Loud and Clear! How to Convey Your Core Business Values to New Team Members
Core values — they're the all-pervading framework for the guiding principles that direct your decisions, influence workplace behaviours, and should shape your day-to-day running.
If you've just hired a new employee, they must learn all about your business' core values before getting into the thick of things.
This is not what you want to happen in the long run:
You want employees who uphold your desired company culture by integrating those core values which you put in the work to choose.
So, how do you convey your core values to new employees?
Captivate Them With An Engaging Format
One-pagers are quick and easy, but these days it'll take more to really make your core values stick in the mind of new employees. Since one-pagers aren't enough, there's room for creativity.
Have fun with it:
Use videos to introduce your mission, vision, and core values.
Share personal anecdotes of the reason behind those values.
Share how you decided on the core values of your biz.
Participate in wider events such as World Values Day.
Make Your Core Values Visible, Accessible, And Memorable
Time spent reviewing your core values is never wasted time.
Let new team members know where to find the core values of your business. Always.
You can display your core values on bulletin walls, offer them as a screensaver for work computers, and show them on slides ahead of meetings. Again, get creative!
Also, you can keep them on your website, within your onboarding / orientation packages, and in handbooks as well as SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).
Ever considered hosting workshops, too?
When I facilitated a couple of workshops for a pharmaceutical company some time back, we collaborated with ThinkLink. And they mapped out the workshop content which included a mind-blowing guide on living your core values.
The workshop was called: Creating a Shared Vision
👇🏼 Check out the flashback below!
Refer To Them Regularly
Organizational core values have a tendency to be out of sight out of mind. This is not the type of tunnel vision you want. You want the light of your core values to seep in and help shift a person’s mindset — during work hours, of course.
They're that important.
One of the best ways to do this is with good old storytelling. When you share stories that align with the core values of your business, you increase the chances of new employees remembering what they are, and why you chose them.
This will help to infuse those core values into their work life.
Another regular reminder for core values can come during team meetings. Have your employees explain how they or their co-workers embodied core values during a task, project, or interactions with their colleagues or customers.
A workplace demonstration of your core values is a great way to integrate them into new employees' behaviours.
Create A Core Values Playbook
Create a playbook that includes practical examples of your core values in action. The more examples, the better!
Seeing core values in action will make it that much easier for new employees to visualize and replicate.
Talking about visuals... You can use engaging formats like mind maps, infographics, and if the playbook is virtual, animations and GIFs to convey your core values - just have fun with it.
Lead Skillfully With Your Core Values
Remember, as the leader of your business, it’s important to highlight the core values of said business through workplace interactions regularly. To do so, you may create experiences to reinforce them.
But don't forget — It's equally as important to put an end to interactions that perpetuate opposing core values.
If you see employees leaning towards habits that go against your core values, it might be time to dissect, discuss, and eliminate certain experiences which undermine your core values... before they rub off on others.
Ready To Align Your Core Values With Leadership?
So, you've got your core values and a team... Now it's all about making the two mesh with kick-ass leadership!
In my FREE leadership training session, you'll get the lowdown on how to truly bring out the best in yourself when you learn your leadership style and understand how you can tap into it to create your kick-ass team.
