Organizations are built on a foundation of core values that define their identity, drive decision-making, and influence behavior. These values are not mere statements on a wall or recitations of the company’s mantra; rather, core values serve as the guiding principles that shape a company’s culture and ultimately its strategic direction. By understanding and leveraging your organization’s core values, you will be equipped to undertake meaningful and transformational change, particularly in three areas where organizations often struggle in organizational change. These areas include: (a) technology adoption, (b) business process optimization, and (c) human-social collaboration.

First, core values play a pivotal role in the successful integration of new technologies. When values such as innovation, efficiency, and collaboration are deeply embedded in the organization’s culture, employees are more inclined to embrace tools and systems that align with these values. Conversely, if implementation of new technology solutions seem to contradict the organization’s core values, the adoption process will be severely hindered by resistance, resulting in slow adoption, and ultimately, failure to realize benefits of the acquired technology solution. Despite the high costs that are often associated with technology acquisitions, organizations risk implementation failure when perceived organizational constructs and engrained value systems are ignored or violated.

Second, core values such as integrity, accountability, and excellence ensure that business process related changes are implemented in accordance with the organization’s standards. When employees see that process improvements align with these values, they are more likely to support, refine, and ultimately adopt required changes. This alignment further fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where change is viewed as an opportunity to embody the organization’s core values more fully. 

Finally, core values impact human-social collaboration in ways that either hinder or encourage productive discourse and collective engagement. Values such as respect, inclusivity, and teamwork guide how people interact with one another, creating an environment that supports collaboration and positive change. When change initiatives are aligned with these values, leaders are more likely to gain the trust and buy-in of their people, leading to smoother and more successful implementations.

Given the foundational importance of core values and its impact on successful change, here are 5 steps you can take today to ensure that your core values effectively influence organizational change:

Step 1: Define and Communicate Your Core Values
Start by clearly defining your organization’s core values and ensuring they are effectively communicated across all levels of the organization. Use multiple channels such as leadership meetings, internal communications, and training sessions to reinforce these values consistently. Encourage open communication and feedback by creating forums where employees can discuss how core values are being upheld and suggest improvements where necessary.

Step 2: Align Change Initiatives with Core Values
Before launching any change initiative, assess how it aligns with your core values. Ensure that the proposed changes support and enhance these values rather than contradicting them. Also make core values a central part of your decision-making process. Use them as a lens through which all major decisions are evaluated.

Step 3: Lead by Example
Leadership plays a crucial role in modeling core values. Ensure that your leadership team consistently demonstrates these values in both actions and decisions, setting a positive example for the rest of the organization. Ensure that core values are consistently upheld across all levels of the organization. Consistency reinforces the importance of values, making them a guiding force in the organization.

Step 4: Incorporate Values into Training and Onboarding
Create value-based training programs that emphasize how core values influence organizational behavior and change. Include real-world examples and case studies to show the impact of values on successful initiatives, and incorporate core values into your onboarding process for new hires. From the first day, employees should understand the importance of these values and how they are expected to influence their work and interactions.

Step 5: Recognize and Measure Value-Driven Behavior
Establish recognition and reward systems that celebrate behaviors exemplifying your organization’s core values. This motivates employees to integrate these values into their daily work. Develop metrics that measure the impact of change initiatives on core values. Regularly review these metrics to ensure changes are having the desired effect, and adjust strategies accordingly.

While these steps are not exhaustive, they provide a framework for successfully integrating core values into your organizational change initiative. Following these steps ensure that changes are not only embraced, but sustained over the long term. By aligning change initiatives with core values, you will be able to create a cohesive and supportive environment that fosters innovation, continuous improvement, and positive human-social interactions.

If you found this article helpful, or you are interested in unlocking the full potential of your organization with expert insights and tailored change management strategies, connect with Dr. Donnell Josiah at ChangeDynamix by calling (855) 987-6900. Also, elevate your change management toolkit by following Dr. Josiah on LinkedIn for more powerful, actionable advice on navigating and leading successful organizational change.