We work with many different organisations on improving the role, impact and value of internal communications (IC). So as a regular feature we thought it would be a good idea to share some of the key findings we have uncovered through a combination of our IC audits and health-checks, our conversations with key clients and our observations of reports published by others. We call it The Inside Track and each month we will focus on one of today’s common IC challenges.
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Your company’s purpose and values are the foundation of your culture and identity.
When effectively communicated and embedded, they can help unify employees, guide decision-making and enhance overall performance. From our experience of working with others we’ve pulled together this mini-guide on how to ensure your company’s purpose and values are well understood, embraced and lived by all:
Your natural first step is to clearly define your purpose and values and we strongly recommend involving your people. By bringing together different grades and operating levels from across your organisation to engage in the process, you will not only arrive at an outcome that resonates with the core strategic aims of the organisation but also with your people. You’re then well placed to articulate them in a way that is easy for everyone to understand and relate to.
From the very beginning, place your purpose and values at the heart of your talent attraction strategy and on-boarding process. A great way to help strengthen your employer brand proposition and point of differentiation. Once on-board you can introduce new starters to your purpose and values through comprehensive training, employee networks, engaging materials and interactive activities. This will also help to set expectations of your new hires from day one.
Leadership plays a crucial role in embedding purpose and values. Yours leaders and senior managers need to consistently model the values in their behaviour, decision-making and communication. If your people see the most senior leadership team and their own line manager embodying your company’s values, they are more likely to follow. However, this will not come naturally to some leaders and you may need to create bespoke leader comms support, such as a ‘vision and values conversation guide’.
A regular rhythm of communication is key to keeping your purpose and values front of mind. Optimise all of your channels such as emails, newsletters, team meetings, town halls and internal social networks to capture and share stories of tangible examples of your purpose and values in action. Highlighting real-life operational successes and progress will help reinforce why they were right from the outset and also help strengthen belief in your strategy.
It’s important to ensure your organisational policies, procedures and processes reflect your purpose and values. This should include your people performance reviews, reward and recognition schemes and decision-making frameworks. Embedding your values into everyday operations will help integrate them into the organisational DNA and continue to evidence and demonstrate their importance.
Recognition and reward schemes are one of your most powerful tools for highlighting and reinforcing desired behaviours. By celebrating those employees who exemplify your organisational values through both informal and formal recognition programs, awards and public acknowledgments you will not only motivate the individuals being recognised but also set a positive example and benchmark for others.
Encourage employees to contribute to the promotion and implementation of your purpose and values. Create opportunities for your people to share their experiences, ideas and suggestions and through your employee networks seek to align your values with your ED&I strategy. Involving employees in this way will help to foster a sense of ownership and commitment to your broader business strategy.
Storytelling is a great way to bring to life, share and embed your purpose and values. Find ways to source the stories that illustrate how your organisational purpose and values has strengthened your competitive point of difference, driven success and/or helped the organisation overcome some key challenges. Personal anecdotes from your senior leaders and employees will help make the values more relatable and inspiring.
To ensure your values remain relevant and front of mind you need ensure they are firmly embedded in to your continuous training and development programs. Workshops, seminars and e-learning modules can reinforce these principles and help employees understand how to apply them in their roles. This is particularly important for those employees who may have been with your organisation for some time.
Wherever possible try to measure the effectiveness of your efforts to share and embed the company’s purpose and values. A combination of surveys, employee feedback sessions or listening groups and performance metrics will help to assess alignment and identify areas for improvement. Being responsive to feedback and making necessary adjustments will also help ensure that your values continue to resonate.
Conclusion
Effectively sharing and embedding your organisational purpose and values is an ongoing process that requires commitment and consistency. By clearly defining and communicating these principles, integrating them into all aspects of the organisation and recognising and rewarding alignment you will help to create a more cohesive, unified and motivated workforce. A strong sense of purpose and shared values will not only help enhance your organisational culture but should also help drive long-term employee satisfaction.
