It is common for firms and their leaders to discuss values in strategy development. However, their focus on an idealized culture does not necessarily distinguish the firm for its unique aspects. Every company thinks that it is special. Every firm has a culture that is unique to them.
What determines the great from the good are those values are not just words on the wall or a website.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUES
Values are the relationships between employees and their interactions internally and externally. Each profession has a different model and a completely different culture. How each firm expresses its culture, internally and externally, is a good barometer for the brand. The exciting aspect of purpose and values is how it defines an environment where people thrive because they belong (or not). In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the idea of belonging is critical. Employees will only love their company if they align with that company’s culture.
When firms are struggling, it is usually what leaders say is different from what they do, or conversely, what thy do is different from what they say. Defining purpose lets everyone know what is true.
Firms with a purpose provide more opportunities for people to be successful. People leave their managers. They do not leave the companies It comes back to leadership. One of the essential components of leadership is alignment between what a leaders they are and how they behave.
Challenged to build your leadership team? The Architecture of Vision provides a framework, methodology, and assessment tools to give your firm the edge while building a collaborative, creative, and consensus-driven growth-focused culture.
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