Corporate values are the backbone of the company, defining how we work and behave and helps us answer questions about how to behave in difficult situations. Values unite employees, set standards for behavior and thinking, and, if the individual and the company values are aligned, employees tend to be much more engaged and motivated to achieve motivated to perform better and to go the extra mile.
For most organizations, the question is what to do to ensure that values are alive and not just written on the walls of the company or published on the intranet. To achieve this, stated values need to be transformed into clear behaviors and lived every day. It is possible to have values be applied through the employee’s experience journey in the organization. For example, agree that when recruiting new employees, setting objectives and assessing performance, in addition to the “hard” tasks and the indicators of achievement, include an assessment of the employee through the company’s value prism.
For the manager, internal communicator or HR specialist, it is often necessary to find ways to present, support, remind and live the values on a daily basis. Values are best lived when:
- they are not born out of thin air, but are linked to the company’s direction and strategy. Employees are clear about the history of values;
- employees feel the values in practice through their everyday behavior. Values are reflected upon, what they mean to employees personally, how visible they are, how they are felt;
- employees have the opportunity to reflect on their own values and try to relate them to the values that have been articulated in the organization;
- values and culture are spoken about in a visual and continuous way. They shape the employee experience in the organization and business decisions. We can declare anything, but if we don’t act on it in our day-to-day activities, the values will not matter.
Vija says that people learn values best through experience, not through words. So if you present your organization’s values to your employees, help them experience them in practice. Here are some ideas on how to do it:
- organize workshops where colleagues can share stories that embody the values;
- create games or quizzes for employees to solve situations through the prism of the values;
- tell value stories in meetings;
- when a staff member’s actions or speech highlights the values of the organization, record it and use it in meetings, newsletters, stories (“This is a great example of our value XX!”);
- distribute visualizations of the values to employees. These can be notes on job cards, stickers on your phone or computer, or work calendars where everyone will find inspiring stories. The reality of your organization will dictate the right format.
The list can be endless, but the most important thing is that the option you choose provokes a reaction from your staff.
Giedrė shares that many companies organize events that have already become a tradition, but over the years they sometimes lose their original idea, and sometimes it is no longer clear why they are organized at all.
Think about it, maybe it’s time to revitalize these events by giving them a new meaning. In addition, the time before and after the event is a great space to engage employees and talk again about the company’s value backbone. You might organize competitions, invite employees to nominate colleagues, elect ambassadors for the best work or values, recognise the most outstanding initiatives, watch a video of the event or vote for initiatives that the company will support. So it’s not just the event itself, but also the time before and after that is relevant and valuable.
- Date - 2025-01-27