Tell Stories To Make People Remember Core Values
Core Value Stories Exercise: Tell Stories To Get People To Remember Core Values
I’ve been in 100’s of companies and organizations in the last ten years. I’m always there for the same reason… Core Values and Culture. Our sessions always start out with me asking the team if they have core values. The looks around the room are always the same:
I know it’s a tough position to put people in. The company spent $1,000’s bringing in consultants, who in turn brought in examples from Zappos and convinced you that your core values should line up to some Silicon Valley tech company with a captivating CEO. Afterall, don’t you want to be successful like them? Now, someone else’s core values hang on your wall and no one knows them outside of “ummmm, I think it’s like integrity and teamwork?”
My point is this: Many organizations have core values plastered on their walls, advertising and websites. Yet no one within those same walls actually knows what you are talking about, and you aren't alone.
Look at this list of core values below. Set the timer on your phone for 2 minutes, close this tab in your browser and do something else. Spend a couple minutes checking your email, sending some text messages, looking at social media or whatever else you do for a distraction. How many of these core values do you remember after the 2 minute timer goes off? If you do happen to remember a couple of the core values listed, do they actually mean anything to you? Will you remember them a week from now?
Teamwork
Ownership Attitude
Integrity
Safety
Family
Communication
Now read this story about one of the core values from the list.
Family - Above all else, we are family. Be willing to sacrifice and care for each other.
I remember a story about Family. Back in the early days when this place was just getting started, every month was a struggle. We were growing and taking risks to expand. Money was tight. The location we were opening was going to take an extra 2 months because we were waiting on approvals from the city. My partner and I realized we weren’t going to be able to make payroll next Friday. We hired a staff and had them ready to go. We promised them. Out of options, we decided to flip a coin and the loser was going to sell their truck to cover the upcoming 2 payrolls. My partner lost and sold his truck. We made payroll, opened the location and are still here today. Without him being willing to do that, none of us would be here right now. That’s what families do when faced with tough decisions. Truth be told all these years later… I wish it was me that would have lost that flip.
How about now? Does this value mean something to you and will you remember it? I bet you will. You may catch yourself thinking about this core value story at a random time tonight or a week from now. I heard this story 5 years ago while working with a client and I still remember this core value and this company like it was yesterday.
Now that you have done the work to develop your organization’s core values (link to core values exercise), telling good stories will be the key to making them stick. Core value stories will help define your culture in a positive way that creates lasting pride and confidence in your team.
The Core Value Stories Exercise below is the best way to develop stories around your core values and communicate them throughout the organization.
When To Do The Core Value Stories Exercise
To get the core values stories right, you need to make sure you have the core values right. If not, the exercise below will not work as intended. We would highly recommend you take a couple hours to do the Core Values Exercise (link to core values exercise) with some key members of your team as part of this process. The advantages to starting with the Core Values Exercise are:
You Have The Core Values Right. You can be 100% certain that your core values, and ultimately the stories, are authentic and come from the heart.
Have The Right People In the Room. The people you want to gather the core value stories are the same people as the Core Values Exercise, so there is a natural segway.
Everyone Will Be Warmed Up. If your team is in the zone with this, some of the stories individuals will share can be quite emotional and surprising. Sometimes the owners or leaders are even unaware of the stories.
If you do decide to do the stories exercise as a stand-alone with your team, picking the right timing is key. If it isn’t something you would normally do as a leader, it can come across as phony… “Hey everyone, I’d like to discuss my most personal stories about the company and have you do the same.”..... Yeah, they aren’t going to like anything about it and it could turn into a weird story in it’s own right. Here are some tips to keep it real:
Have A Valid Reason. It could be a mini-crisis like a key person leaving, a business issue like high turnover, when you messed something up and need to debrief as a team or when someone did something really amazing that exemplified a core value. There needs to be a logical reason as to “why now”. It could also be part of a larger team training day that will get people in the right mindset.
Be a Leader. Have a couple stories prepared yourself that exemplify the core values in your heart and mind. Why did you start the business? What is a key turning point or obstacle the team had to overcome? Start the process yourself and set the tone with the type of story you hope others will want to share.
Be Honest About What They Mean To You. You will likely have a strong tendency to think of core values in a marketing or external mindset of what sounds right. Make an effort to drop this idea. Your core value stories are for the people on your team, not for anyone else. If a new person was joining your team tomorrow, what would you want them to know about what it means to be a part of your organization?
Choosing The Right People For The Core Values Stories
The right people for this exercise are not always obvious at a quick glance. To find the right people ask yourself this question:
“If your company was forced to close tomorrow and you had to leave and start the organization again from scratch, who are the 5-10 people you would be calling first?”
These will be the people that most strongly fit your culture. They will all be high performers with great results. They instinctively understand and live by the core values. If they weren’t you wouldn’t be picking them first if you had to start fresh!
Here are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind about selecting the right group for the core values stories.
It’s Not Just The Leadership Team. We have seen many organizations where a member of the leadership team is not fully in tune with the culture or is thinking in terms of an organization where they used to work. It’s possible too that you have a leader who is not a fit with the culture and would derail the exercise.
It Can Be People At All Levels. As long as they are the right individuals, their job titles or level of responsibilities will not matter for the purposes of this exercise. One of the best core values stories I’ve ever heard came from a diesel mechanic in a trucking company.
Choose Highest Combined Core Values and Results Scores. If you have a review system that gives you scores for both elements of culture (link to culture article), make a short list of the employees with the highest combined scores for both core values and results across the entire organization. This could help you identify someone who may have been forgotten or it will at least confirm that your list of employees for this exercise is correct.
1 - Starting The Core Value Stories Exercise
If you are starting the Core Values Stories as a standalone exercise, ask people if they know the core values. It is very likely that nobody will know the core values or think they are meaningless at some level. To break the ice, be honest about what core values have become. Don’t be fake.
Take time to remind people to make sure phones are down, pencils down. Distractions need to be removed, so people have space to actually think
Then (start here if you did the core values exercise) display the core values you either just came up with or have. Tell people, “Convince me this is a core value.”
Most likely nobody in the room will tell a story and the reasons given won’t be convincing. Then you can make your case. “The only way you can convince me is to tell a story.” If someone jumps in, great. If not, now would be a good time for one of the stories you had down on your list to set the tone.
After the story, a message about why they were chosen can be helpful:
“You were picked to help with this because you are aligned with the core values and are great at what you could do. You are valuable to us. We know you could work anywhere. Why did you choose this place? Why us?”
Then stop. The uncomfortable silence is necessary. Your role at this point should move towards listening, asking questions and facilitating the conversation. Your most precious and important assets are about to tell you why they work for you. I’ve actually shed a tear or two as this unfolds. It’s a beautiful thing.
2 - Which Core Value Stories To Choose
The key for choosing which stories will most strongly connect your team, both current and future, to the core values is to pay attention to the others in the room. When others are talking, look at the faces as the rest of the group is listening to the story. Some people’s stories will not connect. That’s OK. They want to talk or they may just be getting warmed up. It is all part of the process.
As the leader of the group, really look for what really gets peoples’ attention. What is said that actually stirs emotion? Let them guide you to what’s real and most important. Smiles, laughter and people trying to hide emotion. It’s obvious and you will know it when you see it.
3 - Closing The Core Value Stories Exercise
Thank people for sharing, maybe even follow with another email later to individuals who did share telling them about what it meant to you. After people leave the room write the stories down in rough form so you have a record of what was said in detail while it is still fresh. The best stories don’t require detailed notes, because you already know them after hearing them once.
4 - Communicating Core Value Stories To Your Team
Your Core Values are the unwritten rules that guide the organization and the stories will connect people emotionally to the Core Values. They need to spread beyond the room that did the exercise. The rest of the organization needs to understand the core values in this way and so do new employees.
Ask permission from the people who took part in the exercise to share the stories with others. Always respect their wishes if it is a personal story to them and they choose not to be comfortable.
Once you have permission, here are some practical ways to make sure the stories and the core values spread:
Employee Onboarding. Adapt the presentation above and make it part of your employee onboarding process. If possible, invite 5 of the people from the exercise to tell their stories related to each core value as part of the presentation. If you are unable to do this (ex- multiple locations, too many new employee trainings, etc.), select other employees who you believe to also exemplify the culture to share their stories as part of the presentation or make a core values video that includes the stories from these people in their own words. PRO TIP: make this YOUR welcome to new employees. Tell them yourself. Do the intro for your people telling the stories. STAY in the room. Listen. Watch. Let everyone see how important this is to you.
Do Not Automate. Many of your HR processes are best automated for efficiency. This is not one of them. If you want the core values stories to resonate, there has to be that moment in time where people slow down and are able to connect with the individuals telling the story.
Don’t Fake It. If you are a new organization and don’t have the stories to build on yet, then don’t make them up. Be on the lookout for the stories as you grow. If you are uncertain that your core values sound good to outsiders, don’t change them. You are better off telling people exactly who you are.
Use A Variety Of People. Your team needs to see that the core values stories aren’t just marketing or an exercise done by the leadership team that has no practical value to them. They need to hear the core value stories from a diverse group of people at different levels and in different roles. They need to be able to see themselves in the stories.
Here is a presentation template that you can use to help structure your introduction to the core values for your employees.
Tell Your Core Values Stories
As an individual, for others to know you well and form a genuine connection, they have to understand your story. Companies have to tell their stories too. An organization is more than just the stories of product launches, financial success and strategic plans, but more importantly the stories of what actually made your organization “feel” like it does today.
As you tell these stories, you will bond your team together behind a shared set of core values. You will begin to attract others who want to be a part of what you are building.
One Last Thing...
If you listened to the wrong people before... If you got the core values wrong... If you tried to use core values as leverage... If you made mistakes in the past... If you wish you’d read this 2 years ago... DON'T LET IT STOP YOU FROM GETTING IT RIGHT!
Start today (link to core values exercise). Admit it. Show some humility and be genuine. All education costs something. Sometimes admitting that you got it wrong the first time, is the first step in getting it right this time.