Bringing Values to Life

Bringing Values to Life

by Jamie Fischer – Director of Training for Ethical Leaders in Action

Among the ways that an excellent leader can help their team achieve extraordinary results is to develop a set of clear and coherent values that define the organization and what it seeks to be. These values serve as standards that describe “what right looks like,” enable everyone to be their best, and empower people to make quality decisions in uncertain situations. Values can help unify individuals, focusing their efforts on the path to short-term and long-term success. But how do we bring these values to life?

Most of the current literature on the topic establishes checklists to help leaders “operationalize organizational values.” While an organization’s guiding principles need to be more than just words on a webpage or bullets in an annual report, the process of making the values real can be daunting, particularly in larger organizations. There is so much to do, so much to communicate, so much to check with so many people, that there is often a tendency to just publish the values and hope for the best.

At Ethical Leaders in Action, we prefer to take a phased approach to bring values to life, focusing instead on seeking three levels of engagement – verbal, behavioral, and experiential – that take values from words on a page to guidelines for action to essential ideas imprinted on the minds, inscribed in the hearts, and lived in the professional lives of team members. By aspiring to these levels of increasing commitment, leaders can adapt techniques to their unique circumstances. The stages are also progressive which can make the goal of living values less intimidating; we don’t have to be all the way there at the end of the checklist to be growing and succeeding.

The first level, the most basic we aspire to, is a Verbal Understanding. At this point, members of the team recognize what the values mean. They can identify synonyms, related terms, and ideas that are in opposition to the values. For example, if your organization aspires to the value of service, members would know that the word does not refer to a tea service, but to the idea of helping others. They would be able to identify related terms such as care, help, or assistance. People would also understand that it does not mean to exploit or be selfish. The verbal level is pretty straightforward, but it is not enough just to talk the talk, leaders know that we also need to act in accord with the values we claim to follow.

This is where a Behavioral Understanding of values is important. When we advance to this level, our conduct matches the words that the values represent. Of course, it is even better if our attitudes behind our behaviors fit these values as well. Our actions are speaking as loud as our words and reinforcing the values we profess. When you are leading your team to this level, you can coach them by identifying actions that promote the value and, naturally, actions that are at odds with them. Make sure you understand and are able to explain what motivates you to make these values real; it might be your integrity; it could be necessity. Whatever your reason, knowing the source of your drive to live aligned with the values will help you to energize others. Healthy peer dynamics can also play a role as everyone takes an interest in supporting each other toward values driven behavior. As you engage your team, be prepared to clarify those values that seem ambiguous or difficult to act on.

An organization’s values become alive when a majority of the members reach a level of Experiential Understanding. You will know you are there when stories and legends of those who exemplified the values permeate the fabric of the organization. The vets pass these stories on to the rookies: “Do you remember that time when….?” “Have you heard the story of ….?” It would be no surprise if the account became embellished over time. What matters is that the truth of the lived value helps others to appreciate it and aspire to it. These stories do not have to be only positive; cautionary tales can help the members of the team to stay away from those actions that run counter to the values. This shared understanding is what truly transforms the culture making the values the lifeblood of the organization.

Periodic reflection, whether as a personal habit or formal process, can help individuals and teams stay oriented on these important guideposts. After event debriefs, pre-shift reminders, periodic messages, and individual performance reviews are all good venues to remind the team of its values and their impact.

Key members of the team simply leading by example can have an exponential effect on morale and the energy to live the values. It can be hard, there can be personal and cultural stresses. Some of us have lived in negative leadership environments where we were limited in our ability to make a positive impact on others. Even then, we could at least be a personal model of appropriate values. In doing so, we have the best chance to protect those closest to us and safeguard own self-respect. Leading by example allows everyone to truly live the values of their organization.

As your team and organization navigate the constant change in personnel, conditions, and missions, you should not be surprised if different members of your team are at different levels of living values. Your goal as leader is to guide them toward the experiential and help them sustain it through the ups and downs of life.

No one is perfect, but the constructive trend of our values – in words, actions, and examples – can drive us to sustained excellence. Soon, these values will become ingrained in who we, as an organization and individuals, allowing us to truly become the best we can be. When you are seeking to make your values real, we encourage you to take it one step at a time achieving the verbal, behavioral and, ultimately, the experiential levels of values engagement.