Six ways to embed values

Video Summary: Key Points

• Designate a values keeper to act as an ambassador of organisational values, ensuring consistent implementation.

Choose individuals who:

• Exemplify the organisation’s values
• Demonstrate strong commitment to the mission and culture
• Have influence, credibility, and inspire others
• Provide training and support to equip values keepers with knowledge and skills to communicate and reinforce values effectively.
• Regularly update values keepers on organisational values and deepen their understanding.
• Values keepers lead by example, consistently demonstrating values in behaviour and actions; visible commitment inspires and encourages others.
• Ensure clear communication channels to share updates, success stories, and best practices.
• Encourage engagement with teams: answer questions, provide guidance, and address concerns.
• Foster collaboration among values keepers with a platform for sharing experiences, insights, continuous learning, idea sharing, and collective problem-solving to embed organisational values.

Video Summary

• Designate a values keeper to act as an ambassador, ensuring consistent implementation.
• Choose individuals who exemplify the organisation’s values, demonstrate strong commitment to the mission and culture, and have influence, credibility, and inspire others.
• Provide training and support to equip values keepers with knowledge and skills to communicate and reinforce values effectively; regularly update them and deepen their understanding.
• Values keepers lead by example, consistently demonstrating values in behaviour and actions; visible commitment inspires and encourages others.
• Ensure clear communication channels to share updates, success stories, and best practices; encourage engagement with teams to answer questions, provide guidance, and address concerns.
• Foster collaboration among values keepers with a platform for sharing experiences, insights, continuous learning, idea sharing, and collective problem-solving to embed organisational values.

Video Summary

• Linking values to behaviours and stories is an effective way to embed them within the organisation.
• Clearly define specific behaviours that align with each value.
• Provide examples of what these behaviours look like in practice to help team members understand how to apply them in daily work and interactions.
• Use stories to show real-life examples of how the values have been lived out within the organisation.
• Share stories of team members who have exemplified the values, overcome challenges, or achieved exceptional results through living out those values.
• Stories create emotional connection and inspire others to embrace the values in their own work.
• Linking values to both behaviours (guidelines) and stories (inspiration and context) makes the values more tangible, relatable, and easier to live out day-to-day.

Video Summary: Bring Refreshed Values to Life

• Take deliberate steps to embed refreshed values.
• Launch communication campaign: town halls, intranet, emails, posters.
• Example: COVID town hall reminded people of vision, mission, and values.
• Provide training/workshops with interactive exercises and discussions.
• Review/update policies, procedures, and performance evaluations to align.
• Align recognition/reward programs; recognise team members who live values.
• Continuously reinforce through communication, storytelling, real-life examples.
• Encourage leaders to integrate values into communication and decision-making.
• Embedding values is ongoing — requires consistent effort, leadership commitment, and team engagement.
• Regularly assess and evaluate progress to ensure values are truly embedded in culture.

Video Summary: Embedding values requires tangible and intangible means.

Tangible means:

• Integrate values into policies, procedures, and codes of conduct.
• Include values in performance evaluations.
• Incorporate values into recruitment to hire aligned individuals/volunteers.
• Emphasise values during onboarding to guide decisions and behaviour.
• Provide training to educate team members and equip them to apply values.

Intangible means:

• Leaders model values consistently in their behaviour and actions.
• Share stories and anecdotes showing the values’ positive impact.
• Use storytelling tools (“remember when”) to connect stories to values.
• Recognise and celebrate team members who embody values.
• Foster a positive, inclusive culture that supports and promotes values.

Use both tangible and intangible approaches — tangible gives structure and guidance; intangible creates purpose, inspiration, and cultural alignment.

Video Summary

Fostering ownership and stewardship of values means creating an environment where team members feel responsible and accountable for upholding and promoting the values.

• Clearly communicate expectations and behaviours that align with values.
• Define how each value should be demonstrated in roles and responsibilities.
• Involve team members in developing and refining values; seek input and feedback.
• Provide training to help team members understand and embody values daily.
• Recognise and reward those who consistently demonstrate values.
• Encourage autonomy — allow decisions and actions aligned with values with guidance.
• Leaders model and promote values consistently.
• Regularly communicate and reinforce values through channels, stories, and celebrations.
• Example: leadership meetings use the “History Channel” — senior leaders share stories of values, principles, and lessons.

Result: team members uphold and promote values, increasing engagement and alignment.