Does your organization have Sticky Values? It seems like a strange juxtaposition of words, so let me explain the important concept here. In professional training circles, many authors have written about how to make training programs sticky.

Have the training materials be so real and compelling that people remember and apply them in the future. The concepts are so simple and memorable that people can use them on a daily basis. The same condition can apply to the values of an organization. This article is about how to accomplish that. It also stresses how important it is to have the values be sticky.

Values are crucial to organizations

Values form the bedrock of how we operate daily. Select them from a list of candidates in a serious and thoughtful process. This is usually accomplished in a meeting format where the entire team participates in a brainstorm. Avoid the temptation of having a long list of values. It is better to have five or six strong values than a list of 20 of them. The reason is that people must be able to remember and apply the values daily.

It is helpful if the first letters of the values form an acronym that people can remember. For example, the values of my corporation spell out the word LIGHT (Loyalty, Integrity, Generosity, Honesty, and Trust). I use a picture of outstretched hands with light emanating from them in my materials to illustrate the concept.

The Actions of Leaders make all the difference

Leaders must communicate and model the values at all times. If something seems odd or difficult to people, the leader needs to explain it. “We are doing this because we have a value of integrity (or whatever value applies).”

The values need to be incorporated into the onboarding and all training programs of the organization. Employees need to be allowed to give feedback on how well the values are being followed. Since the values were originally generated in a group process, it is a feeling of ownership by the entire team that is important. 

Share successes and failures with transparency and consider each instance a teachable moment. Be sure to reinforce behaviors consistent with the values. Also, hold the entire organization accountable for always following the values.

An example of this ownership occurred in the conference room of a construction company. The senior engineers were reviewing the details of a building the firm constructed about 10 years earlier.  The CEO was present in the meeting to observe.  At one point an engineer admitted there was an error in the original construction. The crew had used the wrong schedule of pipe in the drain lines that ran under the factory floor. The pipes were too small.  But the engineers pointed out that there had been numerous strong storms over the years and the factory never had a problem with flooding. 

The CEO stood up and pointed to the chart on the wall that had their values printed out.  He said, “If we claim a value of INTEGRITY then we need to chip up the concrete and replace the pipes.  The engineers were dumbfounded. That would be incredibly disruptive, unnecessary, and expensive. The CEO was adamant.  Reinforcing the value in this way made it sticky for this group.

Demonstrate unwavering commitment

Values are most helpful to organizations when following them would be difficult or expensive. When it is easy to follow a value, we just do it. But if it is painful to follow a value, we get the chance to show we really mean it. Never try to rationalize not following a value because it is inconvenient. Doing that destroys the effectiveness of values.

Conclusion

Consistently uphold the values, especially during difficult times. You reinforce their authenticity and credibility when you do that. Your values will become sticky and provide great value to the organization in the long run.


Bob Whipple, MBA, CPTD, is a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author in the areas of leadership and trust. He is the author of: The Trust Factor: Advanced Leadership for Professionals, Understanding E-Body Language: Building Trust Online, and Leading with Trust is Like Sailing Downwind. Bob has many years as a senior executive with a Fortune 500 Company and with non-profit organizations. For more information, or to bring Bob in to speak at your next event, contact him at http://www.Leadergrow.com, bwhipple@leadergrow.com or 585.392.7763