 Have you ever taken a moment to assess your core values? I recently took a deep dive into my values, which got me thinking about their impact on motivation and engagement, especially in the workplace. While my core values have remained remarkably consistent over the years, how I prioritise them has evolved. And it all started with a conversation about the connection between financial rewards and motivation, sparked by Daniel Pink's book 'Drive.'' My boss referenced a concept from the book, and it struck a chord: Pay alone doesn't necessarily drive motivation unless it's significantly inadequate or unfair compared to similar roles. This got me thinking deeply about how our values influence staff engagement and motivation.
Now, I won't dive into the intricacies of motivation, as I've covered that before. Instead, let's focus on values. Many organisations have their own set of values that they expect employees to embrace. For years, I struggled with the idea of organisational values despite their importance. My concern was value congruence—what if an organisation's core values didn't align with mine? Or what if they did, but the organisation prioritised values that didn't resonate with my current life stage? These questions led me on a fascinating journey. Values can be broadly categorised into two types: normative values and personal values. Normative values are the rules and agreements that guide societal behaviour, reflecting accepted notions of right and wrong. On the other hand, personal values are your unique beliefs and ideals that motivate you to take action. They're the things that matter most to you and drive your decisions. Typically, organisational values are rooted in normative values, and that's okay. Normative values encourage positive behaviour, and research suggests that we tend to adopt normative values because of the positive expectations of others to do so. Essentially, we follow the social norms around us, striving to meet those expectations. Let me illustrate this with an example: think about community fundraising for a cause or gift. When many individuals contribute, you're more likely to ask, "How much are you giving?" Your contribution might be influenced by the amount others are giving. Why? Because we instinctively aim to meet our peers' positive expectations, we often take our cues from the prevailing social norms. But here's the challenging part—what if we could tap into the personal values of our staff to boost engagement and motivation? You might wonder how to pull this off, especially in larger organisations. The key players here are your line managers. It's not uncommon for subcultures to emerge within large organisations. That's why it's perfectly acceptable to have team values that align more closely with the team's specific goals rather than mirroring the organisation's values. It sounds a bit unconventional but hear me out. The first step is for managers to understand the personal values of their team members. I'm reading 'Motivational Interviewing' by Miller and Rollnick, which provides a set of values you can use freely. These values serve as a starting point for the conversation. Imagine this scenario: you gather your team and distribute a set of cards with values on them. You ask your team members to sort these values into categories like "Most Important," "Very Important," "Important," "Somewhat Important," and "Not Important." You even provide blank cards so they can add values that resonate with them but aren't on the list. Allocate about 15 minutes for this exercise. Here are a few examples from the list (the full list is provided at the end of the page):
After sorting, ask your team members to select their top five values and rank them from 1 to 5. Now, the magic begins. Encourage them to share a personal story explaining why these values are crucial to them. This exercise goes beyond teamwork; it forges personal connections and builds trust among team members. A coach recently said to me people can argue with your opinion but cannot argue with your story. Once everyone has shared their stories, it's time to collectively choose the top five values essential to the team members, its stakeholders, and their team goals. Encourage your team to think about the stories they want others to tell about them when they live out these agreed-upon values. As an added layer of insight, involve your stakeholders. Ask them to share stories of when the team performed at its best and the keywords, they'd use to describe your team. Incorporate these words into your team's discussions about values. Now comes the exciting part: integrating these team values into your team's culture and decision-making processes. Your values should be the guiding principles behind your choices, acting as a filter through which you view all options. For example, if one of your values is customer-centricity, evaluate each option based on its impact on the customer and choose the one that best serves their interests. Finally, watch for opportunities for your team members to put their personal and team values into action. As these values become ingrained in your team's routine, they'll transition from personal to normative values, reaping the benefits of both types of values. Achieving values congruence within your team results in stronger relationships, improved communication (particularly in challenging situations), authenticity, and enhanced performance. So, explore your values and help your team unlock the incredible potential of values congruence. It's a secret recipe for successful engagement. Lists of Values - Miller and Rollnick (2012)
Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change, 3rd Edition (3rd Edition Authors: Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. Publisher: The Guilford Press. Publication Date: 2012 Edition: 3rd
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 In a recent team meeting, my colleagues and I met to plan how to observe World Mental Health Day on October 10th, coincidentally coinciding with World Homeless Day. October in the UK also marks Black History Month and numerous other identity-related and health-related global awareness campaigns. This convergence prompted me to ponder how organisations decide which commemoration days to embrace amid the multitude available in a single month. According to the UK's inclusion calendar designed by the Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD), October has 20 days dedicated to celebrating various identities and five dedicated to specific causes. The question arises: Which should we celebrate, and how can we genuinely champion inclusion? For those unfamiliar with the purpose behind commemorating these days and months, it serves multiple roles:
Considering the significance of commemorations in raising awareness, promoting understanding, fostering community, and driving positive change, they undoubtedly contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate world. Yet, the challenge persists: How does an organisation select which to observe? While vacationing in Spain, I was enlightened by our host, who described the abundance of local holidays dedicated to various saints, each applicable only to specific regions. This discussion sparked the notion that perhaps the solution to our commemoration conundrum lies in customising celebrations at the local level within teams, aligning them with themes related to the organisation's equity and inclusion goals celebrated at the organisational level. What does this mean in practice? For example, Monster Inc. Ltd has set goals of increasing gender diversity in leadership and ethnic diversity in its workforce. At the organisational level, Monster Inc Ltd could prioritise dates relevant to gender and ethnic identities. Meanwhile, at the team level, the remaining commemorations can be chosen based on the team's composition. Here, the line manager plays a pivotal role in understanding what matters most to the team members and making appropriate accommodations. This concept reminds me of a valuable practice I learned at a conference a few years ago. A colleague from Boston University introduced the idea of "recognition profiles" to support personalised recognition. Using a simple Microsoft form, teams can capture team members' preferred ways of recognition, from types of praise they appreciate to the forms of recognition that motivate them, their passions, and even their preferred activities, food, and beverages. An additional question can inquire about commemorating or recognising specific identities related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. The line manager can then aggregate these responses to facilitate team-level celebrations. Of course, such an endeavour would require the support of the HR team, who could provide the inclusion calendar to managers or share relevant resources, such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) inclusion calendar Inclusion Calendar 2023 | CIPD, if the organisation holds a membership. This approach enables organisations to cater to individuals' varying needs while simultaneously supporting organisational goals. In summary, the path to a more inclusive workplace involves recognising and commemorating what aligns with the organisation's equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging goals while also acknowledging and respecting what matters most to individuals at the team level. By striking this balance, organisations can foster a sense of unity, respect, and inclusivity that benefits all.  |
AuthorJust me, 
a HR professional listening, learning and working towards an enhanced people experience at work
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