Recently as I was clearing out a closet I found my twenty-plus year old tattered and worn copy of In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, Jr. I was struck by the following:
"Let us suppose that we were asked for one all purpose bit of advice for management, one truth that we were able to distill from the excellent company's research. We might be tempted to reply, "Figure out your value system." Decide what your company stands for. Clarify the value system and breathing life into it are the greatest contributions a leader could make."
I thought to myself how often since the book was first published in 1982 have we read of corporate leaders, government officials, athletes and role models being accused and often convicted of some type of wrong doing. And I asked myself, "Didn't these people have any values?"
Television, movies, music and other forms of popular culture are filled with questionable values, violence and greed. Implicit in this is a subtle approval of behavior. By being apathetic in our words and actions we set a lack of standards for our children, co-workers, employees and the next generation. We can find the need for it in every business or not-for-profit organization, every profession and industry, and in our local, state and national governments. The important decisions we make, and actions we take should be influenced by values.
The concept of Valueship is not new. Harvard professors James L. Heskett and Leonard A. Schlesinger studied the relationship between leadership, behavior and organizational performance. They found that leaders of the best performing companies defined their jobs as:
? "Identifying and constantly communicating commonly held values,
? shaping such value to enhance performance,
? ensuring the capability of people around them, and living the commonly held values."
Valueship focuses on balancing the need of the individual with the needs of the organization by aligning the
The classic example of a value driven business is Johnson and Johnson and its decision to nationally recall all Tylenol capsules when several deaths were attributed to its use in the Chicago area. The decision cost Johnson and Johnson millions of dollars, and ultimately was the result of product tampering. Yet the leadership of this company felt their first responsibility was to "the doctors, nurses and patients, mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services." Having a clear understanding of their values made the decisively obvious.
We create values in an organization by focusing on leading people to do the right thing as well as doing things right. People will generally be motivated to do good, if not exceptional work when they feel apart of an organization and see their leaders living these values.
By identifying core values we can begin a path to value-based leadership. Core values are the basic principles which we choose to guide our actions. They define beliefs, standards and acceptable behaviors. If properly communicated throughout all levels of the organization, they govern and guide the actions and decision of the individuals and the organization.
Decisions, priorities and actions are framed by core values. Examples include:
? We believe our employees are the key to our success.
? Never violate the public's trust.
? We will treat our customers as guest in our homes.
? Our integrity has no room for error.
? We pledge to create an environment for our employees that foster respect, fairness opportunities for professional and personal growth.
Many people give little if any thought to identifying values that will guide their personal behavior. And, probably few organizations have done so. Instead they conveniently accept the values of others or let the moment determine values. In most every case where values are not clearly defined, good decisions are more difficult to make. Without understood and accepted values, people are easily swayed and decisions are subject to compromise and frequent change.
Successful leaders use a set of core values to make important decisions. They do the right thing for the right reasons. Personal values may differ within an organization. A strong leader will guide his or her team to focus on common good values the will create a desire for teamwork and cooperation, without invalidating those personal differences.
The key to Valueship is crystallizing the values that establish the guidelines for behavior. It is up to us as executives and leaders to drive these values throughout the organization. When you engage in actions that conflict with these values, you sacrifice your credibility. I'm dusting off my copy and re-reading In Search of Excellence. I trust it contains some very worthwhile thoughts that over the years we have learned and some we have ignored.
Tom Schweizer is President of Best Practices Associates. His execution of results-oriented, innovative approaches empowers clients to tap into their hidden potential and achieve outcomes once thought out of reach. Tom has had careers in both the business and not-for-profit sectors. As a coach he specializes in helping organizations improve results and build capacity.
