Our Organizational Values

Determining organizational values in a meaningful yet resource-efficient way is a challenging task. This method can help you to build an internal values model within your organization or team and applies to up to 30 people.

We understand values as lighthouses for individual and joint behavior, yet the value words alone mean little. This is why the value words must be operationalized for their application in different contexts.

After the values have been determined, they can be used as decision-making criteria for hiring or talent selection. You can use them for internal reviews (performance reviews, peer reviews, bonus payments, etc.) and for internal development programs. After all these values represent what each member of your organization should strive for. Maybe not each member aligns with all values, but there should be a good overlap for a consistent culture of trust within the organization.

• Determine organizational values.

• coaching cards set “What Really Matters!”

• Writing materials, i.e. pen and paper

1. Introduction:
   Make sure that your organization understands the problems that should be solved by introducing values as a concept. From the beginning be open about the different programs that you intend to connect to the values and how they in the end will be implemented in the organizational structure and processes.

2. Ideal behavior:
   Start by collecting the behaviors you want to see in the organization.

   • Distribute the participants into groups of 3–5 and let them come up with behaviors that they expect from each other. This can range from being on time to being emotionally available to taking responsibility for everyone’s mistakes. It depends on the organization itself.

   • Give each group one value card set and let them decide which values are a good description for the behaviors that they have written down.

   • If you work with break-out groups here, it is a token of appreciation if you have already arranged the cards in each room in a circle for the groups to work with. If you only have 1 main room this probably does not work.

3. Consolidation

   • Then do a 4:2:1 and combine groups in a tight schedule until you only have two groups left.

   • Let the two remaining groups write down their proposed models on flipcharts and present it to each other.

   • At this point both groups are very attached to their model which they created in the last hours. Do a breathing or relaxation exercise to help your participants decouple from the work they have done. There can only be 1 refined model in the end.

   • In the final step consolidate the 2 models into one. You should end up with 3–6 values with a maximum of 3 behaviors linked to each of them. More values or behaviors will render the model useless in the implementation of organizational processes.

4. Next steps

   • After the model has been created, make sure that it is nicely layouted and described. Then it should be communicated and displayed where everyone in the organization can see it!

   • Start implementing the model in the organizational processes. You might have to change the wording of the behavioral markers for different use-cases but the general ideas that they represent must stay the same.

     With this easy process you can help small organizations to set their values and work with them further.