Carefully defining the core values of your organization or ministry will shape your culture, inform your vision and clarify the type of people you should hire. Core values are the essence of the organization’s identity – the principles, beliefs, norms and aspirations.
Establishing strong core values is one of the most important responsibilities of any organizational leader.
Here are 7 key ideas that will help you understand what core values are all about, why they are important and how to bring them into day-to-day management.
Key Idea #1: If you have a large binder of policies and procedures but don’t have a short list of core values, your organization is probably over-managed and under-led. Policies and procedures have their place but in the absence of core values, binders that measure compliance only will create a culture where following is more important than leading.
If you have a large binder of policies and procedures but don’t have a short list of core values, your organization is probably over-managed and under-led Click To Tweet
Key Idea #2: Core values provide a solid foundation for strategic decisions. Without clearly defined core values, your organization is vulnerable to mission creep.
Core values provide a solid foundation for strategic decisions. Without clearly defined core values, your organization is vulnerable to mission creep Click To Tweet
Key Idea #3: Core values ensure you get the right people on the bus because the values they espouse personally align with the core values of the organization. In the absence of clearly defined values, you may hire the wrong leaders because you have no way of predicting culture fit before hiring.
In the absence of clearly defined values, you may hire the wrong leaders because you have no way of predicting culture fit before hiring. Personal values of the hire should align with the core values of the organization. Click To Tweet
Key Idea #4: Core values make it clear how people are treated, recognized and rewarded. In the absence of core values, each department head will recognize staff performance as they see fit. Inconsistent rewarding and surprising promotions foster suspicion and breed office politics.
Key Idea #5: The strongest cultures are driven by a handful of core values expressed in simple but meaningful words. Start by answering these three important questions. What makes this organization unique? These values define your mission. What constitutes great performance? These values define excellence. How are people treated around here? These are your relationship values.
The strongest cultures are driven by a handful of core values expressed in simple but very meaningful words. Click To Tweet
Key Idea #6: When it comes to communicating the meaning of core values, great leaders understand the power of using stories. Rich narratives that illustrate core values are like glue, they hold the organization together. Repeated stories become legends and legends are like a living compass, they set organizational direction. Stories remove cryptic language and inspire the heart.
Rich narratives that illustrate core values are like glue, they hold the organization together. Repeated stories rooted in core values are like a living compass, they set organizational direction. Click To Tweet
Key Idea #7: Core values should have a prominent place in everyday management. When you make a decision, tie it back to a core value especially when cascading the decision to the entire organization. When you affirm a staff member relate their behaviour to a core value. When you offer constructive feedback, bring in the core values as well. Leaders need to become chief reminding officers and be creatively redundant when referring to them all the time.
The real value of defining your core values is igniting passion – in you, your team and those attracted to the organization. Passion goes a long way in getting things done.
Great article Brett. I was at a company where we established, and broadly communicated our Guiding Principles (like Core Values). One thing I learned over the years there – the more you “promote” and “communicate” your core values, the more closely employees will scrutinize leadership behavior to see if they “walk the talk.” People crave authenticity, and there is no greater test for a leader that I know of then how you act and operate to ensure this is aligned to your organizational core values. But worth the scrutiny!
We developed Guiding Principles at a company I was at, and worked hard to infuse them in the organization, top to bottom. One thing I can tell you is that if you have Core Values, and you communicate them, the organization will scrutinize leaders intensely to see if they conduct themselves according to the values they promote for the organization. It’s tough stuff. You will ABSOLUTELY get feedback when you fall short (which is life, acknowledge it and move forward), but be prepared – people are looking for AUTHENTICITY, and this scrutiny comes with the territory – worth it!