For many organisations a set of values already exists. Sometimes this has emerged incrementally or is the legacy of a previous management team. These informal values may or may not inform how people behave. A Values Refresh Program is designed to promote greater employee engagement with the values. The design reason tests existing values with a wide reference group within the organisation. If desired, this consultation process is also extended to a representative group of the organisation’s major stakeholders and constituents. The newly reviewed and refreshed values are then rolled out to all organisational members.
Our approach:
Step 1. Identify a steering group made up of opinion leaders throughout the organisation. Typically the process is then kicked off with an initial one-day facilitated workshop that (1) clarifies the “values in use” (those that will resonate best with the reference group), and (2) identifies behaviours that the group feels best represent the values
Step 2. As organisational values sit within a wider context, it is important that they are consistent with other business imperatives including the business plan and other codes and protocols including fraud and risk policies; brand strategies and the business charter. This step reviews the proposed draft values to ensure that they are compatible with other frameworks and then proceeds to the consultation phase with a wider stakeholder group.
Step 3. To gain ownership of the draft revised values we suggest as much participation by organisational members as possible in a consultation process across the business. This involves holding “focus groups” of 15-20 per session where the draft values and behaviours are presented and a dialogue is hosted around how they were formulated, how people perceive them and how they can be lived out. Input is sought regarding how employees can commit to the values.
Step 4. The final revised values are then presented to the Executive Group for review. This is important because there may be behaviours and or articulations of values that do not quite fit with specific strategic initiatives. At this stage there is a need to reflect on how the suggested newly revised values might impact on other aspects of business performance, such as the strategic plan and cultural and developmental programs. This is a role for the steering group in consultation with key members of the Executive. Once approved, the values are rolled out to the organisation’s employees and stakeholders.
