Values for the bucket? 5 key points for a proper positioning.
Once upon a time there were a handful of brand values. Appreciative was among them, respectful, customer-oriented and…? Does this situation sound familiar to you? You have implemented new values top-down in an elaborate brand process and they have now disappeared somewhere … let’s say.
Today we are not talking about values not being lived – that is another story. It is first about choosing and charging new values in such a way that they do not immediately end up in the circular file of our memory. And since we are asked again and again what good values should be able to do, here are 5 tips:
#1 Bottom-up instead of top-down
Values cannot simply be imposed – like some new implementation programme. If employees are to stand behind the new values, they should be involved from the very beginning – be it in focus groups or interviews. Because they know best whether values fit or are just empty promises. And those who have their say are less able to speak against them later.
#2 Not just nice
If you only focus on ethical values such as appreciation or respect, you will not get anywhere. Values should not be hygiene factors, but should guide your actions. A compass on how to achieve your goals. Only “Driving Values” will really get you ahead. We use the Limbic Map® as a guide to cover all corners of our human motivation. What comes out of it? A development value, an experience value and a result value. Absolutely clear-cut, mind you.
#3 Less is more
If you cover the 3 dimensions of the Limbic Map with one value each, you are well advised. More than 3 values will hardly stick. Less is more, of course, also applies to the terms themselves. They should not be too interchangeable or abstract – but also not too creative, just to sound cool. Much more important: the values must fit well together linguistically, i.e. have a common bracket such as the same initial letter. This makes them easier to remember.
#4 From the inside out
Ask not whether your values work inside and out, but whether they work from the inside out. This means you should cover 80 per cent of your status quo culture. This way you don’t run the risk of promising more than you can deliver. 20 percent may be ambition – after all, new values should help to achieve ambitious goals. This is exactly what you should focus on in the rollout if you want to radiate authentically from the inside to the outside.
#5 Putting values into stories
Storytelling is an excellent way to breathe life into values. Because we remember stories more easily than just words. It is most credible when employees themselves tell stories about where they have already experienced the new values.
Interested in charging your values with storytelling? Then get in touch right away, because we have developed a one-day in-house workshop on storytelling around values. So that you don’t run out of words when it comes to values.
Kind regards
Monika Kriwan