Newsletter - September 2004

WORKPLACE VALUES VS. PERSONAL VALUES

Many leading organisations around the world today have developed a set of Corporate Values for staff to live and work by whilst they are at work. Having a set of Organisational Values is considered best practice and millions of dollars are spent in these organisations in implementation strategies and training staff. But does it work? Is investing in values worth the investment?

My belief is that provided staff are trained and allowed to understand the difference between their personal values and the organisational values there is a strong chance that they will embrace the organisations values even if they conflict or clash marginally with their personal values.

Some people work in organisations for years and feel uncomfortable about their job, but can’t explain a clear reason why. Often this is because the organisation has values which differ from those held by the person. I have worked in organisations that hold a value that says “Our people are our most valuable asset”, a common Corporate Value. The problem is that people in this organisation are treated like commodities and poorly valued commodities at best!

As individuals we have a set of Core Values which we have developed since our early years. Often these values are learned from our parents and teachers and maybe from managers we admire. These values determine our behaviour and transcend any situation.

Organisations often have Aspirational Values, values which do not yet exist and with time will become core. The issue is how to identify what values staff hold and what values organisations hold. Another interesting fact is that even if an organisation does not have an identified list of values, a set of values exists. Staff know what they are simply from their experience of working in that organisation.

I am often called into organisations to work with teams and assist them to identify their values. I traditionally work with a product called Window on Work Values which allows people to identify what values they hold and what values the organisation holds. A simple sixty question survey quickly identifies the individuals preferred values and gives them a detailed report which explains their values and their likely impact in the workplace.

This profile is ideal to use and allows staff to quickly identify where they sit in relation to their organisation. It also allows employers to work with staff to identify potential areas of conflict or unrest and take positive steps to solve potential disharmony. Using tools like this allows people to work in harmony with their organisations values and their personal values.

RULES TO LEAD YOUR TEAM BY

Managers often ask what can I do to lead my team better, are there any simple rules? Here are ten simple rules to lead your team by:

1. Create clear team goals
2. Clarify team member key strengths and their responsibilities
3. Create team standards
4. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
5. Create consensus
6. Recognise that everyone is different
7. Manage meetings vigorously
8. Reward your team for effort
9. Learn it’s OK to ask for help
10. Never concede defeat!

WHAT PEOPLE LOOK FOR AND ADMIRE IN THEIR LEADERS

What do you look for or admire in people who lead you. If I were to ask you to note what your best leadership characteristic was, what would you write? In their book The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner document how 75,000 people around the globe reacted when asked “What values do you look for and admire in a leader?”

Respondents were asked to document the seven qualities they ”most look for and admire in a leader, someone whose direction they would willingly follow.” The results over a fifteen year period have been surprisingly consistent. The top four qualities are:

• Honest
• Forward – looking
• Component
• Inspiring

More than 65% of people surveyed voted for these four characteristics on three separate occasions over the fifteen year period. These occasions coincided with each edition of the book. The first edition was published in 1987 and subsequently updated in 1995 and the most recent in 2002.

The book is an excellent text and is now widely available in paperback from your good bookstore.