In the blog he co-authors with Libby Sartain, Brand For Talent, Mark Shumanm wrote a post recently entitled Want to Talk Value Propositions?. Read it here.
Let me say up front that I am a bit confused as to whether Mark was talking about company values or a company’s value proposition. Maybe he sees them as the same? My comments assume he was talking about company values.
Like Mark, I strongly endorse talking with employees. You can gain all sorts of valuable insights, particularly if you have hired well all along.
We, at EOS, also strongly endorse talking with employees about company values. In fact, we advocate talking about your company values all the time – reinforcing them in everything you do.
Company values which are well understood and communicated broadly serve to attract the kind of employees, customers and partners who will help your company thrive in good times and bad. Conversely, your values will also help the opposite kind of folk avoid you, which is a good thing.
What I don’t agree with is the notion, which I think he is advocating, that you should solicit employees broadly as to what your values should be.
EOS embraces the Patrick Lencioni idea that values initiatives have nothing to do with building consensus. Lencioni says the best value efforts are driven by small teams that include the CEO/owner and a handful of key employees. That is exactly how we help our client companies discover their core values.
How do you feel about this? What do you do in your company?
Photo Credit: wetwebwork
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree with Ed in this matter. The values of an enterprise, as expressed in real behaviors toward customers, employees and other stakeholders, will always be the core values of the the senior executive. Engaging the larger employee force in an effort to define the enterprise value set is a complete waste of effort and will likely result in dis-engagement over a relatively short term.
IF the the key executive has done a good job of understanding themselves and hired the senior team to compliment short comings, there is a chance that having them involved in defining and articulating a value set may be worthwhile. Even that statement comes with the caveat that the articulated values can not be too far from the Exec’s because no one can truly hide who they are for very long. Our behaviors, particularly under stress, bring our core to the surface.
I expand on these thoughts here http://wp.me/pa2FY-6Z
Thanks for your comment Joe. I clicked through to your post and advise other readers to do so as well.