Sometimes we think of corporate values as abstract, intangible concepts, perhaps far removed from concrete, visible results; yet they guide us and steer our actions, shaping our experience.
This is because they are motivational constructs that allow us to categorise what is truly important, showing us which goals we want to achieve, just like a map shows us the route to follow.
What is good to you? What is harmful? What is right and what is not? What do you desire and what must be strictly avoided?
Thanks to our corporate values, we know how to answer these questions and navigate both personal and professional life with clarity, competence and effectiveness.
Corporate values define our priorities and steer our actions on a broad scale, because they represent the criteria through which we respond to events and guide our business conduct.
We have seen that organisations can be viewed as living organisms; therefore, values are the principles that enable them to breathe, walk and live, because they are a powerful connector that creates synapses throughout the corporate organism, allowing it to harmonise its movements, bringing consistency to the team’s vision and fostering everyone’s accountability and engagement.
Corporate values as the organisation’s immune system
Seneca said that no wind is favourable for the sailor who does not know where to go. In business, this means that one cannot aspire to future growth without reference points to hold onto.
The renowned sociologist Aaron Antonovsky (1923–1994) thoroughly investigated the relationship between stress, health and well-being, discovering a profound link between finding meaning and overcoming adversity.
He speaks of “SALUTOGENESIS” and studies everything that enables people to stay healthy and well, even in the face of trauma and great difficulties.
In simple terms, his question is: what is the genesis of health? What are the sources of well-being?
Identifying and creating meaning serves as a daily therapy for making conscious choices using our own resources, since human beings are by nature seekers of meaning, driven by the desire for purpose.
Unsurprisingly, psychiatrist Viktor Frankl argued that “we human beings need to be directed towards something that transcends us, towards something above ourselves, a meaning to realise, a mission greater than ourselves in which to believe”.
According to him, moving towards health with resilience and proactivity requires a “Sense of Coherence”, and in a business, coherence is achieved when there is a common purpose and people share clear reference points, which are values.
The depth of this Sense of Coherence affects people’s ability to use available resources to sustain their well-being.
It gives the organisation the ability to respond flexibly to external pressures, just as our immune system responds to and fights pathogens.
When people’s values do not align with the organisational context they inhabit, they develop an internal conflict that causes significant stress and noticeable frustration.
As a result, their motivation drops, enthusiasm wanes and focus deteriorates. They drift further away from outcomes, putting the achievement of both personal and corporate goals at serious risk.
That is why it is essential to clearly communicate values across all levels of the organisation, engage every heart in shaping them, and follow them with consistency in everyday actions.
This way, anyone in conflict with them will readily recognise that they are on the wrong path and choose a different route, while the motivation and energy of those who feel recognised and genuinely want to be part of the team will continue to grow.
How do we build strong corporate values?
Developing corporate values is teamwork; it is the result of such deep alignment that many separate hearts beat in unison with a single, strong rhythm.
To achieve this, teams must find time to come together to co-create shared values.
The best approach is to take time to reflect and ask the right questions: What principles do we want to pursue? What matters most to our organisation?
One can, for instance, start with individuals, asking each person to share their values, and then compare and integrate them.
It is then helpful to run a brainstorming session, listing all contributions first and then identifying the most relevant and widely shared points, aligning every individual and fostering a sense of belonging and cooperation around a shared vision.
How can we summarise the great power of corporate values?
- Values are a reference point and a guide for setting priorities and steering business actions, just like the North Star.
- They generate cohesion, uniting people around a single shared purpose and a clear vision.
- They foster proactivity and accountability within the team and help us navigate complex decisions.
- They shape corporate culture holistically and move the organisation towards its goals.
- They generate freedom, because they help avoid excessive internal regulation, as people self-regulate and take ownership of their actions. Centralised decision-making is reduced, nurturing vibrant, effective working groups.
- They nurture job satisfaction among people, who feel aligned and in harmony with their organisation.
- They provide strength and security to the business ecosystem; a tangible strength reflected in stakeholders’ trust.
- They eliminate with remarkable effectiveness and speed “harmful elements”—those systemic obstacles that risk sabotaging the collective project.
