How Organizations Can Identify Their Core Workplace Values

Ask: What behaviours helped the organization survive? What decisions are leaders proud of? What principles repeatedly appear in important decisions?

Employees often know the lived culture better than leadership documents do. Ask what they believe the organization genuinely values.

Values become clearer when there are competing priorities. Ask: "When two important objectives conflict, what does the organization usually protect?"

Look for patterns in: leadership, communication, recognition, promotion, recruitment, customer treatment, teamwork, and decision-making.

Avoid vague statements that could describe every organization. Translate values into behaviours. For example, Accountability could become: "We take ownership of outcomes, communicate problems early and follow through on commitments." Now the value can be observed.

Recruitment, performance management, leadership development and recognition should not systematically reward behaviours that contradict the organization's stated values. A workplace value becomes credible when employees can see it in action.