Are Your Values Aligned?
My husband came to work to see this poster hanging on his door (see image to the right). One of his employees posted it as a surprise, which was worth his time to take the trip the store and spend the money, not to mention coming in early, all to get a laugh. You see, “fun” is an important value at his workplace. And this was one way to express it, just like Teton Distillery does through their vodka inspired Employee Retention Program.
What does your company value? And how do those values manifest in behaviors?
On October 3rd, Ready2ACT celebrated our 13th year in business thanks to you! As a service business, it is vitally important to develop and nurture strong relationships in order to thrive. If I didn’t value that, there would be no way to have a sustainable business. Admittedly, I’m not always great at expressing my appreciation. As a leader, I’ve realized that knowing that I care isn’t enough. My behavior needs to reflect my values. After all, we are judged by our actions, not our thoughts.
Employees disengage when they read the company values, but do not see them reflected in behaviors such as decisions, hiring, compensation, recognition, policies, etc. For example, one client said that they valued their employees as family yet didn’t invite all employees to the company picnic. When I called them out on this, they admitted that only office employees were seen as family members but not field guys. Inconsistency causes confusion.
Are your values and behaviors congruent? If there is a disconnect, why? What can you do about the lack of integrity that comes with this incongruence?
Most employees can’t just change the values at their companies. However, as an employee, you can point out inconsistencies, you can behave in ways that reflect your values, and if the company values don’t fit with your values, I encourage you to find a place that does. When there is a good job match, the company benefits and you’ll feel like you belong. Your energy, morale, and productivity will increase because you’ll feel like you are contributing to something that you believe in. The company wins, and you win because your values are aligned.
Ready2ACT offers job fit assessments to help companies hire and promote the right people to the right jobs, using their natural strengths. These scientific assessments are a powerful predictor of performance when used in conjunction with culture fit. Contact us for more information.
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