The following is an excerpt of a blog post reprinted with permission from AchieveIt.
Does your organization have a defined set of core values that drive company decision-making and establish your process of strategic planning? More important, are core values even necessary? Do they make a difference?
The short answer to these last two questions: Yes and yes.
Clear and agreed-upon values can keep an organization and its people on track. Values provide guidelines for the process of strategic planning, decision-making and behavior, and answer questions like, "What do I want to live my life by and how?" But the values need to be clearly described and consistently acted upon to be beneficial. They also must resonate with the personal values of those working in the organization, and they must support the organization's purpose in order to be relevant. To become cemented in the organization's culture, everyone must be held accountable for living up to and demonstrating the [company's] values in their day-to-day actions.
A strong, positive set of values allows companies to recruit employees with aligned values, provides existing employees with clear guidance as to behavioral expectations and motivates employees by promoting a sense of belonging and pride in the company.
It is important to understand, however, that values do not drive the business; they drive the people within the business. Values must be internalized by the people in the organization to have meaning. To that end, your organization should select values that represent the company's highest priorities and deeply held driving forces.
Selecting values during the process of strategic planning
Having clear and defined values is often the first step in the process of strategic planning. When selecting values and creating values statements, don't fall into the trap of having so many values that they become meaningless. Research by The Ken Blanchard Companies [i] has shown that people can't focus on more than three or four values in their work environment. Also, make sure your values are rank ordered. Rank ordering is important because it establishes a priority that will guide decision-making and behavior, especially in a situation that involves conflict and choices between alternatives. By involving employees in the process of determining values and by limiting the number, then rank ordering the values, organizations will find they create buy-in as well as the behaviors they want to see.
The values meld together to form your corporate culture and the foundation for the process of strategic planning. The values of your senior leaders are especially important in the development of your culture. These leaders have a lot of power in your organization to set the course and environment and they have selected the staff for your workplace.
If you think about your own life, your values form the cornerstones for all you do and accomplish. If you are truly living your values, they define where you spend your time. They do the same for your organization and for the process of strategic planning.
[i] http://www.kenblanchard.com
Strategic Planning Framework: The Importance of Mission
Example of Strategic Planning: To Accelerate Results, Stop Doing This One Thing
Does your organization have a defined set of core values that drive company decision-making and establish your process of strategic planning? More important, are core values even necessary? Do they make a difference?
The short answer to these last two questions: Yes and yes.
Clear and agreed-upon values can keep an organization and its people on track. Values provide guidelines for the process of strategic planning, decision-making and behavior, and answer questions like, "What do I want to live my life by and how?" But the values need to be clearly described and consistently acted upon to be beneficial. They also must resonate with the personal values of those working in the organization, and they must support the organization's purpose in order to be relevant. To become cemented in the organization's culture, everyone must be held accountable for living up to and demonstrating the [company's] values in their day-to-day actions.
A strong, positive set of values allows companies to recruit employees with aligned values, provides existing employees with clear guidance as to behavioral expectations and motivates employees by promoting a sense of belonging and pride in the company.
It is important to understand, however, that values do not drive the business; they drive the people within the business. Values must be internalized by the people in the organization to have meaning. To that end, your organization should select values that represent the company's highest priorities and deeply held driving forces.
Selecting values during the process of strategic planning
Having clear and defined values is often the first step in the process of strategic planning. When selecting values and creating values statements, don't fall into the trap of having so many values that they become meaningless. Research by The Ken Blanchard Companies [i] has shown that people can't focus on more than three or four values in their work environment. Also, make sure your values are rank ordered. Rank ordering is important because it establishes a priority that will guide decision-making and behavior, especially in a situation that involves conflict and choices between alternatives. By involving employees in the process of determining values and by limiting the number, then rank ordering the values, organizations will find they create buy-in as well as the behaviors they want to see.
The values meld together to form your corporate culture and the foundation for the process of strategic planning. The values of your senior leaders are especially important in the development of your culture. These leaders have a lot of power in your organization to set the course and environment and they have selected the staff for your workplace.
If you think about your own life, your values form the cornerstones for all you do and accomplish. If you are truly living your values, they define where you spend your time. They do the same for your organization and for the process of strategic planning.
[i] http://www.kenblanchard.com
More Articles on AchieveIt:
Strategic Planning Framework: The Importance of VisionStrategic Planning Framework: The Importance of Mission
Example of Strategic Planning: To Accelerate Results, Stop Doing This One Thing