Tweet

Aligning Behaviors with Core Values

Guest post by: Eric Douglas

Article Overview: This leadership tool shows how to articulate a set of behaviors that reinforce the core values.

Aligning Behaviors with Core Values

Once your core values are redefined, you can emphasize it by prioritizing them on your performance and organizational assesments. For you to achieve that, you must first determine the behaviors related with each core value. For example, "being flexible and adapting to changes in customers' needs" might be a core behavior associated with customer service. This leadership tool shows how to articulate a set of behaviors that reinforce the core values. Begin with listing your core values and the associated performance standards. Next brainstorm the associated behaviors. Identify which behaviors are relevant in upholding the core values. Each core value should have at least 10-15 associated behaviors.

Once you've got a list, show it to other people and ask their most honest feedback. After several repetitions, you should have created your own solid list. Ensure that senior officials has reviewed the list before going further. Core behaviors can be associated with the firm's performance and organizational assessments. A perfect example of such an assessment is listed below. This architectural firm conduct surveys with its employees on a semi annual basis. After the findings are process, they ask workers to group themselves and brainstorm ways to improve. The result is an organization whose behaviors are well aligned around its core values.

Core Value: Design and Execution

Score: Disagree Agree

1. In every assignment, we map out the client's expectations.

2. We live and die with our project management process.

3. Every assignment is checked by a senior manager for "executability" and "creative response."

4. We tell employees the things which is needed and which meets our standards of "creative quality".

5. We measure client satisfaction for all projects.

6. We exchange ideas on outside projects that meet our firm's standards.

7. We single out what people need to learn to meet our standards and supply resources to mentor them.

8. We challenge each other's ideas for us to improve and be more creative.

9. We provide people time to explore, research, reflect, and talk about creative options.

10. We pause for a moment and examine examples of other designs and executions outside our firm.

Core Value: Design and Execution

Score: Disagree Agree

11. We check on our clients on a consistent basis.

12. We are suited to carry out our client's specification: No surpises, no unexpected twist, no catch whatsover.

13. We accomplish projects on deadline.

14. We carry out assigments within our budget.

15. We know how to adapt to changes when it comes to the needs and wants of our customers.

16. We communicate internally when a client's needs are not being met (e.g. deadlines, project completion, and budget).

17. We make it a point to provide an adequate time to get assignments done.

18. We mantain a 24-hour response system when it comes to queries from our clients.

19. As a matter of practice, we discuss innovative ideas on how to meet our client's needs.

20. We are instructed to familiarize and inform each other regarding our client's activities.

21. We make it a point to inform co-workers regarding new clients.

Core Value: Quality Work Environment

Score: Disagree Agree

22. We implement standards for each employee's performance.

23. We provide regular performance reviews once a year (twice if requested).

24. We ensure that everyone has individual development plans.

25. We offer competitive salaries, benefits and incentives.

26. We acknowledge the best team and the best individual performance.

27. We urge people to give out suggestions on improving the things that the firm does.

28. We teach people how to clarify decision-making roles and responsibilities.

29. We are data-driven in our decision making.

30. We listen carefully to other points of view - and affirm their importance.

31. We take time to list our concerns and reasoning.

32. We teach people how to manage projects effectively.

33. We communicate our personal conflicts with one another directly.

34. In a matter of minutes, relevant information is disseminated throughout the firm.

35. We provide our workers an avenue for further growth and development.

36. These behaviors are the focal point of our hiring and promoting policies.

Core Value: Ethical Conduct

Score: Disagree Agree

37. We exhibit fairness with one another.

38. We display a mutual respect with one another.

39. We are honest with each other.

24. We are honest with our clients.

41. We take responsibility for our shortcomings.

42. We assume good intentions - until proven otherwise.

43. We communicate bad news right away to each other.

44. We exercise discretion in accepting client work based on consistency with our purpose, values and vision.

45. We contribute to the communities we serve.

Core Value: Financial Sustainability Score: Disagree or Agree.

46. We are effective in developing new business.

47. We are effective in retaining existing clients.

48. We are good at minimizing expenses.

49. We take "wise" risk consistent with our goals and objectives.

50. We provide resources which are important for the firm's growth.

51. We disseminate financial information vital in making business decisions.

52. We provide the training needed for people to understand our financial reports.

Note: People's responses must be treated as confidential. Don't trouble yourself with thoughts of "who said that?". You must focus on redefining the strengths and weaknesses of the organization.

You can adopt a similar approach to come up with a performance appraisal. Simply change the word "we" to "I" - and you have an appraisal that's well-integrated with your core values. In this manner, you can create a list of questions to ask prospective employees. After validating their expertise, ask them to recap situations where they exhibited these behaviors in the past. You'll quickly get an idea of how well they'll fit into your culture.

Related Articles
  Clarifying the Strategic Focus
  Business Ethics and Values Are Not Here One Day and Gone the Next
  Reactive vs. Proactive & Core Beliefs
  An Attitude of Gratitude Is Every Day Not Just One Day
  Managers Where Are Your Ethics?
  Coaching Tip: Identify Your Core Values
  The Real Cause of Business Management Failure is More about Ethics than Skills
  Nine Commitments That Will Emphasize Business Ethics and Company Core Values Are Extremely Crucial To Your Business
  How to Demonstrate Commitment to Others
  Are You an Ethical Salesperson?
  Documenting Expected Behaviors
  Warning! Values May Be Detrimental to Your Organization’s Health
  Discovering and Living by Your Core Values
  When Making the Right Choice Goes Wrong
  Avoid Hollow Core Values
  It’s not only what you say that counts, it’s what you do.
  Business Ethics Cannot Ignore the 800# Gorilla
  How Referral Marketing Appears to Be Quid Pro Quo
  Increase Productivity and Profitability by Simply Eliminating Gossip
  Leading Like TIGERS: A Successful Team Building Model

Article Tags: core values, leadership tool



Related Forum Posts
Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vision Values Mission Strategic Thinking Decision Making Communication Team Bonding People Development Coaching / Mentoring / Guiding / Grooming Presentation Thanks Robert
The Value of Mentoring - Successful mentor pairings (in case there was any doubt as to the value of mentoring): 1. André Ouellet (President, Canada Post) mentor to Mark Whalen (Urban Organics and winner, Young Entrepreneur Award) 2. Marc Lefrançois (President, Via Rail Canada) mentor to Jeffrey Campbell (Core Networks, Inc. and winner, Young Entrepreneur Award) 3. Donald Kendall (former CEO of PepsiCo) mentor to John Scully (former CEO of Apple) 4. Harland Sanders (the Colonel) mentor to Dave Thomas (founder of Wendy's) 5. Stuart Friend (KMart manager) mentor to Wayne Sales (CEO of Canadian Tire) 6. Jim Rohn (author, motivational speaker) mentor to Anthony Robbins (author, motivational speaker) 7. Robert Patterson (CEO, National Cash Register) mentor to Thomas Watson (founder of IBM) 8. Henri-Paul Rosseau (President, Laurentian Bank of Canada) mentor to isabel Rodriquez and Yves Besner (i4design and winners, Young Entrepreneur Award)


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

20 MORE Must-Have Search Engine Marketing Tools

You Have A Website What Now

The Digital Diet by Daniel Sieberg

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.