Values led behaviours

We have all heard about workplace values and most companies have their values proudly displayed on their websites. But what do they really mean in terms of the operations of a business, who we are as individuals, as employees and as leaders? Is it a sure bet that if I see a company stating that their values are Respect, Integrity and Accountability that their culture will reflect these consistently?

Values, inside and outside the workplace play a vital role, in fact, I would go as far as saying, they define how we behave and how we react to situations in our lives.

So with a multitude of values to choose from, and so many people from all walks of life and life experiences, how does a company, create a culture that is value-based? How do we ensure that all employees, no matter what their role in the organisation, behave in accordance with that shared set of values on a consistent basis? 

THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKPLACE CULTURE

A great company culture is created through the everyday behaviours of its people​ - our collective values.

How often have you heard the term ‘workplace culture’ floating around in your professional conversations but have no idea what it actually means? 

The term is inconsistently defined and is largely conceptual, with just 12% of companies believing that they understand what workplace culture is about. 

At the very core, workplace culture is the characteristics and personalities that set the overall vibe of an organisation. Generalise what you see, how people behave and how people speak to each other and you’ve got the gist of workplace culture. Yet, there is so much more to workplace culture than just this surface definition.

Establish clear ethos and values for the organization: It is important to have a set of clear organisational core values that are communicated effectively and discussed with the employees so that they feel part of it. These values should then form the basis of every action and decision within the workplace, from hiring new employees to pursuing new business opportunities.

It is crucial that demonstrable actions are taken regularly so that everyone feels an individual and personal responsibility and contribution towards these values. This will ensure that they can evaluate their own attitudes towards these positive core values, and take pride in them. Positive attitudes and positive actions make for positive workplace culture.

Foster collaboration and communication: Leadership and management styles that encourage teamwork, open and honest communication is vital to creating a positive feeling in the workplace. Open and honest communication also means that regular audits are taken to evaluate how people are interacting with each other, feedback is welcomed and taken on board, and opportunities for social interaction are enabled. 

Continued learning opportunities enabling team members to assess their inherent unconscious and implicit biases that can impact their interactions with other employees are crucial. Also, strict no tolerance, open door policies and complaint procedure for workplace bullying is crucial for creating a positive collaborative environment.

Create an inclusive work environment: A positive workplace is one where all the employees are valued, supported and nurtured. All employees should have equal opportunities to progress. An inclusive workplace is one that values individual differences in the workforce and makes them feel welcome and accepted.

Create clear goals for the employees: The survey by Deloitte showed that 83% of executives and 84% of employees rank having engaged and motivated employees as the top factor that substantially contributes to a company’s success. Motivated and engaged employees can be created if they are treated equally and have clear goals that they can work towards. Having a transparent policy for progression and promotion offers the staff an opportunity to measure their performance. 

The culture we create and perpetuate is our organisational identity!

If you have a STRONG culture with defined VALUES that are consistently managed through clear expectations you will create an environment where you can and will attract the right people for your business.

Cultural norms within a workplace are contagious – whether they be GOOD, BAD or INDIFFERENT

So if an motivated and positive employee was to commence work within an environment where poor behaviours goes unchecked – one of TWO things will happen:

S/he will leave; OR

S/he will comply with the culture and behave like everyone else!

Likewise if the wrong person is employed into a culture where strong organisational values are consistently managed and the culture is one where poor or toxic behaviour is not tolerated – one of THREE things will happen:

S/he will leave;

S/he will be terminated for poor behaviour; OR

S/he will comply with the culture and behave in accordance with their peers!

In short:

We all want to be part of something we can be proud of 

We want to work for an organisation that values us and values their clients

We want to work with colleagues that inspire us, lift us up, are fun, smart and trustworthy

We want to believe in our brand

We want to feel we are making a difference

All this can only be achieved when we have a positive consistent culture that are intrinsically linked to values.

WE ARE WHAT WE REPEATEDLY DO

This is so true in terms of our individual behaviours but also as a collective (workplace)

Think about anything that is done well – it’s through hard work, practice, commitment, dedication etc. that success is born.

Likewise, with our children –as parents and guardians we spend a considerable amount of time reinforcing values to our children that are all behavioural based. 

Say please, thank you, don’t pull your sisters hair, tell the truth, be kind, share etc.

And we do it time and time and time again. It is true repetition and reinforcement that we teach our children how to behave and WHY. They eventually grow up and, for the most part, adopt the values that they buy into.

When we repeat our expectations to our children – the intrinsic behaviour be kind, use your manners, show respect all becomes clearly understood and they know WHY.

Introducing and instilling a culture and values in an organisation is much the same. We must be clear on what we want and WHY at XXX if we are to act and behave in accordance with our shared values.

Core values are what support the vision, shape the culture and reflect what the company values – They are our guiding beacon. ​

Company values, or core values, are the fundamental beliefs upon which our business and its behaviour are based. They are the guiding principles that your business uses to manage its internal affairs as well as its relationship with customers.

• They are not negotiable
• They must be managed consistently
• Become part of our DNA – which is why it’s so important that ALL personnel understand what part they play 
• Leadership must first lead by example – always
• Feedback must be aligned with our values
• Regular and meaningful actions must be taken to reinforce and represent our values – much like what I spoke about a few minutes ago in terms of communication, clarity, inclusion etc.

Do our values change?

 I think this is an interesting question. There are a few differing opinions on this and whilst some commentators say that your values should remain unchanged – I think if that were true – then we better make sure we are sure that the values that represent us are right.

I’d rather state that whilst for the most part our Values (both personal and workplace values) remain unchanged, I think it’s important that we continue to evolve and monitor whether our values are indeed representative of how and WHY we do business.

If they are not we need to change our Values or Change how we behave

HOW DO WE DEFINE BEHAVIOURS

Values are the beacon of how we ought to behave.

As adults we make choices to surround ourselves in our personal lives with people with whom we share similar values (our friends, work associates, extended family etc.) – therefore it stands to reason that we should do the same in our working lives too. We ought to attract, select and lead people in our organisations that shares our values. Because people we work with, we have relationships with – so they might as well be positive and functional relationships!

The key here is to determine what our values are and live by them everyday.

The more we talk about values and what’s important to us in XXX the more clear they become.

So Integrity, for example, is quite subjective i.e. what it means to me might be a little different to what it means to you. 

We could describe integrity as honesty, not hiding mistakes, transparency, sincerity, fairness etc. However, if we talk about Integrity in terms of how we behave in the workplace, the subjective nature becomes a lot more objective, we all become clear on what is expected.

As leaders we are observing behaviours all the time, it stands to reason that these observations would come with feedback that would be highly valuable to the people being observed.

The more we talk about values and what’s important to us at XXX the clearer they become. It is really about creating habits as leaders to deliberately and continuously reinforce expectations – and the thing you will find is that the more you do it – the more you will find that the bulk of feedback will be positive. 

For example, a Teller may have an accountability in their PD of providing transactional services to customers within the branch. But the real test for the Teller is how long they make the customer wait,

• how they greet the customer, 
• how they respond to the customer’s queries/complaints and 
• how they fulfil the transaction to the satisfaction of the customer in keeping with:
  o   Integrity (doing what is right for the customer),
  o   Respect (the customer’s viewpoint, their time) and 
  o   Excellence (efficiency, competence ..).

In other words, how the Teller interacts i.e. displays his/her attitude and behaviour with the customer – must be reinforced when it is great and in keeping with the banks values and/or corrected when the attitude/behaviour is in opposition to the banks values e.g. keeping the customer waiting unnecessarily.  Once the Teller receives the feedback whether to positively reinforce his/her actions OR is provided with clearer expectations the Teller has gained awareness, knowledge and clarity and will more likely develop a conviction of the values at the bank.    

So if we talk about these behaviours in relation to the customer experience as our value it becomes a lot easier to target behaviour that is acceptable and not acceptable and manage it accordingly. 

Leaders must be so aware of their own behaviour and lead by example especially with regard to how they respond to employee behaviour.

So if a direct report makes and mistake and owns up to it – how do we respond to them if our value is Integrity??

HOW DO VALUES DETERMINE OUR ATTITUDE

There is a Zen saying - How we do anything is how we do everything!

So if we operate in silos at work our internal communication will likely be affected – meaning our internal poor communications will be reflected externally to the customer.

If we truly value our customers, for example, then we will get our people to behave in that way that demonstrates that. So when the phone rings at 2 minutes to 5, how will you behave? If your value is well understood – the decision to pick up the phone or not, will be reflected externally to the customer’s experience. 

The key here is to properly define HOW our values should dictate how we behave every day.

The more we talk about values and what’s important to us at our business the clearer they become. It is really about creating habits as leaders to deliberately and continuously reinforce expectations – and the thing you will find is that the more you do it – the more you will find that the bulk of feedback will be positive.

Leaders will also be able to quantify and qualify the impact of the values, encouraging the change they want to see in the behaviour of their staff. Once a value has been articulated as behaviour, it can be seen and therefore managed and measured.

ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS AS LEADERS

To continue on from this example, linking our values to our attitudes and ultimately our behaviour, it’s vital that as leaders we consistently behave in accordance with our values. As leaders we are held to a higher standard of behaviour and as such, we must be aware of our actions and behaviours.

IN SUMMARY

The art of leading in a values-based workplace is about understanding your values and what they mean to your business in terms of how you measure success in individuals, teams and across your organisation. Understanding your values will enable you to behave in a manner that shines a light on your values and define the behaviours you wish to see in your employees.

Consistency is key, that is behaving in a manner that reflects your values, always. 

For those leaders who are developing their skills in leading in a values-based workplace, here are a few tips:

Start off with positive reinforcement when you see your people behave in accordance to your values

Talk about our values more and how they relate to what we do every day, recognise and reinforce behaviours more.

Consider your action and responses as a leader and how they align with your values.

Modify processes (if necessary) to support values-based conversations