It's hard for people to work in alignment with an organization's values if they don't know what they are? It might not be easy but it is your job as a leader to help clarify values for the workforce and reward people when you see value-based behaviors demonstrated.
Most employees want to be recognized and appreciated. Companies have retention problems when they feel leadership doesn't care.
Are you a leader who puts values into action?
How does a leader put values into action? What questions does a leader need to ask himself or herself to clarify what is needed to lead by, with, and through values? Here are three common sense leadership strategies to consider, adapted from the book Leading with Values by Bud Bilanich (2004):
1. Remove obstacles to working with values: Your most important job as a leader is to help your people succeed. You must smooth the way for them because there are always obstacles and barriers to values-driven performance. You must identify roadblocks, eliminate or minimize them, or show team members how to deal with those that can’t be removed.
2. Reward and recognize those who live the values: Most leaders know that effective feedback must be specific and timely. It’s not effective to tell someone that he or she is “doing a great job and working with the values of the company.” What does that mean? How can people do more of it, if they aren’t sure what you mean? Instead, effective leaders say something like, “I saw you go out of your way to help so-and-so yesterday in order to avert a problem. That’s a great example of our organizational value of teamwork (or customer service, or other value) in action. I appreciate what you did.”
People crave recognition. According to the Gallup Organization, 65 percent of U.S. workers reported that they received no recognition in the workplace last year. The number one reason people leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. Smart leaders actively search out opportunities to catch people doing something right and thank them for doing it. Recognizing and rewarding behavior that’s in line with values is the single best way to ensure that it continues.
3. Redirect those who aren’t working with values: This is where the rubber meets the road and where you earn your money as a leader. You must hold people accountable when they are not living the values. There will always be a few who don’t want to get with the program, and you must be the one to deal with this problem or everyone suffers. You will lose credibility and respect of others, and the work group as a whole will suffer.
Explore with people the reasons they are doing what they are doing and why they choose not to live the values. Consider these reasons:
a. They don’t know why the values are important.
b. They don’t know what they should be doing to live/work with the values.
c. They think values are for other people, not them.
d. They don’t get rewarded for living the values.
e. Nothing happens when they don’t live the values.
f. Quite simply, they don’t like the values and refuse them.
As a leader, this presents the challenging opportunity to engage them in some meaningful dialogue about what is important to them, how their personal values can align with the organization’s, and how their personal behavior is in conflict with organizational values.
The hard part is when disciplinary action is in order. Similar to giving positive feedback, be specific and timely about what behaviors need to change. The key to attempting to change anyone’s behavior is respect. You must show that you respect the employee as a person while asking for conflicting behaviors to change. Redirecting people who are not living the values is one of the most important things a leader must do. To do so is to ensure your credibility and to reinforce the importance of values.
How successful are you putting values into action at work?
Comments