“Our customers are our priority”
This value statement I picked just now from a large for-profit company with a presence across Europe. It seems to be a self-evident statement; after all, are there entities that rely on customers where those customers are not their priority?
You would be forgiven to feel that the value statements that are thrown at us by companies, organisations and even politicians sound a bit hollow nowadays. A comparison between the values that companies list on their home page seems to suggest that they are all much of a muchness. At least 65% of companies mention integrity in their values statement1. Customer focus and collaboration are often up there, too, in the top five of values. This being the case, with these companies often citing roughly the same values, they’re all the same – or they certainly claim to be the same. If that’s the case, why should it be mentioned? They may as well say something equally vague as “We are a company that relies on customers!”.
Trust the values
Organisations list their values because they feel it is important to distinguish themselves and describe themselves; values may give direction to how organisations operate and how they are guided by these principles. The assumption is that customers and other stakeholders will believe the stated values and place more trust in it.
The only way in which organisations vary in their ‘top five of values’ seems to be linked to some extent to the industry in which they operate. A pharmaceutical company might state that “promoting health” is one of their key values, and a cinema or theatre chain might espouse the value of entertainment and leisure.
The impact of stated values
From a psychological perspective, the question is to what extent these stated values actually determine behaviours and culture within the organisation. Espoused values are not the same as the behaviours displayed by staff. Research discussed by Donald Sull, senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management MIT suggests that the behaviour inside a company does not always align with its cultural aspirations.
Bridging the gap
Bridging the gap between stated and lived values within an organization is a complex challenge that requires a multi-faceted approach.
Here are some psychological strategies that can be used. Some practitioners suggest that implementing these strategies can show positive sustained results within a few months:
Value Alignment and Clarification:
Shared Understanding: Ensure that all employees have a clear and consistent understanding of the organization’s stated values. This can be achieved through workshops, training sessions, and open communication channels.
Meaningful Values: The values should be relevant to the organization’s mission and resonate with employees’ personal values. This fosters a sense of purpose and connection.
Value-Based Decision Making: Encourage leaders to make decisions based on the organization’s values, demonstrating their importance in everyday actions. Linking values to specific behaviours.
Leadership Modelling
Leading by Example: Leaders should embody the organization’s values in their personal behaviour and decision-making. Effective leaders set powerful examples for employees to follow.
Open Communication: Leaders should create a culture of open communication where employees feel comfortable discussing values and their alignment with organizational practices. ‘Transparency’, ‘candidness’ are key terms that can serve to guide people’s choices and decision-making. This also relates to feedback and coaching. Providing regular feedback and coaching to employees helps them to focus on aligning their behaviour with the organization’s values.
Employee Involvement and Empowerment
Employee Ownership: Values are more impactful and meaningful if employees are involved – by their managers – in the development and implementation of these values. Managers need to understand that they have a clear role to play in facilitating this. The values indicate what matters; staff should be involved in explaining why it matters – for them, for instance. Guidelines and feedback loops help clarify how values can come to life. This approach bolsters ownership and commitment, it helps to reward and reinforce desired behaviours and makes the workforce feel empowered.
Organizational Culture: built by values, composed of behaviours:
Cultures that work are those where a management ensures there is a psychologically safe environment. Where employees feel comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas, and challenging the status quo. Creating such an environment takes time and effort. Also, if the environment emphasises shared purpose, where individual goals align with organizational values, the culture will be stronger and endure. Especially if this culture encourages continuous learning and improvement. The latter implies that the values must be measurable, and that leaders and employees are accountable for living the organization’s values.
The culture of an organisation, and its values, should also be mindful of cultural differences where they (might) exist and adapt strategies accordingly. Besides this, aligning stated and lived values is a long-term process that requires consistent effort and reinforcement.
Implement these psychological strategies to create a more authentic and values-driven culture where everyday actions truly reflect the stated values.
References:
1. Sull, D. Turconi, S. and Sull, C. (2020). ‘When It Comes to Culture, Does Your Company Walk the Talk?’. MITSloan Management Review. Available at: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/when-it-comes-to-culture-does-your-company-walk-the-talk/
(Accessed 04 December 2024).
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