How can employees live by values they don’t know, understand or see in action?

We can all agree that having clearly defined and communicated values, that are lived and respected by all and consistently used to drive decision making and guide direction, is the bedrock of a rich workplace culture. Sadly though, there’s a growing misalignment and it’s causing challenges from behaviour and performance to trust and even wellbeing.

So, what’s going wrong? Let’s take a closer look.

The communications gap

There remains a gap in clear articulation and communication of values to employees. According to Gallup, only 23% of employees feel informed about their company’s values. That’s backed up by Cezanne HR who report that 60% of employees don’t know or don’t feel aligned with their organisation’s values.

The culture misalignment

Even when employees do know the values, this can surface other challenges. According to HR Magazine just 18% of employees feel their organisation’s stated values are strongly aligned to the reality of its culture causing them to quickly lose faith in leadership and culture.

The leadership disconnect

The gap widens when it comes to executives and leadership, 85% of whom believe they “effectively communicate the company’s values” whilst according to Ge-Ipsos only 62% of entry level employee agree, adding to mistrust and disengagement.

The unequipped squeezed middle

And when it comes to trust, Line Manager behaviour is seen as the single most important driver of employee trust and yet only 26% of managers say they’ve had any values-based support or communication training.

The burnout risk

Employees need to see how values apply to their day-to-day work, yet Mercer report that one in every five who feel at risk of burnout attribute it to a misalignment between their own values and the values of their employer.

Internal comms leaders might be tired of creating endless values materials that have become wallpaper but not really shifted belief or behaviour, it’s clear that values remain at the heart of workplace culture.

Bringing your organisational values to life

So, what’ the answer? It’s not more posters that launch but don’t land or another top-down broadcast that doesn’t win hearts and minds. Instead, we work with our clients to create deeper storytelling, more inclusive co creation or that enable employees to feel seen and recognised and equip critical middle managers with the confidence to talk with their teams about values in everyday conversations.

Want to dig a bit deeper?

Take our Values Diagnostic – built for internal communicators who want to check what’s landing and where the gaps might be in their values comms. It only takes a couple of minutes and gives you tailored insight with practical next steps. Take the diagnostic.

We see the impact of clarity every day through our THRIVE methodology – our framework for helping organisations build fairer, healthier and happier workplaces through better communication. One of its six pillars is Values – focused entirely on how people connect and align their behaviour to your organisation’s values. If you’re struggling to make your values come to life, this is a good place to start. Read more about THRIVE.

Need to build engagement and alignment to your values?

Exceptional workplace cultures don’t happen by chance, they’re built through intentional, inclusive and inspiring communication.

We can help you:

• Simplify and articulate your existing values in a way that helps everyone understand the expectations on them
• Launch or re-launch your values in a way that brings fresh energy, engagement and alignment
• Keep your values alive through behaviour change, leadership alignment and consistent, embedded communication

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to values comms. That’s why we offer three ways to work with us – depending on where you are now, and where you want to get to.

Activator – Have a story you need to tell? We help simplify complex ideas, shape strong narratives and build campaigns that bring everyone with you. Book a call to discuss your brief.

Pathfinder – Struggling for budget but need direction? Join our community of passionate changemakers and access free guides, tools and events. Sign up to join Work Wonders here.

Co-creator – Already have an in-house team or agency but need fresh thinking? Tap into our advisory services to bring in external perspective and energy. Let’s talk about your challenges, book a call here.