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Shared Values Defined
Shared values are what engender trust and link
an organization together. Shared values are also the identity by which your
organization is known throughout its business areas. These values must be
stated as both corporate objectives and
individual values. Every organization and every
leader will have a different set of
values that are appropriate to its business situation.
9
Signs of a Losing Organization
Balanced Organization: 5 Basic Elements
Earth (Corporate
Culture):
Establishing Shared Values
Ensuring employee's understanding of
organization's values and vision requires your organization to have clearly
defined values. Without this, your organization can get itself into real
trouble.
Defining shared values is more than putting
words on paper. Most organizations have values statements or
mission statements; yet many do
not follow them.
Winning organizations
create successful
cultures
in a systematic way using various approaches that may include visual
representations, training seminars, and/or socializing events.
Inspiring
Culture: 5 Elements
Case in Point
General Electric (GE)
Jack Welch,
the legendary former CEO of
GE, believed that the
only way to lead is to talk about company's values, not numbers.
He said, "Numbers aren't the vision; numbers
are products. We always say that if you had three
measurements to live by, they'd be
employee satisfaction,
customer satisfaction, and
cash flow. If you've got cash in the till at the end, the rest is all
going to work, because if you've got high customer satisfaction, you're
going to get a share.
If you've got high employee satisfaction, you're going to get productivity.
And if you've got cash, you know it's all working."
Nowhere GE shared
values take on greater importance than on a small, wallet-size card that
GE employees now carry with them. GE's values are so important to the
company, that
Jack Welch had them inscribed and distributed to all GE employees, at
every level of the company. But before the cards were furnished to the
staff, GE had come to consensus on which core values it wanted to cultivate
in its employees. Many hours were spent at GE's Leadership Institute and
elsewhere deciding on exactly what those values should be. "It became a
badge of honor not only to carry the card but also to uphold the values."3
As Jack Welch notes: "There isn't a human being in GE that wouldn't have the
Values Guide with them. In their wallet, in their purse. It means everything
and we live it. And we remove people who don't have those values, even when
they post great results."
25 Lessons from Jack Welch
Case in Point
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics (SGI) has a set of values, for
which it annually gives "The Spirit of SGI" awards. Winning employees are
nominated and selected by their peers as capturing and promulgating the
essence and spirit of SGI values. The prizes include trips to resort
locations such as Hawaii.
Case in Point
Nike
Nike create a winning culture through visual
representations of their values: competitiveness, inclusiveness, and action.
Case in Point
Intel
At Intel, every new employee participates in
seven seminars during the first year of employment that cover the company's
values, culture, and business, and spell out the employee behaviors that go
along with living the Intel values.1
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