Values aren’t buses… They’re not supposed to get you anywhere. They’re supposed to define who you are. Jennifer Crusie
I think this has been a year where values have come to the fore, when the spotlight has shone on the things that really mean something to us. Voices have been raised about community, equality, fairness and injustice. We have also seen divisions where opposing value sets have publicly clashed. This is partly why I often suggest starting with values whenever I am doing any development work with teams or organisations. They are the things that highlight to me what is important for that group of people.
Unfortunately, values too often become a list of buzzwords, replicating the values of others such as funders rather than being truly reflective of the values of that organisation or project. How often do we see in the list diversity, creativity or equality? Not that there is anything wrong with them per se, the question they pose is how they are enacted in those organisations. In doing a quick review of publicly stated values I found one organisation that talks about accessibility being a value yet the typeface on the PDF listing their values and strategy is so small I had to enlarge it several times. Just that one small encounter is enough to raise a question for me about the commitment to that value.
Values are like the operating system of individuals and groups, they guide decision making, behaviour and interactions.
How would someone know if your organisation or project is values driven?
- Does everyone know what the values are?
- Can your team recall them, and do they all recall the same ones?
- Can they tell others what they are?
- Does everyone know what the values look like in action?
- Are the values integral to how you work?
- Do your expressed values match the experience of those who interact with you?
Be honest about your personal experience of your organisation’s values!
We have all had the experience of dealing with an organisation that espouses one set of values but seems to live by another set when you deal with them as a customer. Those organisations that talk about putting the customer first only to make you leap through a series of hoops just to ask a question.
We generally don’t judge values by what is written in a business plan, on a poster or on a website. We make our own judgements when we interact with the organisation or project.
It’s worth remembering:
- Values are always there
- Values motivate people
- Values are everlasting
- Values are guiding principles
- Values are action based
As we leave an unparalleled year maybe the beginning of 2021 is a good point to stop and reflect on what is important for us now and how that could be mirrored and enacted through our values (both espoused and in action).