One of the most challenging things to do as a leader is to “walk your talk” or embody your company’s goals, values and mission consistently and strategically. It is fairly easy to agree on a set of values that is (or should be) reflective of your company’s goals and strategies outlining how you want your employees to behave and treat both your customer’s and each other. But implementing desired behavior and measuring it is a challenge most leaders find daunting and difficult. Here are three steps you can take to measure how effectively your company’s values are being reflected by your employees:
- First, make sure your company’s values are actually reflective of your organization’s culture. You have hired competent, talented and capable people but do you consistently communicate and model the behavior, expectations and values that your company has embraced? Do your employees understand what is expected of them in all areas of their work? Are you communicating with them consistently and constantly? If not, then revisit your communications program and make changes.
- Second, do a thorough review of each department within your organization and measure morale, productivity, quality and turn-over. Look for areas where employees are consistently under-performing, taking short-cuts and exhibiting bad attitudes. Look for the reasons that your employees are not modeling the desired work performance and make changes quickly.
- Third, create ways to support, encourage and reward the behaviors and performance that you desire and which are reflective of your organization’s values and culture. Most companies have a reasonable level of expectancy regarding individual job performance but tend to only focus and reward the exemplary while overlooking the regular, daily behaviors that make a company a great place to work.
Too many company leaders adopt a set of “generic” values that are supposed to position their company as a desirable and fun place to work, but fail to provide the guidelines and standards that are reflective of your company’s culture and your desired strategic growth. Take the time to review your company’s values and compare them to the culture that currently exists in your organization and make the necessary changes to skyrocket your company’s growth.
Your employees are one of your company’s greatest assets but require the most time and attention in order to fully create and support a culture that drives your business to achieve greatness. Communicate, focus and reward positive behavior and watch your company flourish and grow.
