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Moving Core Values Beyond Design to Implementation and Integration

Your organization’s culture is fundamental to your success; if you set up a culture rooted in your core values the team will have the environment to succeed, improving your impact. 

But having a set of theoretical core values written somewhere, and ensuring your team lives and breathes those values in the workplace, are two separate animals — and closing that gap requires ongoing attention, not a one-time exercise. It’s crucial to ask yourself (and your leadership team): 

  • What attitudes and/or behaviors should we exhibit to live out this value?
  • What attitudes and/or behaviors should we avoid related to this value?

In a previous partnership with the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) BFM facilitated a process to integrate their core values to operating practices during an all staff retreat. LCV’s goals were to achieve org-wide alignment on the expression of their values in the workplace, and deepen staff awareness and understanding of the core values.

Our guided sessions helped team members make connections between the values and the organization’s commitments, via engaging and interactive activities–if you can make it fun, you can make it memorable. We followed this up by designing tailored sessions for every department, including a facilitated conversation with the executive team to integrate their core values into everyday work.

In the end, we provided LCV leadership with examples of core values in action, and recommendations for further integration and to support department facilitators in preparing to lead their department conversations.

Having an internal staff member—or an HR Business Partner—guide an implementation process can help ensure your core values stay active and relevant. That process can start simply by:

  1. Asking for feedback. HR can create regular, structured opportunities for staff to reflect on how values are showing up and where they feel misaligned. This reinforces that you’re all working together towards a common goal.
  2. Make your core values transparent. Post your values deck on your website or even in common spaces around the office; this helps with both internal and external accountability efforts
  3. Use core values in ongoing professional development and training sessions. Partner with HR to to integrate values into learning goals, leadership development, and manager support.
  4. Track relevance of existing values, as some may have evolved or expanded in meaning and expectations may need to evolve as the organization grows or changes.

Let BFM guide you through further exercises that can integrate your core values into the fabric of your organization. As your HR Business Partner, we can provide ongoing support and coaching, so you can focus on the work you’re really passionate about.

Download BFM’s HR Business Partner one-sheet to see if we’re the right fit for your organization’s needs.