March 10, 2024

To test your values, rephrase the question

By Matt Lehrman

Social Prosperity Partners

Defining mission, vision and values is a powerful tool for any organization, but it’s not the rhetoric of such statements that matters so much as their ability to inform practical decision-making at all levels.

To test whether your organization’s thoughtfully crafted principles are doing the job, sometimes it helps to rephrase the question. For example, I was in Nebraska recently facilitating separate (but identical) annual planning retreats for the Fremont City Council and the city’s senior staff. The City’s official values statement is: “Strong Leadership,” “Public Safety,” “Fiscally Responsible,” “Quality of Life,” and “Teamwork” — all strong, results-oriented phrases. But are they the most important values driving both Council members and their professional staff?

To find out, I asked each group what qualities, rather than values, energized them in pursuit of their stated mission, even in challenging times. Both expressed a commitment to “Service,” and beyond that, it was fascinating to hear Council members orient to “Public Trust” and accountability to “The Future,” while staffers emphasized the importance of “Professionalism” and “Teamwork.”

My advice to the Fremont City Council (shared with their permission) was that their currently stated values are well-chosen promises to residents, but this shouldn’t stop them from continuing to explore the values — er, sorry, qualities — that inform how they work together to accomplish those goals.

3 KEYS TO A VALUES STATEMENT THAT LASTS

A values statement isn’t about branding, marketing, public relations or virtue signaling. The purpose of articulating the foundational beliefs of an organization is to make sure they continue guiding actions and decisions.

Here are three keys to a values statement that will serve as a lasting beacon:

Universality: The statement should apply across all levels of the organization, from leadership to frontline staff.
Discernment: The values should embody distinct choices or priorities to decide among potentially conflicting option
Authenticity: These values must be derived from observed behaviors and actions, not just lofty ideals or noble rhetoric.

Finally, it’s crucial to avoid temptingly vague words like “excellence,” “transparency” or “inclusivity,” which are unquestionably expected of every municipal entity and nonprofit organization. If you can’t imagine one that publicly embraces the opposite of those qualities, then what’s the point of including them?

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