You’ve Identified your Organizational Values. Now What?

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In order to harness the full power of an organization's core values, people need to do more than profess them, they need to practice them. 

That means values have to transform from aspirational language into observable behaviors and habits that hold everyone in the organization accountable. 

Articulating your organizational values is the necessary first step—and one worthy of a pat on the back. But now comes the real challenge: operationalizing those values within your company culture so they become a means for making consistent, grounded decisions.

To get started, here are three actionable steps you can take.

1. Define what your values really mean:
   Action starts with understanding. It's important that every person in the organization is clear on expectations and has the opportunity to ask questions and share ideas.

   • Articulate behaviors: It's not enough to simply list your values; every employee needs to understand what they look like in action. Connect each value to specific behaviors, providing clear examples of what is expected. This will help your employees shape how they show up each day in alignment with the organization's values. Not sure where to start? Check out these helpful tools from Brené Brown.

   • Make space for culture conversations: Foster open dialogue by launching employee-led conversations centered around your values. Encourage discussions on how to operationalize these values in daily work life. These conversations not only clarify expectations but also strengthen your organizational culture.

2. Leverage the power of artifacts:
   The concept of core values can seem abstract, but creating artifacts makes them more concrete. These simple and powerful storytelling tools spark inspiration and insights (and they're great for employee onboarding).

   • Visualizing values: Make your values tangible by visualizing them in creative, memorable ways. By creating a vivid image, you reinforce the values every time someone sees them.

   • Employee videos: Harness the power of storytelling by inviting employees—from all levels of the organization—to share short videos about how a particular value comes to life in their work. This personal touch adds authenticity to your values and fosters pride and connection among employees.

3. Reinforce values through recognition and organizational systems:
   It's crucial to walk the talk. Employee buy-in hinges on those who demonstrate alignment with values being recognized and rewarded and those who do not being held productively accountable.

   • Recognition: Ensure that living your values doesn't go unnoticed. Incorporate them into recognition programs, both informal (peer-to-peer shout-outs, recognition cards, and more) and formal (annual company awards), to reinforce desired behaviors.

   • Integration into organizational processes: This is where you put your money where your mouth is. Integrate your values into crucial organizational processes and let them be your guide on decisions related to hiring, promotions, and performance management.

Bringing organizational values to life requires intentional effort and ongoing commitment. By defining behaviors, leveraging artifacts, and integrating values into organizational systems, you can ensure that your values become the North Star guiding your company's culture and success.