A five-step approach to align employee and company values
Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash

A five-step approach to align employee and company values

Why it matters

?? Companies with aligned values have higher retention, better teamwork, better communication, more engagement, and thus better results.

?? Many companies try to align values by preaching company values top-down, naively expecting employees to embrace them.

?? However, value alignment is more than just preaching top-down values.

In their 2022 HBR Article, “What Does Your Organisation Really Stand For?”, Paul Ingram and Yoonjin Choi present a 5 step process to align corporate values with the value of their employees.

What I like about the article is that the authors advocate against just pushing down values top-down. Instead, they recommend a collaborative process to create a set of values that are not only strategically relevant but also resonate with employees.

Here is the process in a nutshell

The Process

1?? Identify the top 8 individual values of employees

– Avoid asking: “What are your values?” instead – Instead, ask. “Whom do you most value among your colleagues in the organisation, and why?” – Use the answers to distil the values of the employees.

2?? Identify the critical priorities for the strategy

– Only do this after you have completed step 1 ! – Ask, “What is the most important thing the organisation can do to achieve its strategy?” – Use this information to align your official values with the company’s strategy.

3?? Look for value ”candidates” that serve the strategy and resonate with?employees

– Create a task force with people from all levels of the organisation. – Use the results from steps 1 & 2. – Create a long list of value statements that serve the strategy and resonate with employees. – Narrow it down to no more than 25 statements.

4?? Assess the value of candidates

– This is the opportunity to give everyone in the organisation a voice. – Broad inclusion at this stage reveals which values resonate and create connection and commitment. – Make it clear that you are offering ”a voice, not a vote.”

5?? Edit the top-raking candidates to create a final list of values

– This should be the work of a small team, which should include top leadership – This is a delicate step which requires sound judgement – Communicate the values and explain why these values were chosen.


Invitation for action

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions

  • Does your organisation have a communicated set of values?
  • Are these evaluated from time to time?
  • Does your organisation push down value top-down, or are there bottom-up elements, as suggested in this post?

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