“Dear employee, please find your new core values attached”.
For ages, we have been hammering words like quality, simplicity, operational excellence, customers first, etc. We put stone plates on the walls, text on coffee cups, and the words are articulated by smiling people on the company websites. An inspirational boss gives a speech about how the new culture will take the organization to new heights. The values are also incorporated in the yearly performance review. But is all this working? Not really. We all know this, but the big question is, of course, why not?
Let us suggest a simple answer. We cannot tell people what core values they should have. Period. Values are deeply connected to our personality and originate from past generations, our genetics, our upbringing, and our life journey. These are not things we change with a PowerPoint.
All employees should be supported and encouraged to search and find their own core values and bring them to work. Bringing clarity to who we are and what we need gives us an amazing foundation to work effortlessly and unlock our full potential.
