Every organization has a written set of core values, and you’ve probably spent a lot of time developing and crafting yours to get them just right. The question is, have those values that you worked so hard to create really stuck? Have they been integrated into the DNA of your culture?
If you can’t answer that with a solid “Yes” then maybe you should throw away your organization’s core values. I’m not saying that core values aren’t important; they absolutely are. But if you’re not going to use them, then why have them?
Core values are intended to shape the behaviors of the people on your team.
Core values are intended to help you process the decisions you make.
Core values are intended to describe the personality of your organization.
Core values are intended to help you accomplish your mission.
I always tell church planters that your people have not embraced your values until you hear them verbalizing those values on their own. If you don’t see your team talking about and living out the values, if you’re not running decisions through the filter of your core values, and if your customers aren’t describing your organization using the words or phrases you’ve spelled out as your core values, then the question becomes do you really have core values?
But before you throw your core values away, try to begin incorporating them into the context of everything you do. Talk about them in your meetings; not by simply going over them like a checklist, but by integrating them naturally into the discussion. Use them as a filter in each decision you make. Have your team memorize them so that they come to mind more easily when decisions need to be made.
It will take some time, but if you stay committed to keeping your core values at the forefront of everything you do, then eventually you will see your people shape their behaviors to align with the values.
