People around the globe are turning up their noses at the one-way promises and so called "value propositions" of the past. Countless consumers and employees now make purchasing and career decisions based on the wisdom and feedback from their significant circles of influence. Gone are the days of trusted ad campaigns. This is the dawning of an era that demands transparency, authenticity and the delivery of real-life two-way exchange.
Leaders can learn a great deal from their employees and consumers by not only listening but by re-examining their out-dated values and beliefs to better understand how well they are performing and actually fostering cultures of trust. Likewise, through listening, organizations can uncover where severe disconnects exist and how they can restore beliefs within their ranks to deliver outstanding experiences both internally and externally.
Values drive on-brand behaviors.
Values are fundamental to the way we think and more importantly act. If leaders are looking for ways to drive behavior and cultural change, they must also be living these values through their actions and not just words. Employees who see a sincere delivery by leadership will be more inclined to adapt their personal behaviors to drive on brand experiences for customers.
In a recent post, Greg Lederman, of Brand Integrity, points out:
"Every employee in your company comes to work each day with a set of beliefs that they have crafted through years of life experience. Employees have their own individual belief systems, which encourage them to behave in certain ways at work.
Most companies are inconsistent at best in delivering a productive work culture and profitable customer experiences. Why? Because most companies have not defined what it is that employees should believe each day at work. By establishing a belief system for your company, you are able to set clear expectations for employees on what they are to "think" about your brand and what it means to the company, employees and customers. If you don't define your company's beliefs, you leave it up to each individual employee to define their own set of beliefs about your company and you lose the opportunity to guide their thoughts and actions. This ultimately leads to inconsistencies in employee behaviors (how employees do your brand) and in the experiences delivered to employees and customers.
Think about companies you've interacted with that clearly don't have a belief system that employees buy-in to...
Now think about the companies that do enroll their employees in a belief system that unites and drives the entire organization...
Ask yourself...who would you rather work for or do business with?"
There are dramatic shifts taking place in business today and much more to be discussed about how employee behavior, collaboration, recognition and performance are relative to an organizations success. However without enduring and meaningful values, employees will be left wondering how they can connect to the big picture. Leaders who are steadfast in their values and empower others to live them through their own actions will see far better results from every initiative they put in place.
