I subscribe to a lot of newsletters and my inbox shows it. Knowing the effort it takes to put each and every newsletter together, I like to make sure that if I am subscribed, it’s something I give the time it deserves. If I don’t have the time to read on the day it arrives in my inbox, I leave it unread and then I spend some down time catching up.
In one of my recent catch up sessions with Daniel Hartweg’s High Performance Newsletter, I read his take on change management, particularly with respect to implementing new cultural norms, values, and behaviors. The first three words were:
“Frustration. Disengagement. Disbelief.”
As I read his description of the roll-out of new “values” in the workplace, I imagined this:
Hertwig writes,
“Many of us have experienced the introduction of new cultural values and behaviors: posters are displayed, kickoff events are held and leadership announces new values with enthusiasm. However, according to a McKinsey study (2021), 70% of these cultural transformation initiatives fail. Why does this happen? Employees often feel the disconnect immediately.”
I have seen the same, and I would argue that this disconnect is the underlying explanation for why even some organizations with long-held cultural values and beliefs often struggle with organizational health.
Words on a paper are just words on a paper, no matter how well designed the poster is or how excited you are when you read them.
When I work with teams on creating a Compass as a foundation for their work, one of the aspects of identity that is captured in the Compass is a team’s core values.
- Values are the handful of characteristics that are appreciated, respected, and expected to be lived out on teams.
- To endure over time (and through transitions), organizations need a set of simple, memorable and meaningful values to be a source of consistency, alignment, and accountability.
Well-documented values are the first step. But what makes an organization thrive? When the values are seen, heard, and lived in the day to day work. When we can acknowledge when a value comes to life AND when we can hold people accountable who aren’t living up to the values.
Core values aren’t just for teams
In the Mid-Career Leadership Cohort (MCLC), we recently engaged in a Core Values exercise. (I do this with my 1:1 clients, too.) It’s a little more straightforward than setting organizational values, because there’s no collaboration needed. Each person simply follows a process to identify their own core values. The discussion that follows is the important one:
Now that you’ve named your core values, how do they show up in your day to day work?
My core values are integrity, curiosity, and humor. Tying those to decision-making, prioritization, and how I interact with others was an incredibly interesting exercise.
Do you know what your core values are? How do they show up in your day to day work?
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