Value Statements That Matter
Do your organizational value statements actually translate in practice?
We’ve all heard stories, right? The organizations that have AMAZING value statements up on their wall and in their employee handbook, but experientially those values are nowhere to be found?
In a culture where companies are trying really hard to accommodate for mental health and burnout, looking to overturn the workplace cultures of yesteryear, there is often still a tension between living out this ideal value system and maximizing the bottom line.
They say “We value teamwork!” and yet everything is micromanaged.
Or they say “All voices matter!” but when you try to use your voice, you’re shut down.
The reality of an organizational culture that upholds the holistic health of each team member is that sometimes living out those values will be hard. and may even be costly to the organization - so costly that those values are set aside when it matters most. We often see that the gap between the promise of a healthy work environment and the reality of an unhealthy culture is more painful than if that expectation never even existed. This can lead to frustration on leaders and team members all around.
Gap Relief Director and Co-Founder Amy Butler has many thoughts on this, and having years of experience working with organizations to boost their organizational culture, she is an expert in helping them make their value statements actually matter in reality.
She says
“It requires [organizations] to have a value system for pain and stress. So it actually feels stressful to actually push play and to do the ‘reals’ of a value system. And so if you have a value system of ‘teamwork,’ you have to feel the pain of ‘I can’t just take control and do everything or command everything in that place. I have to create space and safety for it to actually be a team working together.’”
That is part of The Gap that we at Gap Relief work to close in our communities. Our mission is to help the helpers build resilient communities, and organizational growth and health is a huge part of that.
Does your organization mean what it says? Do you act out your value statements in practice even when they might cost you something?
We’d love to consult with you on this! Click the button below to schedule a free call to see if Gap Relief can help!
