Values Drive Culture
‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast!’
Regardless of who said this, there is no denying the fact that culture matters in business. There is no shortage of information about ‘Toxic Work Culture’ out there, and we all know from experience that a positive work culture not only helps productivity but helps your overall life satisfaction. We all want to work in a place that values our contribution, develops us as people and does ‘good work’. But often building a healthy work culture alludes us.
Too often business owners and CEOs have a vision of what they want their business to look like, in terms of culture, but often what they get is too often defined by the personalities of the leaders and influencers within the company. And the smaller the company, the more profoundly individual personalities unhelpfully shape the culture.
Craig Groeshel in his leadership podcast (Link) says that ‘A healthy culture is a combination of what you create and what you allow.’ What he means is that if you don’t proactively create your culture, then what you ‘allow’ will become the default culture. And that is where most companies go wrong. This is because we think we are being ‘nice’ by allowing certain behaviours to exist in our business. But in reality, what we allow can ‘sour’ the culture to the point where it becomes toxic.
So what is the solution? The solution is to focus on Values! Craig Groeshel says that ‘If you want a different culture, change what you value!’ (Check out his podcast ‘Creating a Value Driven Culture’). But in summary - values are more important than you realise.
Often when we think of business values, we think of that list of virtues that we print on marketing material, or maybe on the wall of the boardroom. But apart from that, you rarely hear about ‘the values’ in the day-to-day. This happens because, as leaders, we believe that values are important but we don’t know how to use them. Values drive us at a deep, sometimes unspoken, level. For example, I am an extrovert and love to talk through ideas. So when I work in isolation for extended periods of time, my productivity and joy decreases. But when I work in vibrant teams where everyone bounces off each other, I thrive! And that is because I value collaborative teamwork. Values drive us at a deep level - and the trick to good leadership is to determine what you (and your business) values - e.g. what is it that drives and motivates you. Once you work this out you have a powerful tool for shaping your business.
Having said that, working out your values is not as easy task. It is not as easy as listing a set of virtues like: ‘We value honesty, integrity etc.’ - because that list will never motivate anyone! Rather your values should be short statements that are meaningful and ultimately motivating for everyone. As Craig Groeshel says, they must be memorable and move us. One example would be ‘We want our people to know that they matter more to us as people than as workers’ instead of saying ‘We value our people!' OR ‘We build cohesive teams to combine strengths and cover weaknesses to achieve greater goals above individual recognition.’ rather than ‘We value Teamwork’!
If they are meaningful, then they should be transferable into our day-to-day. They will start to guide our actions and decisions in meetings. And slowly the culture can be shaped by our values.
But don’t rush it. ‘Buy-in’ takes time and communication. But ultimately if you want a different culture, change what you value. And if you value different things - some people may not fit - and that’s OK. The bigger goal is building a healthy culture where people enjoy working. Beware the danger of just drifting and allowing certain behaviours. Rather hire towards and actively shape your culture through your values you embrace!