Values are the pillars of a company’s culture, defining how colleagues are expected to think, feel and act. But when confined to the “About us” section of an organization’s internet or a page in the handbook, they lose meaning. Values are powerful when they are actionable: when all employees understand what they mean and how to put them into practice.
Here’s how you can use communication to take values from empty words to part of the employee experience.
Share employee testimonials
Use storytelling to make company values tangible—share real-life examples from employees.
Recently, we assisted a client who wanted to bring more awareness to their organization’s values. We collected videos from employees answering the question, “Which of our values resonates the most with you, and why?” These videos were then featured on the intranet.
Hearing from their peers helps employees connect to concepts on a more personal level.
Encourage leaders to be authentic
Leadership sets the tone for organizational culture. When leaders authentically share their experiences, it improves their relatability and makes employees want to tune in.
Ask leadership team members to pick one value and write a microblog—50 words or less—to describe how they put it into practice. It’s a quick way to provide a concrete example of what the values look like in action.
Recognize employees who live the values
Implement a recognition program to celebrate employees who exemplify company values.
We helped a client create a recognition program using Viva Engage, an internal social channel. Employees from all levels could post digital "stickers" to shout out colleagues for a job well done.
Initiatives like this one can encourage employees who are already engaged to keep up the good work and inspire less-engaged employees to model those behaviors.
Find the fun
Values don’t have to be dull. Whether it’s through gamification, themed events or interactivity, infuse moments of fun into communications to make values memorable.
Try this: Spark discussions by creating “Conversation Cards” with questions related to the values. Distribute these to managers to use as icebreakers during team meetings.
By leveraging effective internal communication, you can transform your company values from abstract concepts into lived experiences, fostering a workplace culture where every member is not just aware but actively contributing to the shared values of the organization.
Want to develop a communication plan to breathe new life into the values at your organization? We’re here to help! Connect with us to get started.
