Organisational Value Statements: Aspirational or Cynical?

Organisational value statements aim to inspire employees, shape a positive workplace culture and guide ethical decision-making.

When aligned with actions, they can serve as a powerful aspirational compass.

Yet many organisations use the language of 'the preacher', encouraging employees “to be committed in heart and mind” or “to shape a better future for the world.”

When these ideals do not reflect the lived experiences of employees, customers, or stakeholders; cynicism quickly replaces aspiration.

Most organisations, across all sectors, champion values such as 'caring for one another' and embracing diversity. Yet in practice, many organisations use soft or hard power to demand excessive working hours, and silencing diverse or dissenting voices. The espoused values disappear.

Organisational values should not be a top-down exercise of preaching abstract ideal at employees.

Values should be owned and shaped by those employees who are invited to live them.

They should be reflected in day-to-day practices and decision-making.

Aligning values with workplace practices, can foster trust, engagement and be a useful counter-point when workplaces feel pressure to act in problematic ways.

Organisations are like sponges absorbing societal influences around them. In these current chaotic times, organisations have the potential to be powerful agents of positive societal change. But to achieve this, and to provide a healthy counter-balance to a political, economic and social world that seems to be losing its way; they and we, need values.....

Real, lived and embodied values.