Keeping the basics fresh 

A month in the life of a busy team can be overwhelming and frantic; in amongst all the busyness, it can be easy to lose sight of the values that remind you why you’re doing it all in the first place! Values are important, but instilling and living those values out everyday is just as important. 

According to a poll conducted by Fond, only 1 in 10 HR leaders believe that 80% or more of their employees are able to recite their values. That’s a pretty worrying statistic! Teams that don’t know their values to repeat to others are almost certainly not living them out, which could be leaving teams headed in the wrong direction. 

It’s no surprise that values, goals and team purposes get lost in the the busyness of the everyday but, in reality, knowing the values – both the personal and team values – is what makes the everyday easier. Values can help clarify difficult situations and decisions by providing a choice that will keep your team moving forward. These values can also dictate how team members behave with one another and come together in unison. Knowing the values your team lives and works by can also explain why people think, behave and react differently and it can make it easier to see that translated into the team setting. 

So, how can you help to keep these basics fresh? 

Relevancy is key: As always, prevention rather than crisis management is the best approach. According to Gallup, only 23% of U/S employees strongly agree that they can apply their organisation’s values to their work every day. Leaders need to be creating values, goals and team purposes that are relevant for their team. If these basic ideas aren’t relevant, they’ll be forgotten in no time. 

Hire according to values: Know your values well, make them public and talk about them openly and clearly to attract the right people to your team. If your new recruit doesn’t quite fit with your values, it’s likely that they won’t be committed to upholding those values further down the track. 

Provide real-life examples: Training — whether it’s at the beginning of an individual’s time with the team or a matter of ongoing learning — is a great opportunity to provide your team with real-life examples of how values can be used as a tool to make everyday decisions and progress smoother. 

Walk the talk: There’s no point spouting values for your team if you’re not actively living them out. For example, if a value of your organisation is to have fun, as a leader, it’s your role to make sure that fun finds its way into the day, whatever that may look like for your team! 

Perhaps personal or organisational values might not seem like the most interesting thing to be pushing in your day-to-day life as a team, but sticking to them is what drives teams towards big goals and keeps things consistent, in small or large teams. 

Want to refresh the basics with your team? People Make the Difference can help. To find out more, visit www.pmtd.com.au or call us on 0412 333 415. Try our online leadership training videos – $99 for complete access. Great value if you’re committed to growing your leadership potential.