Know your mission and your values

In business, people are often told how important it is to have a clearly defined mission statement and to know their company values. Our personal brand should be a reflection of that mission statement and the values it incorporates. Once the mission statement has been written into the business plan, how many of us follow through and live by its values? How many of us are doing what it says on the can?

Do you want your organisation to be recognised as a top company to work for?

I was chatting to a client recently and we got onto the subject of the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For. This prestigious award tells the best people who the best employers are and is a source a pride for those companies that make it onto the list.

My client told me a story about something they had experienced while working for one of these top listed companies to work for. As part of the judging process, researchers working on behalf of the Sunday Times had been speaking to staff members about what it was like to work for this particular company. When the subject was raised later on, a senior staff member suddenly sounded very alarmed:

“Oh no. The email hasn’t been sent yet to advise staff members how to answer the questions!”

This company had a policy of coaching its employers on how to answer the questions so as to make the firm look like a top company to work for. We can only assume it was more important for the organisation to sound like it was a top company to work for than to actually be a top company to work for!

Appearances don’t always match the reality

My client’s story reminds me of something that happened to me as a child. It was the worst day of my life; the day I found out my mother had been murdered by a serial killer, and my sisters and I had been taken to a children’s home.

The press took a photo of the two of us that day, playing with toys in a communal games room. I was playing with a toy train while my sister was holding a doll. Anyone seeing that picture would have thought they were witnessing a natural moment captured by the camera but nothing could be further from the truth.

We had been taken to the games room and told to play with the toys while the press photographers snapped away. As soon as the photo shoot was over, we were told to return to our rooms. It was all a setup.

Looking the part but not being the part

Many organisations are under so much pressure to look like they are doing well that they will do anything to create that impression. When organisations focus on looking the part rather than being the part, something valuable is lost. The company’s values are meaningless if nobody is really interested in living by them. If a company is not one of the best companies to work for, its employees are going to feel shortchanged. Furthermore, they will feel as though they are part of the act, working for an organisation that says one thing to the outside world but acts in a totally different way behind closed doors.

Be guided by your mission statement (personal or corporate) and live by your values. It’s an investment.

Create a culture of trust and authenticity

Surely the real benefit of being one of the best companies to work for comes from having a happy and motivated workforce who are given the space to grow, learn and be innovative? A team that is being told to lie about their working conditions is hardly going to be motivated.

The company’s mission statement and purpose is what drives it, and its values help to set it apart from other organisations that offer similar services. Instead of cutting corners and papering over the cracks in the company culture, take steps to nurture your team and develop a culture that is authentic.

 Authenticity builds trust. People who trust their employers give more in terms of their time, commitment and effort. People who trust their employers will buy into the organisation’s values. They will feel pride in the company and pride in their work. A culture of trust and authenticity will shine through on the outside because of the standard of its products and services. It’s customers will feel valued and they will recognise the company as an organisation they can trust.

iCan Lead Program

The iCan Lead Program focuses on how to create a culture of trust and authenticity. Cultures are built from the top down. Drop us a line today and find out how you can inject authenticity and trust into your company’s culture.