Your Core Values MATTER. They tell the world who you are, what you believe, and the behaviors you try to instill. They are a key ingredient to attracting and retaining talent. But they only work if they’re embraced, lived, and championed by your team. Below are our top five tips for honoring your Core Values and making them integral to your organization.
1. Keep your organization’s values top of mind
Stakeholders need to clearly understand your organization’s values - what they are, what they mean, and how to demonstrate them. We call these “Behavior Standards”, and they define how the values are lived in your organization. Performance is measured by them.
Make sure to regularly remind employees of your core values and why they matter. Whenever possible, share specific examples of actions that team members have taken that demonstrated your values. You can create a core value challenge by having team members share a story of when they or someone else on their team demonstrated one of your values. Another good way to keep company core values in mind is through open discussion and huddles.
2. Recognize employees for living your core values
One of the essential HR best practices is to have a value-based rewards and recognition program. An employee recognition program is a powerful way to inspire team collaboration and highlight your workplace core values. It also gives your employees a clear, real-world example of your core values in action.
Make sure your recognition program enables employees to "recognize" other team members for demonstrating your values. It’s important to keep recognitions publicly visible so team members can comment and interact with the story. To make the recognition more effective, consider individual or team awards such as gift cards or merchandise.
3. Create visuals of your core values
We recommend creating a PowerPoint deck that describes your values. You can keep it visual in other ways too:
At your quarterly or monthly all-hands, ask the leadership team to share a real-life examples of company values in action.
Include core values in your onboarding materials, so new employees have a deeper understanding right off the bat.
Include the values in your employee handbook.
Connect wins or initiatives to how they support all facets of your organization
4. Use values as a tool for handling interpersonal conflict
One of the great things about a set of values is that they help employees arrive at a consensus on how to treat one another. If there’s a disagreement between employees, you can always point them back to the value instead of putting yourself in the undesirable position of being a judge or mediator.
For example, let’s say two of your employees are unwilling to work together. Communication has broken down and trust is at an all-time low, but both want to be heard. Point them back to your corporate values and have them explain to their colleague what it would be like if those values were put into action in their interactions with each other.
This helps to create a more positive environment, re-build trust, and give employees a plan of action to which you can hold them accountable. Remember those core values aren’t just words on a page, they’re how your organization conducts business, pursues goals, and works together.
5. Coach using the values
Provide performance feedback – positive and negative – aligned with your values. This is especially critical in the onboarding process. Tying those first 30-60-90 introductory days to your core values is a great way to cement understanding.
If you’re meeting with a member of your team about their performance, use the opportunity to highlight how they’re exhibiting behavior tied to the organization’s values or give examples how they can embody core values. It spotlights their individual contribution and strengthens that sense of purpose, which does feed into retention and happier work culture.
Every successful organization has core values that have meaning, attract and retain talent, and drive performance. The Bradley Partnerships (TBP) has extensive experience in working with our clients to develop core values and integrate them in all areas of their organization. Please review our capabilities to support your organization’s culture at www.bradleypartnerships.com or contact us at info@bradleypartnerships.com
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