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    You are here Home » values

    Values are Worthless Without These Four Things

    Last updated on Jan 14, 2021 by Dan McCarthy · This post may contain affiliate links

    Guest post
    from Beth Miller:

    Values are more
    than a list of words on your website or a poster in your office. For values to benefit an organization they need to be lived by everyone and fully integrated
    into a company’s processes and decisions.
     
    Without a focus in your values, a clear definition of each value, and
    integrating your values into your hiring and performance management system, your
    values will remain hollow words.

    Focus

    I remember many
    years ago going to visit a new client. Upon entering the lobby, I couldn’t help
    but notice the very large poster with a listing of company values, in fact
    there were 18 of them! When we got back to his office, I asked him with
    curiosity “I noticed your list of values out in the lobby. I’m curious can you
    name all of your values?” The fact is that he couldn’t, and neither could his
    employees.

    So, if you have
    more than 7 values, it’s time to bring your team together and narrow your
    values down to the top 7 or less of your most important values. One technique I
    recommend is from the book
    Traction, by Gino Wickman. Identify the 3
    people in your organization you would want to clone and then start describing
    the characteristics and behaviors which make them special. This will provide
    you with an initial list you can narrow down.

    Meaning

    In recent years
    companies have realized they should focus on the important values which make
    their company standout from the crowd of their competitors. Company values are
    your company’s DNA. They are the beliefs and principles which drive your
    decision making and actions for your business, and your values impact the
    experience your employees, customers, and partners will have with your company.

    But what do
    your values mean? Values are abstract while behaviors can be observed and explained
    with more clarity. The specific actions and behaviors that demonstrate your
    company values need to be defined. The best way to define your values is to
    revisit those 3 people you want to clone. Identify 3-5 behaviors for each of
    your values you observe with these 3 employees.

    Here’s an
    example of the value “Working Together”. The behaviors which you observe with
    your 3 employees on a consistent basis are:

    1. Works
    with and supports other team members to drive results

    2. Builds
    two-way relationships with employees and customers

    3. Understands
    and respects other people’s priorities

    You now have
    behaviors that you can use in your hiring and performance management.

    Hiring

    Since you now
    have a definition of each value and the specific behaviors and actions an
    employee should be demonstrating for a value, you need to integrate this
    information into your hiring process.

    Start by
    creating behavioral interview questions to uncover a candidate’s values. Do
    they align with your values? You don’t want someone joining your team who won’t
    live your values. Values misalignment is a deal breaker when it comes to
    hiring.

    Behavioral
    questions are designed to uncover past actions and behavior and determine both
    culture and values fit. Here are tips to design behavioral interview questions:

    1. A
    good behavioral interview question should first be open ended starting with
    “What” or “How”.
      Open ended questions
    encourage discussion and require people to think and reflect, they aren’t
    recall questions. And the very best questions are really a request, “Tell me
    about a time…” “Share an example of…”

    2. The
    question/request should be designed to not “lead the witness”

    3. Understand
    what a good answer sounds like. Listen for the pronoun “I”. If you hear “we”
    being used, you will need to clarify what exactly the job candidate’s role
    was.
     

    For example, let’s
    use the behavior “Works with and supports other team members to drive
    results”.
      A good behavioral interview
    question would be:

    “Tell me about
    a time that you had to deal with a difficult team member on a project.”

    If I had
    adjusted the question “Tell me about a time that you had to deal with a
    difficult team member to
    successfully complete a project”, I would have
    been leading the witness and assuming that the project was completed
    successfully. Instead, give the candidate the opportunity to share how the
    project turned out.

    Performance
    Management

    The behaviors
    and actions of your employees should be part of the performance conversation. Too
    often I see managers focused on goals and results i.e.
    what needs to get
    done. When you include
    how a result was accomplished you are measuring
    against your company values.

    The first step
    to take is to make sure the behaviors which support your values are part of all
    job descriptions. These behaviors can be measured as part of your performance
    conversations and can serve as the foundation for your ongoing 1-1
    conversations with your employees. The more you relate an employee’s behaviors
    to their results, the more you will reinforce to the employee what you value.

    You can also
    use a 360 assessment to measure performance. The 360° assessment uses collected
    anonymous feedback from direct reports, managers, peers, and sometimes business
    partners, as well as a self-assessment, to identify areas where employees can
    strengthen their skills in order to progress effectively. It is designed to
    measure the core competencies (behaviors and skills) associated with a person’s
    position.

    Make sure that
    your company is living your values by understanding the behaviors behind your
    values, hiring the right people, and measuring their performance through both
    their behaviors and results.

    Beth Miller is an accomplished author, speaker,
    and solution provider; her insight and expertise make her a sought-after
    leadership influencer. A serial entrepreneur and executive coach as well as a
    former Vistage Chair of 13 years, Beth is featured in numerous industry blogs
    and publications including Entrepreneur, Leadercast, and TalentCulture.com. Her
    book, “Are
    You Talent Obsessed?
    ,” compiles her best practices for business leaders.

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