Where Do We Go from Here?

Most forward-thinking organizations realize that certain workplace characteristics bring substantial business benefits while helping reduce distractions, unnecessary disruptions, and legal, ethical, and financial risks. While ten or even five years ago, the emphasis might have been placed almost entirely on legal standards, leaders now speak of creating work environments that are civil, professional, inclusive, and welcoming – in addition to lawful. Because the law only deals with a narrow spectrum of behaviors that can create harm, leaders are turning to organizational values as a more useful standard to guide daily conduct and business practices.

Integrating values into the culture presents myriad challenges, however. Leaders often do not have the focus to simplify complex and sometimes divergent themes, the necessary plans to marshal the right resources, and the intensity and sense of purpose to view this with the same commitment as they do other critical business initiatives. There is also a political element that can be underestimated if not overlooked entirely. This process requires bringing together diverse disciplines with their own budgets, priorities, messages, and approaches to work on delivering a unified, common vision. In many cases, conflicts arise between individual departmental-level priorities, including those of Diversity, Compliance, EEO, and others who must be involved and work together for the initiative to be successful.

This lack of planning and preparation can eventually derail a well-meaning campaign. Before any initiative to build a values-driven culture begins, organizations need a simplified roadmap they can follow to set the stage for results. Following are some key planning considerations that will be helpful in anticipating and preempting potential challenges and delays.

Senior leaders who can articulate the type of workplace they envision must drive the initiative; it is a must for commitment from company leadership in order for the scheme to be successful. They must have a clear sense of the few clear behaviors that represent their view of daily interactions and operations. Straightforward statements that leave little room for interpretation are best, not lofty or subjective principles: “We don’t lie or fabricate documents,” has greater impact than “We are committed to integrity.”

Leaders from different sectors or global segments of the business need to be brought into the process. Consequently, the individuals tasked with this initiative must be consensus builders who can gain executive agreement around key principles, including the tangible business benefits. This means being able to demonstrate the value from a number of perspectives, tailored to the priorities and objectives of different business disciplines.

Business unit leaders may not be responsible for developing the vision of what the culture should be, but they must support it, understand their role, and appreciate the bottom-line impact. By communicating, providing training, and holding people accountable to standards, they play a key role in ensuring values-based behavior takes root in their individual areas.

Changing a culture requires more than executive pronouncements and training programs; it requires commitment and involvement in all areas. If certain groups are excluded from the process, they will not take on the leadership role required to drive change into varying levels of the organization, or they may set their own agendas. While it may be necessary and even desirable to adjust approaches in different areas or regions, the overarching messages must be consistent. Bringing people into the process early on helps avoid conflicts and perceptions of being marginalized.

Cultural initiatives are multi-faceted and complex; as a result, careful planning is critical. But it is also important to remember that culture develops and evolves over time. Long-term commitment and continual monitoring, measuring, and adjusting are necessary to keep track with the pulse of the workplace, the business and the market. Planning doesn’t end when the initiative begins. It must continue and evolve along with the culture itself. Organizations that prepare for an ongoing and fluid (yet managed) process will be most successful in building a values-driven workplace that yields the business benefits they’re striving to achieve.

About Stephen Paskoff
Stephen Paskoff, is President of ELI, a training firm that helps clients translate values into behaviors, increase employee contribution, build respectful and inclusive cultures, and reduce risk. Prior to establishing ELI in 1986, he was a trial attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and partner in a management law firm.