Building a Values-Driven Culture: A Practical Guide
We all know that company values aren't just words on a wall; they're the guiding principles that should shape every aspect of our organisations. Truly embedding our values into our culture, with a clear tie-in to our overall purpose, is crucial for long-term success and creating a thriving work environment. It's about aligning our teams around a shared purpose and ensuring everyone's actions reflect what our company stands for.
Here's how we can better effectively integrate our values and purpose into our culture:
Values-Driven Recruitment
Start by hiring the right people. During the recruitment and selection process, incorporate questions that assess a candidate's alignment with your values and their understanding of your company's purpose. For instance, if "integrity" is a core value, ask behavioural questions that explore how a candidate has handled ethical dilemmas in the past. Similarly, ask questions that reveal how a candidate sees their work contributing to the company's overarching purpose.
Onboarding for Purpose
Design your onboarding process to emphasise your company's values and purpose. Go beyond basic HR policies and immerse new hires in your company's mission, vision, and values, and how those elements all connect to drive the company's purpose. New hires should understand not just what the company does but why it matters in the broader scheme of things. This sets the stage for their journey within the organisation.
Consider incorporating a session with a senior leader (CEO or Executive) into the onboarding process. This could take the form of one-on-one meetings in smaller organisations or be included as part of a broader company-wide initiative, such as a town hall, in larger organisations.
Values in Performance Management
Integrate your values into performance reviews and training programs. Evaluate employees not just on their skills and achievements but also on how well they demonstrate the company values and contribute to the company's purpose. Provide training and development opportunities that specifically focus on strengthening behaviours aligned with these values and furthering the company's purpose.
We all understand how to live the values on a good day, but try asking your team members what situations in work cause them to put those values to the test. Discuss how those situations arise and what can be done to minimise them happening in the workplace.
Recognise and Reward
Implement a recognition and rewards system that acknowledges and celebrates employees who exemplify your values and advance the company's purpose. This could include anything from a simple "thank you" note to more formal awards and incentives. Publicly acknowledging these individuals reinforces the importance of living the values and striving to achieve the company's purpose.
Take inspiration from Canva, an Australian success story, where they have a peer-to-peer recognition program called "Kudos" that aligns with their values of "being a good human" and "making complex things simple," and always ties back to Canva's mission of empowering the world to design.
Further, review your current program to ensure nothing is being recognised that conflicts with your values. Recognition drives behaviour, after all.
Consistent Communication
Infuse your values and purpose into all internal and external communications, including newsletters, emails, and announcements. Use language that reflects your values and consistently reiterate their importance, as well as their connection to the company's purpose. Every important communication should reinforce how the company's work is contributing to its greater purpose.
Thematic Focus
Make your values or purpose a central theme for a specific period, such as a quarter. Organise workshops, team-building activities, and discussions around a particular value or aspect of the company's purpose to deepen understanding and encourage its application in daily work. Establish a rhythm of focusing on different values and elements of purpose throughout the year.
Daily Reinforcement and Decision-Making
This is where leadership truly matters. We, as leaders, must actively champion the company values and purpose, using them as a guide for decision-making, conflict resolution, and everyday interactions. Employees observe our actions, and consistent reinforcement from the top down is essential for creating a values-driven and purpose-oriented culture. Where there is a complex matter to resolve or decide upon, demonstrate how your organisation’s values and purpose aid in working through it.
Top-Down and Grass Roots United
While leadership sets the tone, a truly purpose-driven culture thrives when all members of the organisation are engaged and aligned. Actively seek feedback and ideas from all levels on how to live the values and advance the company's purpose. This builds a sense of ownership and shared responsibility, creating a culture where everyone feels empowered to contribute.
Design a Culture Charter
This is a powerful tool to clearly outline the behaviours we want to encourage and those we don't tolerate, all linked to our values and purpose. It's about creating a shared understanding of what's acceptable, and what's not, within our organisation, all while keeping our greater purpose in mind.
For example, if "collaboration" is a core value, your charter might explicitly state that "we value open communication and actively seek input from others" while discouraging behaviours like "working in silos" or "withholding information," and it should connect these behaviours to how they help or hinder the company's purpose.
Look at how companies like REA Group, an Australian digital advertising company, have developed comprehensive culture charters that clearly define expected behaviours.
The Power of Storytelling:
Stories resonate. Sharing real examples of employees demonstrating company values in action brings them to life. Did someone go above and beyond to help a customer, thereby fulfilling a core aspect of our purpose? Did a team collaborate exceptionally well to overcome a challenge and achieve a goal that aligns with our purpose? Highlight these stories in meetings, newsletters, and internal communications to inspire and reinforce desired behaviours.
Think about how Atlassian, the Australian software giant, regularly shares stories of employees embodying their values like "Open company, no bullshit" and "Build with heart and balance" in their internal comms and blog posts, always connecting those stories back to Atlassian's greater purpose.
In summary
By implementing these strategies, we can move beyond simply defining our values and purpose to truly embedding them in our company's DNA. This creates a strong foundation for a cohesive, purpose-driven culture where employees feel connected, engaged, and motivated to contribute their best. Start today by evaluating your current practices. Are your values and purpose truly integrated into your culture? Take small, consistent steps to align your organisation around what matters most.
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Author of ‘Meaningful Work: Unlock Your Unique Path to Career Fulfilment’, Nina Mapson Bone is a people strategist, consultant, chair and keynote speaker. She consults with boards, CEOs, founders and executives on bridging the disconnect between strategy and the needs, motivations and capabilities of their people. Nina’s executive career has spanned three continents and diverse sectors. She was previously the Managing Director of Beaumont People, where she led a period of significant growth for the organisation, during which it was recognised with multiple awards. For more information visit www.nmbpeoplestrategy.com.au
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