Core values are more than just words on paper; they’re often the defining fabric of the organization itself. Here are some of the reasons why measuring the core values is must for the organizations:
The pressing need for organization to measure adherence to core values:
This is something that leading organizations of the world recognize – which is why there are sometimes entire cross-functional initiatives dedicated to ensuring everyone who comes on board truly understands what the Company’s Core Values mean.
Core values define workplace culture and create common ground:
A firm’s core values are much like the characteristics that allow us to define what people from a certain country or region are like. They’re these overarching common threads that run through everyone from that area, regardless of gender, age or other demographic or socioeconomic factors. In an organization, the shared belief in and adherence to the core values can blur the lines between departments, hierarchy, and geography, creating common ground.
It is increasingly important for companies to have a strongly entrenched core value system as they grow. Whether across geographies or even in the sheer number of employees, growth can make it difficult to create a work culture that translates. However, with the right set of core values, a firm can ensure that the culture remains intact even as the day-to-day changes and growth might make other changes inevitable. If employees adhere to these core values, the culture withstands any forces that come its way. Whether it is in its early days as single office startup with just ten employees or ten years later as a mammoth multinational with a presence in 50+ countries, the core values endure IF employee adherence to these values is always held as non-negotiable.
Values guide employee actions:
A company’s core values should help an employee make the right decisions. When faced with challenges or difficult decisions, just reflecting on the core values can sometimes make things that much clearer. Would your action uphold the core values of the firm? If you’re considering something that goes against them, you might think twice. Measuring such adherence is invaluable to any organization. It will allow you to spot the weak links and take corrective action to prevent repeats of such decisions or behavior.
Adherence fuels growth:
Core values are inseparable from both organization and employee. If you’re unconvinced and wonder how a seemingly theoretical construct could translate to business and the real world, here’s one way to look at it. Consider an airline that’s winning accolades for its on-time performance records. That’s something that distinguishes it from its competitors and makes it a competitive advantage in the market. Punctuality, therefore, is understandably a core value of the organization. If employees do not assimilate this core value, it will cause the market offering to fail at the first mile. If anyone, from a ground staff member to a member of the cabin crew were tardy, this would impact the entire chain and ultimately, the customer and the organization’s image. On the flip side, adherence to this core value could drive the airline to new levels of growth, edging out competition and possibly even allowing them to command a higher price.
For these reasons and more, organizations spend a fair bit of time and effort to cultivate an appreciation of the core values in each employee, to help build that bedrock, a strong foundation for whatever challenges the future may hold.
Check out how easy it could be to measure the Core Values with a simple App!
