Quick! Can you name your company’s top Values?
I have to admit, If you asked me that question out of the blue, I could not immediately name all five of the Ingage Values - but I could probably name them after thinking about it for a short time. For me, these values are one of those things that “I know it when I see it.” Thankfully I don’t have to look very hard when I’m in the office, because they’re displayed prominently on the wall!
Now that you’ve had a chance to think about it - can you name your company’s stated Values? Are they displayed or published somewhere that you could easily find them? Most importantly - do you agree with them personally? You might say “well, you had me up until the moment you said personally.” Why do we seem to separate our personal life and work life values into different mental compartments? If we do, then keeping them separate has likely become increasingly difficult over the past few years as our work and personal life barriers have blurred more than ever. But should we really have different values when “at work” than when not? And what if we don’t share the core values of our employer? Does it matter?
I think it does, and a recent Harvard Business Review article “What Does Your Company Stand For?” makes the case that company performance and your very own personal happiness depends on it! According to the article:
The authors conducted dozens of studies designed to determine how a clear view of one’s values can affect decision-making, motivation, relationships, well-being, leadership, and performance. They discovered that when a company’s official values match those of its employees—a situation they call values alignment—the benefits include higher job satisfaction, less turnover, better teamwork, more-effective communication, bigger contributions to the organization, and more-productive negotiations, not to mention more diversity, equity, and inclusion.
So it begs the question - as an associate, do you have a clear view of your own values and do they align with your company’s stated values? How does this impact your day to day outlook, performance, and well-being? As a leader, do you feel your company's values align with your employees and vice versa?
At Ingage, as mentioned above, the company’s core values are literally plastered on the wall. They are:
Amaze Our Clients by helping them embrace change and succeed in an evolving business climate.
Speak Through Action and so inspire others through mindful acts; fulfill our commitments.
Pursue Growth and Learning to be innovative and continuously challenged.
Demonstrate Integrity and Authenticity by keeping it real with others and being true to ourselves.
Be the Change by courageously standing for what you believe and making the difference you seek in the world.
I’m thankful that these values resonate with me. They attracted me to Ingage. I am generally in alignment with these ideas, and I can definitely say that they drive a great sense of happiness and well being in my day to day work.
Can you say the same?