Values: Taught or Assimilated ?

Values are something special indeed.


Every company have their own set of value systems and belief. There is no point in trying to force new values in them as the employees are already worshiping them. Do remember that values inculcating is a long consistent process (up to years).


However, a few days back, one of my friends, Samuel told me that the CEO of the company XXX went into every single department, questioning her staffs about the values of the company.


I thought that was really appalling. I mean, it seems that she's almost doing it for the sake of doing it. You don't question your employees about the values. So what if they can answer you?


Actions speak louder than words. You have to set a perfect example on your own. See how the operations are going accordingly.


For instance, if you have a value, determination. You can always find out, out of the many successful projects, what percentage of them were actually rejected before. This will give you an indicator of how courageous your staff are, how determined they are even after they are rejected, to bring the project they believed in to success.


You don't go around asking people to elaborate on the value determination. They can easily give you the most idealistic answer but these are all mere words, nothing more than that. We can bullshit all the way and you can't do anything about it.


Hence, I believe that for values to be entrenched into the employees. It has to be via the practical means. It is by no means easy and any anomalies will naturally obliterate the employees' beliefs in the value system. Nonetheless, consistency and pigheaded discipline will enable the company to succeed as a whole.


Sincerity will touch the employees. It will take time for time will tell. Employees are constantly scrutinizing the management's actions. Once they do something against the value system, it will collapse, immediately.