The Importance Of Values In The Workplace

Running a successful business is a multifaceted endeavour and there are many factors you’ll need to take into account in order to grow and thrive, factors that are likely to change and evolve as time goes on.

At the very beginning, however, before the organisation has even fully launched, it’s essential that you take the time to sit down and determine what inherent values and core standards your business will uphold.

Setting these down in writing will help ensure that difficult decisions will be guided by these values, ensuring that the business direction is based around what really matters to you and the organisation.

From an employee perspective, having a very clear idea of what you stand for and why gives them a code of conduct to follow, clarifying how they should behave, what action to take and how people should be treated, colleagues, contractors and clients alike.

A clear set of values can also help potential recruits decide if you’re the right company for them, allowing you to attract and retain the top talent in your field. 

Giving people the opportunity to work in an environment that reflects their beliefs puts mental and emotional health and wellbeing at the centre of your operations, driving people to work at their best and most productive to help the organisation flourish.

For clients, meanwhile, your established values can help you see who you want to do business with and who you should steer clear of, ensuring that your integrity remains intact and is never compromised or put at risk.

Embedding values as company culture

Many organisations have great Values such as: Care; Safety; Diversity; Sustainability; Equality; Integrity, etc.  What is needed is an explanation of what this means in terms of decision making, behaviours, etc, otherwise they are open to interpretation.

Defining your values is the easy part, however, and the hard graft comes in actually ingraining them into your company culture, nurturing them as time goes on.

You will not retain staff or customers once they realise that your stated values are not what really drives the culture in the business.

Authenticity is absolutely key. It’s all very well and good writing out your organisation’s values and showcasing them, but they must be lived in the organisation and clear to staff and customers alike. This means holding each other to account against these values at all levels of the business and senior management must be role models in living by them.

Tying your values to measurable behaviours and activities within the workplace and beyond will demonstrate intention and integrity. You’re not just paying lip service to the idea, you’re really showing the world that you mean what you say.

But, of course, this can be easier said than done, particularly if you’re already well established as a company. If you’d like to find out how to position values at the heart of your operations, get in touch with the WhyNot Partnering team today to see how we can help.