Back in 1994, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras identified core values as fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that helped the best companies keep everyone on the same page. But did they really?
A 2020 MIT Sloan Review study found that more than 80% of large companies published their core values online. Other studies place the number of companies with stated core values as high as 92%. This simply says that companies embraced the concept of stated core values.
But employee satisfaction scores tell a story of broken cultures. A Fond study of HR execs found that "only 22% responded that 60% or more of their employees know their company’s core values." A Gallup poll found that "just 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can apply their organization’s values to their work, and only 27% strongly agree that they “believe in” these values." And a Leadership IQ study showed that "only 20% of respondents say their company always hires people who fit well with their company values."
If people can’t articulate what the values are, how can they be expected to be influenced by those values?
If leaders don’t demonstrate the desired behavior, why would they expect employees to act any differently?
This is why I believe that one-word values don’t resonate with people. They’re empty words. No one needs another poster with an eagle soaring over a canyon with the word “Respect” in giant Times New Roman. I’m pretty certain that no one has ever walked down a hall thinking disrespectful thoughts, seen a poster, and then changed their way of thinking.
Random statements don’t help, either. One company I worked with had a core value of “Fly Your Freak Flag.” What they meant, I think, was for everyone in the company to be themselves, uniquely, and build a better culture through intellectual diversity. That’s not what they got. When they asked employees to write their “freak flag” on large cards that could be hung outside offices, one male leader wrote, “I like to pee sitting down.” Another wrote, “I can burp in three different languages.” Funny, but I’m sure HR couldn’t use any of that for cultural enrichment.
Here are some examples of companies that have gone beyond one-word core values to create more nuanced and actionable core behaviors:
Zappos:
Deliver WOW Through Service
Embrace and Drive Change
Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
Pursue Growth and Learning
Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
Do More With Less
Be Passionate and Determined
Be Humble
Google:
Focus on the user and all else will follow
It’s best to do one thing really, really well
Fast is better than slow
Democracy on the web works
You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer
You can make money without doing evil
There’s always more information out there
The need for information crosses all borders
You can be serious without a suit
Great just isn’t good enough
Zillow:
Customers Are Our North Star
Turn On the Lights.
Do the Right Thing.
Own It.
ZG Is a Team Sport.
Include and Empower.
Think Big, Move Fast.
Deliver Quality on Time, Every Time.
Tesla:
Do the impossible
Constantly innovate
Reason from “first principles”
Think like owners
We are all in
These examples stand out in their simplicity and ability to inspire while clarifying the kind of culture the company wants. Employees can understand what the company wants from them. Executives can model the behaviors. HR can recruit individuals who WANT to live these values.
If you’d like help discovering the core behaviors within your organization and crafting the language, let’s talk.