CORE VALUES: BEYOND THE OPTICS & RHETORIC
The core value statements on most organizational websites are just there for optics and very often don’t demonstrate how things actually get done.
That’s a bold starting statement I know. How did that make you feel? Did you nod your head in agreement or did you have a physical gut reaction as you took offence? I invite you to approach this blog with openness, humility and a reflective attitude. While some of what is written might challenge your current ways of thinking especially if you are the type of leader who simply accepts what an organization says, though it will give you the opportunity to truly reflect on the issues and make a choice about how you want to respond to the challenges. While we are talking about core values, what we are really talking about is integrity and your ability to do the right thing, no matter what the cost to yourself. Most leaders are just not up for that challenge today.
Your reactions to the opening statement can be quite revealing about what narratives we prescribe to and those which we don’t. The truth is that the publicly espoused core values very rarely represent the actual lived experience. In fact, not only do they not always accurately represent the experience of many employees, but they often intentionally act to silence or hide the true nature of organizations and leadership culture.
Core values are narrative structures in organizations. They have a purpose and their purpose is to tell a story about the organization. You certainly wouldn’t see an organization share core values that are negative. That would be counter-productive to their goal. They are designed and shared to invite you into a particular perception. If an organization clearly stated how things actually get done and the core values that lay beneath those actions, policies and processes, it is very likely that these would be like the proverbial flashing neon sign or the red flags. We would avoid them like the plague. Even when we hear stories that speak the truth about a poor leader or an organization, those voices are either silenced or held to question as if they are the problem. That is just what happens in systems. If we pay attention, and approach with an open mind, we can often see which core values come to life and which are just for optics.
Unfortunately, many leaders and many organizations simply either create rhetoric and/or maintain it. They churn out dominant stories and they use core values as part of those narratives. Many leaders are either too scared or too weak to challenge the status quo. That is hard to hear but it is written in earnest. If you want to know a leaders’ or organizations’ true core values, simply ask current and past employees. They know intimately what it was like working for that leader or organization. If you keep your eyes open you will often see behavior that is not aligned to those core values in every organization.
So why does this happen?
Let’s start with some questions:
What are your core values?
How do your core values actually drive how you think, feel or behave as a leader?
How often do your own core values align with your organizations core values? (Also, is it a natural fit or is it a forced fit?)
How often do the actual personal or organizational core values that are stated on a website actually align with the actual behavior that is demonstrated?
I am sure that was a bit of a challenge to think through those questions because many leaders find them hard to answer. We cannot simply assume because it is on a website or in a code of conduct that it is an accurate representation. We also cannot assume that your leaders core values match your own, nor can we assume that every leader is either aware of their own core values (most are not) or have core values that are benevolent in nature. We need to start to accept that some leaders are in fact not benevolent and are often driven by less than honorable core values and drivers.
Many leaders today are often swayed by whatever the organization says is true, and whatever the flavor of the month is. Some core values stand in stark opposition to what an organization state. Let that sink in. Take a quiet moment to reflect on that.
Whatever is rewarded is what the core value is. Whatever is rewarded will be maintained. You can see it in every organization. Let’s be honest, we all know and speak of core values, but they tend to be put aside when push comes to shove, or when we find ourselves under pressure or when we are hurriedly working against some false deadline, or when the organization focuses on every new shiny object in sight. Where in fact, core values should not just be expectations or ideals, but they should take center stage because they drive behavior and they are central to leading with integrity.
We know that it is proper ‘etiquette’ to have core values, and it is certainly expected that organizations make those core values publicly visible by having them posted on their website, and certainly sharing them with new hires. They often get pulled up when there are performance issues to show just how someone is not performing, but really in the day-to-day practice they are honestly not very present in organizations. They typically simply perform various optical functions viz. marketing the talent proposition narratives, performance management (aka compliance management), and talent attraction and recruitment. You very rarely see leaders talking about core values until there is a problem. They actually should be central to every action and every decision and should drive every operation and strategy.
Why Do We Need Core Values?
Core Values act as anchors for situations where we are under pressure by offering stability in crisis or uncertainty.
Core values steer solutions when we have less time to reflect and think things through rationally or when the answers are sometimes grayer and not as clear as we would like.
They steer us, consistently in the direction of integrity and doing what is right.
They also allow others to know and anticipate how we will react consistently. Core values steer the ship. The people you lead want to know and anticipate how you will respond in various situations.
They outline what we can reasonably and consistently expect from a leader and an organization. They are the map. They are an anchor. They are not simply just a useless list of words (well, they shouldn’t be at least, but generally are).
Core values are those values that are literally foundational to the very way in which we believe the world works and operates. We can’t just have a list of words that we say this is how our working environment works and what is expected and what you can expect, and then just go do something entirely different. That is chaos and quite frankly, it is poor leadership. Yet, it is what we see in most organizations.
What happens when we don’t have core values?
The ship either sinks or it hits rocky ground. However, the question should really be are you aware of your values and the impact they have on yourself and others? It is impossible not to have core values as life experience builds those and many of those are already built in from early childhood (yes, we adopt some of those values generationally and then experience moves in to create new ones or solidify them). Not all core values are optimal or adaptive in every situation. This is why we see many leaders operating from fear and never reach a true level of maturity and lead as if they are broken and traumatized children.
Certainly, we can adapt and acquire new values as we mature. Though when we don’t know what those values are, or when we don’t acknowledge or respect those values, we veer off course very quickly or act in ways that we don’t understand, or we become inconsistent and unreliable as a leader. When we set up organizations and teams, our own core values inform what we decide the organizational core values would be (just like you inherited some of your core values from your care givers, your organization and team are inheriting yours too). So, we need to be aware of what those are and the impact they have (both positive and negative). The truth is that most leaders can’t even manage themselves because they are lost in fear because they don’t anchor their perspective, thoughts and behaviors in core values. The reason why many organizations are in the mess they are in, and why so many employees feel so oppressed and unhappy has nothing to do with technological advancement and more to do with they are being led by immature boys and girls who are not anchored and have never been anchored.
Without core values, the first storm that rolls in, your ship will be tossed in every direction. Everything becomes an uphill battle. Every molehill becomes a mountain. You spend your time as a leader literally going from one fire to another without having a sense of control, agency or direction. Your employees never know what to expect. It is just chaos. It might be quiet chaos that we all accept, but there is a different way. You are being battered by every storm, no matter the size of the wind. You never have a moment to rest or reflect, and you certainly never have the time to put up the sails that will help you navigate the stormy seas.
Core values keep you centered and help you weather the storms, not only for yourself but for the people you lead and the organization you represent.
Reflection Time: How can we apply core values?
Reflection is key to applying core values. It is concerning as to how many leaders actually do not know what their core values are (they know what their job description says they should do, but they don’t know their own emotional, social, spiritual, physiological and cognitive drivers). So, start there.
The first thing is to know what your core values are. You can create a list of values that you feel resonate with you.
Take a look at your organizations’ website and look for their list of core values. Ask yourself, honestly just how much you feel they resonate with you? Which ones seems intuitive and which ones seem a bit suspect as if they are simply there for optics (if you look, you will find...)
Evaluate the list and test them, look for examples and situations where you or other leaders actually do behave in the ways suggested by the core values. Are there times where that might not be the case? What are the consequences? Why the difference?
Is there alignment or is there misalignment in what an organization says versus what employees say?
Review your exit data. Ask people why they are leaving. What do you do with exit interview data? Do you use it to drive change or is it simply a process? Is it deemed useless because it comes from a “disgruntled employee”? Is this just a label/narrative used to diminish and disqualify any experience that challenges the status quo? Is this a story you are either creating or maintaining? True change requires honesty and humility when we get it wrong as leaders. People leave because of leaders. So know what about your leaders is inviting people to leave.
Take the time to truly understand the basis for leadership and employee complaints. Are there any trends or patterns that emerge and what do they say about culture and core values? You may need to dig deep and also brace yourself for the truth behind complaints. What is the typical reaction to complaints about leaders? You can tell a lot about the truth of core values by how leaders and organizations respond to complaints. Most simply justify their behavior, pull rank and blame the messenger rather than truly being open to learn how they an improve.
Remind yourself that just because we can profess our core values (personal and organizational), it is often very obvious to those working for us whether that holds true. The sad truth is often publicly espoused core values very rarely match the actual lived experience. How mature are your leaders and how do they react to news that people might think they are poor leaders? How would you respond if you found out that your team thought you were a bad leader? Do you bully and retaliate and get rid of them, or do you sit down to understand and work on yourself as a leader?
Reward behavior that aligns with the publicly espoused values and stop rewarding behavior that contravenes it. Though rewards are not enough, behavior that stands in opposition of the core values needs to be admonished. What we condone or let slide becomes the habit. If you see a leader acting poorly, address it.
Ask for feedback from those you lead. Scary right? Though knowing what they truly think and how they truly experience you as a leader or the organization might actually be eye-opening and a catalyst for real change, if you let it. That takes both courage and humility.
Before you join an organization be sure to ask about core values and ask for specific examples that demonstrate those in action. Don’t join a company or team who can’t give you definitive examples. No matter how much you want to make them fit, if there is misalignment in core values or if there is any sense that they are not being honest about their core values, you will never be able to make it fit. Also, you need to be able to acknowledge that not everything an organization says is in fact true. Organizational core values are often just ideals but they are sold as real, and when the true culture, policies and processes get running you will quickly note the difference in what they said they valued and what they actually value.
Activity Time
Look through that list of core values from above and ask yourself these seven questions:
Which of these core values resonate with you?
Which of these core values do you consistently do well?
Which of these core values do you consistently get wrong?
Which of these core values often cause you or others challenges?
Which of the core values would you like to have within the next 30, 60, 90 days?
What do you need to do to adopt those core values? (This includes, what do you need to STOP doing, and what do you need to START doing)
Are there some core values that just don’t resonate? What does this mean for you as a leader?
If you want to go deeper reflect on the following:
Where did they originate from and what impact do they have on how you lead?
What do they invite you to think, feel or do?
How might they be experienced and perceived by those you lead?
Call To Action
Core values need to be the compass by which we actually lead. As leaders we need to be aware of what our own core values are. Core values are cognitive, emotional and behavioral drivers. As leaders we need to be asking whether our personal or organizational core values actually make sense. We need to be sure that we can easily operationalize them so that everyone knows how to apply them to every decision and every action every day. Then we need to ensure that we reward those who demonstrate those core values in their daily interactions and counsel and develop those who don’t. We also need to be honest with what our true core values are. Often the true core values are what truly drives leadership culture and organizational behavior. They sit below the publicly espoused values and are not truly documented anywhere, but they are tangible and are often the unwritten rules. Let’s be honest, are we truly running truly human organizations like we espouse or are we simply creating systems of control, power, compliance, and greed? As leaders we need to be aware of how the publicly espoused core values very often silence or hide the true nature of the organization. Core values should not simply be creating rhetoric or false stories about what the organization cares about, but they should be the lens and the scales by which every organization, leader and decision is weighed by.
As a leader, what can you do today to bring core values to life beyond the rhetoric and the optics?