A new way to think about company values
Isabel Steinhoff
AI & Leadership @Spot-on | XR & AI for the Workplace @Dimenteers | Board Member | Moderator | #futureoptimist #techforgood
Over the weekend, I had some friends over for wine to toast to the new decade and we got into the topic of corporate culture.
"Our company just cut down its like 88 values to 5" one of them proudly stated. While this is indeed impressive, a small number of values is only the first step. They also need provide purpose, be as unique as possible to the company and most importantly be actionable. Values need to tell employees how to act when nobody is watching.
Why not call them virtues?
But instead of pointing out these well-known maxims, I wanted to make another point inspired by Ben Horowitz' latest book "What you do is who you are". So I asked why they wouldn't change the term from values to virtues. ... silence and raised eyebrows across the board.
"Well, " I went on "values express beliefs, virtues empathize actions
and thus accountability."
A virture is a belief you actively pursue or live. And we all learned that culture is the sum of all actions taken in an organization. So while deduced by Horrowitz from the Samurai culture (their set of practices - not principles - the "Bushido"), this seemingly small difference makes all the difference.
Calling them virtues might be the key to cultural change
Becaus when you consider culture to be defined by actions rather than beliefs you have the key to change, to reshape your culture: through actions, not words.
Strategic People and Culture Executive | Learning, Leadership & Talent Strategist | Performance and Organizational Coach | Mental Health & Well-being Leader | Public Speaker ??????
5 年I love this distinction and perspective. I believe behaviours change through daily habits, rituals, and actions. It must be a practice to fully transform/integrate/embody these words into our being and for companies, their culture. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.