How can you communicate your values to your employer?

Values are the foundation of an organisation. If the employees are not aligned or share the values of the organisation they are a part of then the productivity diminishes along increasing hurdles in day to day running and decision making. At @EnablingDimensions we live our values through professional conduct, sharing of personal experiences and encouraging an interactive space each Friday. We take out one hour to share professional and then personal experiences and highlights of the week, all centred around shared values. This keeps the team charged and cohesive in for shared output.

It is important to identify what is important to you. When I think about my core values, I think about what I would have wanted to matter in my life when I am on my death bed. - What impact have I made on the world? - What impact have I made on the people around me? - What would I do if there were no limitations? - What makes me feel alive and ignites my passion? - What makes me feel tired and depressed? and once I have answered the above here is another set of questions: - Does my job give me an opportunity to make the impact I want to make? - Does my job make me feel alive and ignite my passion? - Does my job allow me to become the best version of myself?

Most of all, we need a good and solid hierarchy of values, a belief system that's unshakeable, which will help us navigate the hard moments and the challenges, that surelly will come to defy us, with comfort and certainty, especially that we are doing the right thing.

I believe being vulnerable is a good value to have in an organization that has diverse talent.. I have used it at times when I know seeking help from experts is better than reinventing the wheel..highlight any weakness you have so that you get the support needed.. and organizations and teams that encourage to share knowledge and support each other thrive.. especially in large organizations where Tribal Knowledge is seen in Silos.. this is extremely important value to imbibe culturally.. do not shy to show your vulnerability!

How we do one thing, we do everything. If I am careless in one thing, I will be careless in most things. If I am meticulous in one thing, I will be meticulous in most things. Take a look at yourself and become aware of how you behave. Do your actions reflect your values? This is a great way to determine if the values you set out are actually yours, or values you learned or were conditioned with by your environment. Also, if you notice that your actions are inconsistent, what tiny changes in behaviour and adjustments can you make to realign your actions with your core beliefs? Because once that alignment happens, you can become unstoppably driven.

Always walk your talk, and dont' be afraid to express your opinions, act properly guided by your moral compass. Be intelectually independent. Do what's right, even if it's hard.

Actively look for opportunities to literally share your values. "One of my core values is <insert value>, and I do <this thing> or look for <this thing> in my work/teams/life". It can be very inspiring to others, reminds people of the power of values, shares important facts about who you are, why you do things the way you do - the benefits are great. Practice it and it will become natural. I'm Jan - and one of my core values is honesty. Not everyone likes me being so honest, but you know what you're getting from me! (try it out)

Use this formula: When… (the observation), I felt… (list your feelings). I need… (list your needs. Would you be willing to… (make the specific request). When I walked into the office, I noticed that our team was facing a critical project deadline. The workload seemed overwhelming. I felt concern, anxiety, and frustration. It was clear that we needed a coordinated effort from everyone on the team. I needed support, not just from my team members but also from our manager. It was evident that we needed to work together closely, share knowledge, and communicate effectively. Would you be willing to consider a daily stand-up meeting where we discuss our progress, identify bottlenecks, and support each other in overcoming challenges?

If your values really don't match your employer's values, you might need to consider whether you're in the right company, team or role. You can often though, take the company values and decide how you plan to work according to them. Sharing how you do that can be very powerful.

When working as part of a team, it is important to identify with the team's core values. Often, managers of teams do not organise a values workshop to determine what these are. They can differ from the company values. Working closely with teammates, understanding the core values of the team is really key and can change how they collaborate and achieve results together. This workshop can take a few hours to a day and is a necessary time investment to build team cohesion and establish a team culture and spirit. Hire a professional or use some of the free resources online.

Aligning your values with those of your employer is vital for mutual success and job satisfaction. Understanding the company's mission and vision statements can offer insights into its core principles. Observing organizational culture and practices can further illuminate shared values. Once identified, these values can serve as a foundation for collaboration and innovation. It's not merely a matter of outward compliance but of internal alignment, which often leads to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Emphasizing the intersections of your own values with those of your employer can build a cohesive work environment and enable a more effective response to challenges, thereby benefiting both parties.

This, to me is fundamental. If my values are not aligned with the values of the company I work for, invariably there will be friction and I cannot contribute to the best extent of who I am.

When requesting for feedback it is important to create a safe space to both give and receive it. A great way to create a safe space is to use an icebreaker. It can be as simple as "Hi, how are you now really?". Establish conversation rules where when one speaks, the other one listens without interruption. Thank you marks the end of a sharing and only when Thank you was said, can the other person start talking. When we play board games, we all agree on rules of engagement. The same can be done for important conversations such as feedback request and any dialogue. The more structure we add, the safer it feels.

I regularly run very specific and overt ~one-hour Values sessions where we talk about culture and values, and then ask people to write down their top 5 values. We then encourage the participants (best with up to 15) to individually talk to what these are and why they have them. That can often be an emotional experience (leaders can lead by example here). If you are working with a specific team, you can then, and if everyone agrees, perhaps anonymously, capture the values and plot them on a spider gram. When we do that, we often find there are a core set of common values for that team. What do you get out of this? A better sense of team. More empathy. Knowing how to best work with each other. A shared experience. The list goes on.