FaithRalston.com

Values are important. But actually "living the values" makes them come alive. Here's an example of one company's value statement:

• We respect and grow the talents of individuals
• We work collaboratively to meet customer needs
• We act with integrity in every business decision
• We empower people to take initiative
• We recognize outstanding performance
• We create high trust relationships

Staying true to our values can be difficult. Roxanne is a manager who is committed to open communication. But she had to lay off five employees off without warning. The ones who remained thought, "So much for open communication. Roxanne didn't tell us what was going on. Why should we trust her? When times get tough, communication goes out the window."

Hard times are the acid test of our values. It's one thing to adhere to our values when business is profitable, but it's challenging when the results aren't there. A financial organization was put to the test around their commitment to community service when financial pressures mounted and they had to make decisions about next year's contribution.

Values won't fit for everyone

Working in an environment that doesn't value what we value is difficult. Suzanne is the manager in a marketing department. She values direct, honest communication and hates political intrigue and favoritism. She works in a "make nice" environment where direct, honest communication is rare. For several years she pushed for change and challenged the way decisions were made. But nothing changed. Suzanne had one set of values and the organization had another. She realized she'd never win the battle she was fighting. She decided to leave the organization. The clearer the values, the quicker we know if an organization is right for us.

Comparing values to reality

Sometimes written values are in stark contrast with what people experience. If the "real values" were written down, they might look more like these:

• We value profits over people.
• We value quotas over quality.
• Always look out for number one.
• Teamwork isn't rewarded here.
• Keep your opinions to yourself.

Once we define our values, we need to check out whether our behavior matches up. Company values overlaying mistrust and inequities are distasteful. Admitting the truth helps us to take action.

Look for discrepancies between your stated values and current practices. Identify specific behaviors you can change. Here is what one management team discovered:

We value effective leadership

Reality: We do not follow through on the decisions we make.

We value teamwork and cooperation

Reality: We don't cooperate with groups outside our functional area.

We partner with the customer

Reality: We wait until there is a problem to initiate any contact with the customer.

This leadership team decided to bring their behaviors in line with their values. They changed their compensation system to reward team performance and made other changes. Their honesty motivated stronger commitment to the values they espoused. Clear values encourage consistent behaviors and hold everyone to a high standard.

Topics

• Creating Positive Climate