MODERN LEADERSHIP
Four Steps to Bring Your
Company Values to Life
By Michael Bunting
W
hat are your organisational
values? Can you list them
immediately - or do you
have to stop and think? If you
can’t remember your stated values
off the top of your head, what is
the likelihood that they’re actually
influencing your behaviour in
real time—especially when you’re
under pressure? Company values
are an area of significant focus in
Mindfulness Leadership – yet time
and again, I’ve found that most
company’s values are aren’t doing
what they were created to do. But
with some purposeful revisions,
they can become something that
44 ModernBusiness
July 2016
truly unites and motivates an
organization. Here are four steps
for establishing and cultivating
meaningful and effective values for
your organisation:
1
Less is More
It’s fairly standard for
organisations to establish 5-10
core values and then execute a
communication campaign around
them. After the communication
campaign however, they are
forgotten and neglected, and
business goes on as usual. Then,
of course, people get cynical about
them. The more values you list,
the less likely people are to even
remember them, let alone follow
them in practice. Keep it simple.
The fewer values you establish,
the easier it is to remember and
cultivate them.
2
Establish Clear
Behavioural Standards
Around Your Values
The entire purpose of establishing
and cultivating values is to
influence behaviour, which in turn
determines your culture. If your
values don’t influence behaviour,
they are pointless.Each value you
establish should be accompanied