to build or strengthen your culture and plans to focus on your foundational values, here’s some insight from my own experience:

Start at the top.

Most people learn about values less from what they’re told and more from examples. It might seem obvious, but as with most any strategic initiative, support and modelling from the top of an organisation is incredibly important.

Ongoing training and education is required.

In my experience, an organisation’s journey to building a strong, values-based culture focusses on five key points:

• Ensure that everyone within your organisation knows how values are defined.
• Values can be abstract, so using examples and stories is crucial for deep understanding.
• Provide simple opportunities to apply what’s learned immediately.
• Recognise and reward successes – reinforcement often leads to an act being repeated.
• Terminology and concepts should be integrated into activities and everyday conversations.

It can take time.

The entire process of integrating values into a culture takes time. It requires ongoing support, reinforcement, and resources. Effectively introducing an initiative like this can take several months. Once submitted, we must constantly integrate organisational values into everyday practices:

• integrate values into your recruiting processes to ensure a strong foundation for employment
• introduce new employees to your values and definitions in their onboarding
• incorporate values into reward and recognition programs
• include discussions of values into performance reviews and general conversations

Many will consider this the most challenging and most time-consuming change effort an organisation will undertake, but it can be the most rewarding.

In your feedback sessions, your employees are likely to suggest a few areas for improvement; they might need some definitions clarified or perhaps see examples of value-supporting actions more often. Such feedback help to fine-tune your strategy and guide your next steps of sharing ‘Our Way’ with our people.

In all the years I’ve conducted presentations, public speaking and workshops around leadership, I’ve asked, “What is the main benefit of having happier employees?” The response I often receive is predictable and focuses on higher productivity, retention, and less downtime, but I’ve never once received the answer “So our employees go home happy.” Happy employees are the core of any business, and anything else you require will stem from precisely that.