I visited a company recently which had its values in a lovely frame in the reception area. It was big. It gleamed in the sunlight. It looked most impressive.
However, in the course of subsequent discussions with that company’s employees, it became clear that the frame was where those values remained. The company (which shall remain nameless) had put little effort into raising awareness or communicating what they meant. As a result, the values remained entrapped within glass rather than living and shaping employee behaviour on a day-to-day basis. Now, this is hardly an isolated incident. Look through employee engagement literature and you will find it littered with examples of situations in which creating company values seemed “a good thing to do”, but the organisations then did little with them. But what amazed me about this particular example was that managers did not seem worried about it; they didn’t really seem to grasp the benefits that embedding values within the company could offer them. They just didn’t see them as a source of competitive advantage.
I think that is incredibly short-sighted. Values encapsulate the heart and soul of a company. They are the foundation for the external brand promise. If employees know nothing about the values, have not had a chance to contribute to them and have not been engaged with what they should mean for day-to-day behaviour, how can they deliver that promise in practice? How can customers be assured of a consistently high-quality experience that supports the external brand promise they have been attracted by?
To me, any organisation that pays only lip service to values is risking its relationships and, therefore, revenue. Let’s consider two hypothetical companies. Company A has worked with employees to articulate values, has mounted a concerted programme to engage employees in them, and has supported this with the HR/management processes that help embed them in the fabric of the organisation. Company B has not. Which company is likely to give you a more engaging experience? Which are you more likely to stick with?
Every organisation should bring its values to life for employees in every area of its organisation. It should create clear messaging, coupled with compelling creative expression, and communicate these through a carefully-planned blend of existing channels and innovative mechanisms. Depending on the company, these can range from films to workshops, digital activity to printed material.
There are many options, but a core and consistent requirement: take your values out of the frame. Without this, they won’t serve your company as they should.
