041 | Unpacking organisational values - Does your organisation’s values mean anything to employees?

Happy New Year friend! I hope that this year will be a super blessed year for you. If you haven’t done so already, listen to episode 40 where I prayed for you for all the things God pressed on my heart to pray for you.

Let’s talk about organisational values, what are your organisation’s values? What message do they communicate and do staff know this message?

Your organisation's values

On a piece of paper, or on your phone, write down your organisation’s values. If you don’t know them, pause me now, go to your organisation’s website and look it up.

If I go and work there, would I actually find that these values are true, lived out, used, or are they just some words on a piece of paper or on a logo.

Top 20 values organisation hold in 2023

The top 20 values that organisations hold is:

1. Integrity
2. Accountability
3. Humility
4. Respect
5. Teamwork
6. Diversity
7. Curiosity
8. Leadership
9. Courage
10. Honesty
11. Collaboration
12. Creativity
13. Innovation
14. Passion
15. Simplicity
16. Operate ethically
17. Commitment
18. Constant improvement
19. Democracy
20. Inclusion

How can an organisation's values be true?

For an organisation’s value to be true, it needs to be embodied by every single person working there.

For every single person to embody it, they need to truly understand what each value means, to the organisation but also to them as an individual. Why were these values chosen in the first place, have these values ever changed and what’s the value behind the values?

Why are values chosen?

Organisations often choose values at the beginning, because this is what they would like their organisation to stand for, however, it ultimately will boil down to the people who work there, the people who the organisation have chosen to work there.

Employing new staff

Every single time when you employ a person, you are taking a risk and hope that they will embody the organisation’s values. If the values are clearly communicated during the interview process, and then if you feel they meet or don’t meet those values, our decision should also be based on this, not only knowledge or qualifications. The person might be perfect for the role, but if they won’t embody the values or their values don’t match up, it’s not a good fit.

Ask scenario questions. What is somebody’s stance on integrity, humility, accountability. Give them a scenario about ethics, how would they behave?

How about when you joined?

Think about when you joined the organisation, how did you find out about the values? Was it clearly communicated to you, do people speak about it often, are strategic decisions based on these values, or are they just some dusty words on a banner or logo?

The organisation's values

The fact of the matter is if no one knows the values, how can the organisation be known for these values and trusted by customers to live out these values.

For every single person to embody the organisation’s values, they need to truly understand what each value means.

• What does it mean to the organisation and what is the expectation for the values to be embodied. Everyone’s experiences, backgrounds are different. Respect might mean 1 thing in 1 culture, but another thing in another culture.
• What does the value mean to the organisation?
• What does it mean to you as an individual and how will you be expected to embody that value?
• Why were the values chosen in the first place?
• Have these values changed over the years and why?
• What the value behind the values?

Often, when organisations fail to communicate their values to their employees, especially it it’s not part of the induction process, employees don’t know where the boundary lines are and they will cross it.

For example, if the value of the organisation is accountability, but there are absolutely no accountability processes, procedures, mechanisms or strategies in place, employees will push the boundaries because they know they won’t be held accountable.

Another example, if the value of the organisation is to operate ethically, but leaders are constantly showing unethical behaviour, scamming customers etc. then employees will push the boundaries, because they know that they don’t have to behave ethically themselves.

Yes, we can hold personal values and stand up against unethical behaviour, but if the whole business is running unethically, you’ll have a hard time working there. You’ll probably end up leaving and ensure the next organisation you work for, do in fact act ethically.

So, the question then is, does your organisation’s values mean anything to employees?

If not, what needs to change? What influence can you have on those at the top. Listen to episode 39 as I shared ways you can influence up.  What solutions will you offer?

Sometimes you might not be in a position to change the values, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work with your team, to start living out the values with your team.

Exciting things happening in 2024!

• Launching new book
• Launching a new program that goes a long with the book
• Talking a lot more about gossip and creating awareness

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See you all next week, where I’ll be bringing you a very special guest speaker! Stay tuned! I cannot wait for you to listen to that one.

Cheers!

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