How to Choose and 'Live' the Right Values for a Firm / Organisation?

How to Choose and 'Live' the Right Values for a Firm / Organisation?

Values are being revisited in many organisations - yet few manage to select the right values and then anchor them in their culture as virtues. Often because they simply don't know how. Other causes of poor organisational values include:

• WRONGLY CHOSEN VALUES: In a hasty attempt to get onto the vision and values bandwagon, organisations end up with values that are expected rather than what is core to their principles and their underlying assumptions. There is often a sameness about them. They represent what is basic to being in business rather than an exciting differentiation (like Zappos).
• CYNICISM: There are major behavioural disconnects from stated values (VW, Barclays, BP to name a few) that raise cynicism about stated values in general, and question their sincerity and authenticity.
• WRONG INTENT: There is a stampede to join the 'purpose economy'. Businesses see profit potential in embracing a higher purpose. They recognise that this can be a magnet that attracts talent and customers, enhances reputation, fosters engagement. Firms with a genuine motive (like Patagonia), are the exception. Purpose simply cannot be properly implemented without living the accompanying virtues.
• PRESSURE TO UPHOLD REPUTATION: Sustainability challenges prompt organisations to "up their good citizen game", and some adopt a 'radical adaption' approach - but again without the support of entrenched virtues.
• INCREASING DIVERSITY: Increasing diversity in the workplace puts pressure on organisations to develop cultures, values and behaviours where people are valued and looked after, and where differences become a strength and not (as is too often the case) a source of disharmony and discontent.
• NOT COPING WITH RAPID CHANGES: When the pace of change overwhelms, and things are done too quickly, then the result may be lower quality outcomes, harmed relationships, loss of community, and lack of interest in the values.

How to Implement and Live the Published Values?

What underlying beliefs and assumptions, ways of converting stated values to character virtues, and visible symbols, artefacts and processes will determine whether an organisation will succeed at living their published values? Do the answers lie in:

1. More ethical and benevolent leadership;
2. Distinguishing between types of values (core, threshold, general);
3. A change process that develops shared core values and seeks to align organisation and employee values;
4. Attaching behaviour indicators to decided values;
5. Special methods and techniques for anchoring chosen values in the culture;
6. Techniques for individual behaviour modification and reinforcement, measurement and appraisal mechanisms;
7. Other?

I'd appreciate your experiences and thoughts.

Sources:
Williams, G; Fox, P and Haarhoff D., "The Virtuosa Organisation: The Importance of VIRTUES for a Successful Business", Knowres Publishing 2015
Chouinard, Yvon, "Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman", Penguin Books 2006.

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		3 Gandhi Heryanto Management Consultant, Indonesia
	Bringing the Organization Values to Life Here are 4 ways how to implement and live the published values. You need to convert them into specif... Sign up

		1 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	Bringing the Organization Values to Life Thank you Gandhi. Clear, good input! By what process are the values decided? And in what ways can ... Sign up

		3 Gandhi Heryanto Management Consultant, Indonesia
	The Process of Creating Organizational Values @Graham Williams: As we know that a company’s core values are a set of values that the whole organiz... Sign up

		2 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	The Process of Organisational Values Creation Thank you Gandhi. My own preferred approach is likewise to get everyone involved in the process of d... Sign up

		5 Javier Elenes Business Consultant, Mexico
	Choosing and Permeating Organizational Values that Support the Strategy A key issue in successful implementation of a competitive strategy is indeed that the people in the ... Sign up

		4 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Establish the Organization's Values from the Very Beginning I know what I am going to say is not very helpful for existing firms, but it's best if you select an... Sign up

		5 Charles Alter Consultant, United States
	Finding and Living Values and Purpose In my experience, Jim Collins' Good to Great is the best reference for finding core values and purpo... Sign up

		2 Steve Business Consultant, South Africa
	Refreshing the Value System I would add to the list of ideas: - Engage Employees about how they feel about the organizational v... Sign up

		1 Ozioma Afakwu Student (MBA), United Kingdom
	Apply All Prescribed... Thanks Thank you for sharing this and thank you for all the contributions. I have learnt a lot. In my busin... Sign up

		1 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	Thanks It's wonderful to get this sort of response - an acknowledgement of learning and commitment to apply... Sign up

		1 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	How to Choose and Live the Right Values for an Organisation? What a good topic this has become! To learn some more around this complex but important topic, you m... Sign up

		1 Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
	Determining the Right Values of an Organisation The question asks about the "right values", as indicated by Javier Elenes. But there is not always a... Sign up

		1 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	The Organization's Values Depend on the Context I suppose depending on the context, the priority in choosing the values will change. For example, i... Sign up

		3 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	Right Values or Valuing Right @Maurice Hogarth: Some thoughts for your deliberations: In an age where environmental, social ... Sign up

		0 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	Change of Priority in Choosing Organisation Values I like your thought-provocation @srinivas! You've raised a very interesting and potentially huge dis... Sign up

		1 Paul Pretorius Management Consultant, South Africa
	A Powerful Contribution @Javier Elenes: This approach links the whole value system to the single word that drives all decisi... Sign up

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Creating Values Alignment A recent view towards how we can select and "live" the values for a company or organization is to ai... Sign up

		1 Anonymous
	Amazing Info Wow 😮 So much is collected here about establishing values for companies. Thank you all for c... Sign up

		1 Helen Strong Business Consultant, South Africa
	Elephant in the Values Room The discussion has covered useful ground regarding the setting and promotion of positive purpose dri... Sign up

		1 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Problematic Values versus Violation of Values @Helen Strong: This discussion here focuses on selecting, setting and living the right organizationa... Sign up

		3 Maurice Hogarth Consultant, United Kingdom
	The Actual Value of Values @Graham Williams: Some good questions. Sometime back in history some 'guru' stated that organisatio... Sign up

		2 Frederic A Parker Consultant, United States
	You Must Live your Values First If you are concerned about the behavior of your employees, about their work culture, look in the mir... Sign up

		1 Anonymous
	Live your Own Values I agree strongly with your post. People usually reflect and represent the model and attitude that th... Sign up

		1 Frederic A Parker Consultant, United States
	Well Stated @Anonymous: Excellent recap of the most important aspect of living organizational values.... Sign up

		1 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	Living Ones Own Values Living ones own values requires the right identification of oneself... Are we the body or the intell... Sign up

		1 Frederic A Parker Consultant, United States
	Cross Cultural Values @Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar: Your post has triggered memories of living and, more importantly, work... Sign up

		1 Paramathmuni srinivas Kumar India
	Living the Values is Possible Irrespective of the Vocation we are In @Frederic A Parker: I appreciate your point view since I have worked in USA for a shorter period of ... Sign up