Company values sit at the heart of most companies and organisations these days, fundamentally underpinning how it runs and delivers success.
Or do they?
In many organisations, people don’t even know what the company values are, let alone how to embody them. Others will work in places where there are no company values. Are these organisations doomed to failure, on the edge of insolvency as I write? Of course not! But can they be the best they can be if their people aren’t working towards the same vision?
A company value should represent a behaviour you want your people to demonstrate in their conduct. If acting with integrity leads to greater levels of customer advocacy then ultimately it’s of value to the company.
If you are clear on your company vision, your company values should be the fundamental behaviours required to achieve that vision. If they are not core to that vision, it’s not a behaviour you want your people to demonstrate.
How, then, do you ensure that each of your employees is living by your values? Too often, the challenge is usually one of two things: lack of buy-in or understanding; or separation of job expectations (competencies) from those company values.
And, of course, these two things are inextricably linked.
By considering how the company value – the behaviour – impacts upon the job roles themselves, you can combine the two. This might be through the language being used – so, “Is able to understand and overcome client/prospect objections” becomes “Puts the prospect or client’s needs at the heart of overcoming any objections”. It’s a tiny change, but a significant one, because the language of the company values is now underpinning the actions required. Too often, what we do, how we do it and why we do it are seen as separate entities. When the three are combined, and every member of the organisation is working accordingly, we are unleashing incredible potential for growth.
And that is the true value of company values.
If you haven’t added your company values to Immerse, or if your company doesn’t have values, let us know and our support team can help.