Company Values: Thank you Uber

I must disclose that this blog post has been in development for about eight months. I have opened it from time to time, played around with it, deleted sections, added bits and asked myself the question “will SMEs find a post on Values all that relevant?”

Then, like a strike of good luck Uber happened. As many readers are now aware, in recent times Uber has been entangled in a high-profile investigation into sexual harassment at the company and its CEO Travis Kalanick has been criticised for very non-CEO like behaviour such as throwing tantrums, immature outbursts and almost endorsing a frat boy culture.

#gratitude goes to Travis Kalanick for renewing my interest in this blog post! The case of Uber provides an excellent example of the importance of company values existing in a workplace and the criticality that they are managed and modelled from the very top.

Most of us would have heard of the term Values in the workplace. But what are workplace values?

Company Values are descriptive words that will guide both management and employees in everything they do at work. They offer a strategic avenue to set an entity apart from its competitors and to show others what it genuinely believes in. Values that are done well will positively impact a culture, brand and business strategies. However, Values that are not well aligned or disingenuous will create distrust and scepticism amongst employees, and they won’t translate to customers either.

The concept of Values are sometimes viewed as HR fluff and they often fail to gain traction which leaves many wondering if they are a waste of time. So, do companies really need Values? Yes, I think they can be beneficial. However, only if they are created and implemented in a way where they are meaningful to employees. I say this because more times than not company Values are created, announced to staff and then placed into the employee handbook with good intentions. Then, at every induction session they are recited, new staff are advised they are at the centre of the company’s universe and then they aren’t seen or heard of until the next induction session. Tick! Values implemented.

One of my bugbears with company Values is how they are often created. There is nothing that kills the success of Values in an organisation more than a well meaning management team sitting around a table to work out what the company Values should be, followed by implementing them with the expectation that employees take them onboard. I recall working for an international hotel chain many years ago where employees were expected to recite the Value of the Day and chirp it back to a manager when asked on the spot. Firstly, there were about 50 of these things, so there was no way I was ever going to remember them off by heart. Also, if an employee didn’t recall the Value of the Day, they were frowned upon so overall it created anxiety. And finally, I always felt it was condescending to be asked by a manager to recite the Value of the Day on cue like a performing circus animal. Being a reformed rebel employee, I always refused to participate in such nonsense, as did many others.

So how can a company get it right? To achieve genuine buy in and to realise the benefits of company Values, employees should be able to see them in action in the workplace regularly, and they also should be able to feel them within the workplace. If Values are based on how a company truly operates, there should be no need to force them upon employees such as in my hotel example. Genuine attachment and alignment to company Values will be created naturally if employees relate to them. For example, let’s take the pretend value of “Innovation everyday” that company XYZ has recently implemented. XYZ has been using the same old legacy system for the past 15 years, it’s managers are a bit scared of change therefore not much exciting ever happens, and the company brand hasn’t been refreshed in years. Do you think employees will relate to this Value when they cannot see of feel any innovation in the workplace? I doubt it. Creating aspirational values is a waste of time in my opinion but surprisingly many companies take this approach.

So how does an organisation effectively develop and implement Values that employees and management will relate to? The most proven way to do this is by developing company Values from the ground up with employee input and management guidance.

A great starting point is to facilitate some focus groups with engaged employees and managers with an aim of collectively developing some key words and statements that describe the way things are done in the workplace and with customers. Following this, with some creativity and wordsmithing, your company Values might start to take shape and could be vetted and finalised by management to ensure alignment and appropriateness with company strategy.

An important consideration is how the Values will be introduced to the workforce. This might include a variety of mediums including introductory emails, workshops for staff, promotional days, gizmos and other materials that act as a daily reminder of the values. Employers may also like to integrate the Values into other HR activities such as recognition programs, performance reviews and KPIs.

If your company is interested in either implementing or refreshing its Values and would like to engage some expert assistance, Industryus HR can manage this activity completely or partially. Contact us on 07 5655 4047 or click here to organise a Free Introductory Call.

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