Values in business can be one of those aspects that people talk a lot about but don’t actually do what it takes to embed it through every aspect of business. Values can be assumed or unspoken and the lack of clarity and consistency makes them ambigious. A lot of individuals within a workplace can operate with their own individual values, sometimes conflicting with the business values. It is vital to ensure expectations are clear if you want to get the best out of your people.
Embedding values in every step of business operations is crucial for creating a strong and consistent company culture. By consistently incorporating values into these various aspects of business operations, business leaders can create a strong and values-driven organisational culture. This, in turn, can lead to greater employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and long-term success.
Business success begins with ‘Why?’
Marketing Strategist Simon Sinek is well known for his speech on ‘Why?’. This video is a great place to start to determine your values and to help clarify your reason for operating.
From here your business operations unfold in every aspect including ‘What’ it is you do and ‘How’ you go about it.
Values in business can be one of those aspects that people talk a lot about but don’t actually do what it takes to embed it through every aspect of business. Values can be assumed or unspoken and the lack of clarity and consistency makes them ambigious. A lot of individuals within a workplace can operate with their own individual values, sometimes conflicting with the business values. It is vital to ensure expectations are clear if you want to get the best out of your people.
Embedding values in every step of business operations is crucial for creating a strong and consistent company culture. By consistently incorporating values into these various aspects of business operations, business leaders can create a strong and values-driven organisational culture. This, in turn, can lead to greater employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and long-term success.
Here are some strategies that business owners can implement to ensure their values are integrated into various aspects of their operations:
Define Core Values:
Clearly define the core values that represent the beliefs and principles of the business. Ensure that these values align with the mission and vision of the company. Remember your ‘Why?’ and what really drives the business forward.
Eliciting the company’s values is an art and not everyone can facilitate the process. It is advisable that you engage a team that know what they’re doing and to move your values beyond the generic set of over used words and become your own unique set that means something to you and your people.
Set your values according to three important categories:
1. Must Have’s – includes important aspects like safety, care for each other, matters of integrity and similar. ‘Must Have’ values are a set of non-negotiable standards and principles that we consider fundamental to our operation and culture. These values are regarded as the minimum behavioural expectations for all employees, from entry-level staff to top management.
2. Good to Great – teamwork, showing initiative, being hard-working, continuous improvement and the unspoken expectations that keep your people on track and aligned. ‘Good to Great’ values are aspirational principles that go beyond the basic standards of “must-have” values. These are values that we encourage our employees to strive for in order to excel in their roles and contribute to a thriving, positive workplace culture.
3. Leadership – the traits that your leaders throughout the business share including how visionary they are, for example: innovation, creativity, humility with the ability to learn rather than teach. ‘Leadership’ values are a set of principles specifically tailored to guide and inspire those in or aspiring to be in managerial and supervisory roles. These values are essential for setting a positive example and for shaping a work environment that promotes growth, respect, and success.
Behaviours:
Once you are clear on the above, the next step is then to define clear behaviours to each value that are as specific as possible and leave little room for interpretation.
Lead by Example:
Demonstrate the values through your own behavior and decision-making. As a business owner, your actions set the tone for the entire organization. Employees are more likely to adopt the values if they see them reflected in leadership.
Incorporate Values in Hiring:
During the hiring process, emphasize the importance of values and cultural fit. Screen candidates based not only on skills and qualifications but also on their alignment with the company’s core values.
Training and Onboarding:
Integrate values into the training and onboarding process for new employees. Clearly communicate the values and explain how they translate into daily actions and decisions within the organization.
Creating communication assets that are consistent and cannot be misinterpreted can make this onboarding process more strategic and less time consuming.
Performance Evaluation:
Don’t just include adherence to company values in performance evaluations but create the performance evaluation process around your values. Recognize and reward employees who consistently demonstrate the desired values. This reinforces the importance of those values within the workplace.
Communication:
Regularly communicate the values through various channels such as company meetings, newsletters, and internal communications. Use real-life examples to illustrate how employees are living out the values in their roles.
Decision-Making Framework:
Develop a decision-making framework that incorporates the company’s values. Encourage employees at all levels to consider these values when making decisions, whether big or small.
Customer Interactions:
Ensure that customer interactions reflect the company’s values. This includes customer service practices, marketing messages, and product/service delivery. Consistency in values enhances the overall brand perception.
Continuous Feedback Loop:
Establish a feedback loop where employees can provide input on how well the company is adhering to its values. Regularly assess whether the values need to be refined or updated based on changing circumstances.
Social Responsibility:
Integrate social responsibility initiatives that align with the company’s values. Engaging in philanthropy, environmental sustainability, or community involvement can further reinforce the values of the business.
Conflict Resolution:
Develop a conflict resolution process that takes into account the company’s values. Encourage open communication and address conflicts in a way that aligns with the organization’s principles.
Adaptability and Evolution:
Recognize that values may need to evolve over time as the business grows or faces new challenges. Be open to revisiting and refining values to ensure they remain relevant and meaningful.
Choose your HRIS wisely:
Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) tend to focus on administration and becoming a depository for employee information rather than be focused on being a tool to help embed the business values through every step of the people process.
The importance of values is behind every step of the HRbox™ team’s process and inspired development of our own proprietary people and culture system, CentralStation™. Ask your designated HR consultant for a demo on how to make sure your values are hard at work.
Contact your HR Consultant and book a Values Session to be sure your values are best practice for your business.
You will know when your values are properly embedded in your business when your people demonstrate and live by those values on a daily basis, rather than relying on your mangers to initiate and police them continually.
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