When Core Values Fail: From Words to Actions

In the late 1990s, Enron was one of the most admired companies in America. On paper, it had impeccable core values: Integrity, Communication, Respect, and Excellence. These were proudly displayed in the company’s offices and annual reports, signaling a commitment to ethics and performance. But as history reveals, those values were nothing more than empty slogans.

Enron’s downfall wasn’t just a financial catastrophe; it was a cultural failure. Behind the polished words were practices that betrayed every one of its stated values. Integrity was sacrificed for personal gain, communication was manipulated to hide fraud, and respect was absent in the ruthless pursuit of profits. Enron’s example is a stark reminder that values mean nothing if they aren’t lived.

This article explores three common ways core values lose their power: becoming empty slogans, overcomplicating the message, and adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.

When Values Become Empty Slogans

Core values fail when they are all talk and no action. Employees see through the disconnect when leadership preaches one thing but practices another. This dissonance erodes trust and creates cynicism within the workplace.

Imagine a company that proudly claims “Transparency” as a core value but keeps employees in the dark about major decisions. Over time, employees stop believing in the value altogether. Transparency, once a guiding principle, becomes a meaningless buzzword.

Values become empty slogans when they are treated as PR tools rather than lived principles. Leaders who ignore or contradict these values undermine their credibility, creating a culture of distrust and disengagement. Employees might follow orders, but they won’t feel inspired or aligned with the organization’s mission.

The Problem with Overcomplicating Values

Some organizations fall into the trap of defining too many values, hoping to cover every possible aspect of their culture. While the intention is good, this overcomplication leads to confusion. Employees struggle to remember, let alone embody, a long list of principles.

Take an example of a logistics company that outlines 15 core values, from “Speed” and “Efficiency” to “Sustainability” and “Innovation.” While each value sounds important, the sheer number dilutes their impact. Employees end up cherry-picking the ones that resonate with them or, worse, ignoring them altogether.

When there are too many values, they lose focus and clarity. It’s like trying to follow 15 directions at once - you end up going nowhere. The most effective organizations limit their core values to three to five principles, ensuring they are clear, actionable, and memorable.

Why One-Size-Fits-All Values Don’t Work

Core values must reflect the unique identity of the organization. When companies adopt generic or copy-pasted values, they fail to resonate with employees or align with the organization’s culture.

Consider how startups in South Asia often mimic the values of Silicon Valley giants like Google or Facebook, choosing words like “Innovation” and “Disruption.” While these might work for a tech powerhouse, they may not align with the ethos of a family-run manufacturing business or a government consultancy.

Values must be context-specific. In South Asian workplaces, principles like “Community” or “Respect for Hierarchies” may hold greater cultural significance than trendy buzzwords. A one-size-fits-all approach ignores these nuances, resulting in values that feel disconnected and uninspiring.

The Hidden Cost of Getting It Wrong

When core values fail - whether as empty slogans, overly complicated lists, or generic principles - the impact is felt throughout the organization. Employees become disengaged, teams lose alignment, and the company’s reputation suffers.

A strong culture built on authentic values can attract and retain top talent, foster trust, and drive performance. But the reverse is also true: weak or misaligned values create a culture of distrust, disengagement, and even ethical lapses.

How to Keep Values Alive

For core values to succeed, they must move beyond words on a wall. Leadership must live and embody them every day, reinforcing their importance through actions and decisions. Values must be clear, memorable, and reflective of the organization’s unique culture. Most importantly, they must align with the reality of how the organization operates.

In the end, core values are not just a declaration of what an organization aspires to be. They are a promise - to employees, customers, and stakeholders - of what the organization truly is. The challenge is to ensure that promise is consistently kept.

Your Turn: What’s your experience with workplace values? Have you seen examples of values that inspire or fail? Share your thoughts in the comments - I’d love to hear your perspective!