Boring Company Values Must Change
????♀? Szilvia Olah
Fractional Talent Management Senior Executive | Employee Experience Design | Organisational Psychologist | Two Published Books
As I am doing the pre-work for creating new company values, it made me think that values don't address the challenges companies are facing today.
Most of the time, they are a one-word, meaningless, open-to-interpretation, vague, generic nonsense like Respect, Trust, Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, Honesty, or, my favourites, Inclusion and leadership.
The same values have been around for decades despite everything that has changed in businesses, including the behaviour that values aim to guide. My company had the same values for over three decades. Nine years ago, we added an extra "Guest Passion" because, after five decades of operating, we realised that hospitality is about that lol.
They also don't offer anything that would influence employees' behaviour within the context of corporate buzzwords like burnout, demotivation, well-being, etc. There is a complete disconnect between values and the challenges we are trying to solve today.
But my biggest problem is that they don't talk to the individuals and are pretty selfish regarding the message they spread. It is all about what you can do for the company (which is often beyond our control) and nothing about what employees can do for themselves.
Values like Innovation are never understood, or when someone brings an idea, they are dismissed. Many of the values fall victim to processes and people. My company had the value of integrity and "speak up", yet when illegal and unethical activities were reported, the management did nothing.
There is no point for values that employees have no control over or are ignored at convenience.
Instead, we should have values that employees have direct control over. Values must speak to the individuals, be specific, and help them shape their mindset, lives, performance, and company culture.
If I had a large company, I would use these values (Jordan Peterson's 12 + 12 Rules for Life) - see below - because these simple rules have changed the lives of millions of people. Don't we always preach that change is in the mindset, yet we willingly ignore it and try to influence people's actions by meaningless words?
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People ignore company values because they don't talk to them. In addition to this, I would add:
You can have it all. The impact. The loving relationships. The career. Without having to compromise yourself in the process. The secret is to love yourself first | Certified Therapist & Coach | Ex-Corporate Leader
1 年I agree! A classic is when you ask from the top to the bottom what are the company values and no one can remember them or even know they exist. It cannot be a random consultant who get them done. People need to be involved and leaders need to believe in them otherwise it’s just paper and words????
Keynote Speaker, ICF Certified Coach, Fortune 4 Learning Expert, Coaches leaders to move from toxic to transformative, Empathy& Career Coach, Author, DISC Facilitator, Professional Synergist, AthleticallyOptimistic.
1 年I am so aligned with you here Szilvia Olah
Nailed it again as usual Szilvia! I would also add that organizations should describe what being in integrity with those values looks like on a day to day basis. Clarity is key!
Leadership & Business Growth Consultant | Building Trust in Tech Startups & SMBs | Empowering Leaders with Integrity
1 年I agree, Szilvia! This is why I'm working with a client's mid-level management team; together, we are reframing and rearticulating the corporate values. It's going to be their own, something they created and will resonate with, trickling through the whole organization via everyday work. It's an uplifting experience for me to see the sparkle of life and engagement growing in their eyes.
Female founder bringing much needed rigour to wellbeing, EX & culture. Delivering clarity, accountability, and measureable impact through WellWise's cutting-edge diagnostic platform.
1 年Number 4 ohhh how we need more of number 4! Far too much trying to do the same or a very similar (slightly adjusted and calling it innovative) version of the same things year in year out. Without questioning why, without assessing value creation, without checking for unintended consequences, without realignment with the world outside, without understanding what difference is being made. On the hamster wheel. Why? Because people are tired and underpowered and apathetic. So, WHY go the extra mile when I can make life easy for myself by sitting back and doing what's always been done? We not only have to question what and why but also how. The how is so often missing in the cultural context.