Ask any leader if they operate by values in their business, and they’ll probably say, “Yes!”

But unless you’ve actually defined them and created a system where they’re part of your daily function, you’re leaving the most critical part of your company culture to chance.

I was invited to speak to a group of financial professionals on the art of giving & receiving feedback.
It was a wonderful group and they contributed a lot to the conversation.

I close that training by emphasizing that you must become skilled at giving feedback based on your organizational values.

Now, The person that invited me to present, asked the question to each person around the table, Do you have established organizational values?  

Each person responded with a “yes!” Our team knows to do the right thing, we always operate within our values. honesty, respect, take care of the customer.

So I asked a follow up question:  if I came to your business today and interviewed 6 people about your company values, would I get consistent answers? 

Their responses were something like “I’d like to think so.”

That tells me that there’s a significant interpretation gap around those shared values.

My clients can respond to that question with, “Absolutely.”

Here’s why your values are so vital to your culture:

Your values determine what you do and how you do it, and that ultimately drives your results.

Don’t leave your values up to interpretation. 

Make your values a part of every meeting, every decision, every communication and your employees, your partners. 

The experience you’re creating for your employees will translate into increased sales, higher retention, and establish your competitive edge.