Corporate values of the company. What lies at the heart of corporate values. What are the most important company values: IKEA case
Irina Polyakova, Director of the Corporate Marketing Department of 3M Russia:
Any large international corporation faces the task of preserving the core of values around which the company's activities are built in different parts of the world, in different markets, that is, in completely different conditions. Corporate values are what unites the organization into a single whole and serves as the "face" of the company for customers, partners, and the media. And, of course, employees of the company should be the main conductors of these values. If employees do not understand or do not share the goals and values of the corporation, then the level of trust in such a company will not be high.
The international corporation 3M, which has existed for more than 100 years, has developed its own corporate culture, the basic principles of which are the same in any division of the company (from the headquarters in the USA to the smallest representative offices in developing countries). How is this achieved?
All corporate values can be roughly divided into 2 groups:
1. let's call them “ obligatory"(What every employee is obliged to follow) and,
2. " incentive»(What the company strives for, the development of which it supports).
TO " compulsory»Values are company rules and policies that are publicly declared and are binding. At 3M, this is, for example, the Code of Business Conduct. The company declares that all its business activities in any country are conducted in accordance with the laws and internal corporate policies (which are often more stringent than the law requires), and all employees follow the rules of business. Accordingly, corporate values of this level are conveyed to each new employee at the very beginning of his work. All newcomers go through the so-called "Orientation of a new employee", where within two to three days they learn about the current activities of the company, its goals and values, history, as well as study mandatory policies and procedures. Also, each employee is obliged to take electronic courses on business ethics and business rules at regular intervals, as a result of which he answers the test questions and receives a confirmation certificate.
If there is a need to refresh something in memory, then the Intranet (internal information site of the company) contains all information about the mission, company values, key brands and slogans, as well as links to all the main policies and procedures that need to be applied in the work. ...
The mission, goals, core values of the company are also described in various corporate materials, for example, in corporate presentations, which sales specialists and marketers use as the basis for their presentations to clients and partners.
In any business, consistency is important, therefore, as reasons for "reminders" corporate values any general communications, meetings of employees, etc. are suitable. For example, we have a Marketing Forum, where all the marketing specialists of the company gather every 2 months. And my role as CMO is periodically at such meetings to refresh the memory of employees with corporate goals, values, brand vision, etc., tying it to relevant topics for discussion.
As for the second group of values, the so-called. " incentive", Then this can include such things as
that is, those values, the adherence to which cannot be prescribed in the form of procedures and restrictions. These values are closely related to such a concept as the involvement of employees in a common cause, when people not only follow the rules prescribed in the documents, but also share common ideas, voluntarily support any common activity, whether it be holding a cleanup on the company's territory, planting trees collecting waste paper, donating or helping disabled children.
To "implement" these corporate values, we cooperate with the HR department and carry out various programs and events. For example, "Family Day" or "Company Day", when a holiday with a "near-corporate" theme is organized for employees and their families, so that children can better find out where their dads and mothers work, and the employees themselves get to know each other better, talk to each other with a friend, learned something new about those who work alongside them. Competitions with prizes are organized at events, for example, for the best artistic composition made from 3M materials, or for the most futuristic new product, or for knowledge of the history of the company and its inventions ...
Our company actively supports charitable activities and volunteering. For example, a parallel donation system has been announced - when an employee's charitable donation is doubled at the expense of the company. Employees can take the initiative themselves and offer some kind of social action or object for charitable assistance. And, in my opinion, if corporate social responsibility is included in the list of the company's core values, then this is an ideal option for team building and communicating corporate values to employees. After all, it is important for almost every person to be needed, to feel their involvement in something good and right. And if your job gives you the opportunity not only to make money, but also to make this world a little better, then this ensures loyalty and adherence to corporate values no worse than any social package.
Ilya Sternin, managing partner consulting company Incorpore:
Corporate values are one of the important elements of strategic management and indicate the ways that a company chooses to achieve its goals. On the other hand, values underlie corporate ideology and serve as the basis for the formation of corporate identity. Only a company with a strong ideology can build an employee's high commitment to the organization in which he works.
To convey corporate values to each employee, they must first of all be realized, verbalize... In large organizations, values must be articulated in a strategic document ( Corporate code, Company Philosophy, Mission Statement, etc.). In a small company, specific value statements can sometimes only be stored in the head of the executive.
If the values are realized, then the second task is their convey... Moreover, they must be conveyed not only meaningfully (so that the employee knows about them), but also psychologically (so that the employee accepts these values and adheres to them in his behavioral models).
The main work on the transmission of values is carried out indirectly - by aligning the declared values with corporate practices. In other words, all procedures (work execution models, training, communication, etc.) must be aligned with values.
For example, the value of "Openness" should be transmitted both by adequate methods of obtaining information and by the availability of the company's top officials for communication. Also, the values should be supported by the behavioral models of the company's leaders. Otherwise, their quick discrediting is inevitable.
Finally, the way values are communicated is through their live broadcast... At the same time, communication here takes place at the level of the individual, so it is desirable to broadcast the message on two levels - content and emotional. Therefore, communication based on values should be built using visuals (pictures, illustrations, symbols) or other equally expressive means of conveying information (for example, parables, metaphors, aphorisms, etc.).
Live speech itself is an effective way to convey emotional meanings. Therefore, to communicate values, it is imperative to build interactive communication with company leaders.
Yulia Gubanova, Head of the Human Resources Department of the Representative Office in Russia and the CIS, BBK Electronics Corp., LTD .:
Common corporate values- this is what creates trust and unites the organization into a single whole. Shared values are also the “face” of the company, by which it is recognized in all areas of its activity. They can be formulated both as corporate goals and as individual values... Successful value-driven organizations know that employees who are unaware of the importance of values will not work hard to achieve them. Values should not only be articulated within the organization, but there should also be a policy to prioritize values. Until those actions are listed that contribute to the achievement of the main corporate goals, these actions will not be considered a priority. For this you need:
1) Provide a reward employees who care about corporate values. Whatever the incentive (bonus, additional income, or something else), if the employee is diligent and adheres to corporate values, then this should always be noted.
2) Show example... If an employee does not see anyone but himself who would follow corporate values, then he will not support them either.
Vera Ignatkina, Career Consultant and Job Search Coach for Job Search Coach:
We all studied, let's remember in which lesson - lecture or seminar - the more meaningful assimilation of the material took place? I am sure that the majority will answer - “at the seminar”. A seminar is a hands-on activity in which students, through trial and error, develop own business plans, economic models, solve problems, etc. This technique (that is, practical orientation) must be used in business. Involving employees in discussions and working together will be more beneficial in the future than when management decisions are “coming down from the top”. Therefore, in my opinion, before talking about communicating corporate values to each employee, it is necessary to develop the principles themselves. I suggest the following technique for creating corporate values and goals:
It is very good if the discussion is recorded on a dictaphone, sometimes it happens that in "heated" disputes important things are overlooked.
To discuss the principles at this stage, it is desirable to involve no more than 20-25 people. If the company is large, then from each working group (see Step 1) you can invite 1-2 people.
Unfortunately, at this step, many companies end up with corporate values activities. The maximum that the leaders of some companies can do is to post the received document on the Intranet and notify the employees about it. In this case, we can say with 100% certainty that all the work (Step 1 - Step 4) was done in vain. To obtain the desired effect, the company's management must encourage the desire of employees to be guided by accepted principles in their work, in relations with clients, partners, and each other. For this, in my opinion, it is necessary:
A new employee is usually told about what the company's core values are when hiring. Each item on this list is important, so an entrepreneur, when forming a list for his organization, must carefully select what is really relevant. The main values of the company must not only be declared, but also constantly supported in the work process, so the choice must be combined with the field of activity and with the specifics of the business. legal entity... When making a decision for your organization, it will not be superfluous to study the experience of large companies.
Organizational values
The dominant factor in this list is strategic profitability. Company employees must understand what the demand is based on, be able to make informed forecasts for the near future (and planning department- and quite distant). The task of employees is to evaluate the assortment, profitable standards. As part of the work on determining the strategic profitability, you need to be able to analyze the selected niche, your region, customer base, market share.
The creation of company values in terms of strategic profitability involves taking into account the conditions of the economy, society, politics, science, technology, and ecology. Necessarily held marketing research, investment opportunities are being considered. The company must clearly articulate the advantages that allow it to stand out from competitors and develop them. You need to know market trends, the risks associated with entrepreneurship. The development of tangible and intangible values involves the development of several alternative ways to achieve what was conceived.
Proactivity
One of the classic examples of the company's value is the ability to react not only to an event that has already occurred, but also to one that is still only “on the horizon”, predicted by the strategic development department. The company must be able to deliver a “preemptive strike”, analyze the present and the future, and deal with negative market and business trends. At the same time, it is assumed the formation of such conditions that are beneficial and optimal for the enterprise. You need to be able not only to flexibly adapt to external changes, but also to initiate changes in the situation in your favor. Market formation presupposes development “ahead of demand”.
Innovativeness
While the examples of company values described earlier are typically shared with employees in interviews and recruiting, or reminded in internal meetings and meetings, the drive to innovate is an aspect of organizational strategy that is used for promotional purposes to create a positive image among customers. It is customary to understand this term as an ability within own initiative to form new solutions, approaches to known problems. The concept of the company's value "innovation" includes the speed, completeness of the implementation of innovation. To grab the customer's attention and fully prepare for an organization to truly innovate, you need to stay ahead of the competition in this aspect.
In fact, proactivity is only available to a company that is already working with innovation. Otherwise, it is simply impossible to deliver a “warning strike” - there will not be enough technical, informational capabilities to conquer the market of the future based on forecasts in the present time.
Competitiveness
Everyone has heard about this example of the value of companies, even people who are very far from the world of entrepreneurship. The term is customary to denote the ability to form, promote some advantage that distinguishes the organization from the background of competing enterprises. The main idea is to attract customer attention, investment, highly qualified personnel and the best suppliers.
Speaking of competitiveness as a corporate value of a company, one presumes the regularity of comparative analysis with key rivals in the selected market area. In this case, you need to take into account all important signs, monitor the focus of competition and assess the direction of development of the priority client community. For this, calculations are made on the basis of the basic assortment. In addition, it is important to assess the interest of investors in the enterprise and its competitors, as well as to take measures to separate out relative to other companies in the same market sector so that investments are poured into this business.
Efficiency
The idea behind this element of the company's value system is the ability to achieve growth beyond expectations. Analyze the volumes of the produced product, generated useful information, provided services and completed transactions. Calculate the ratio between the result and labor costs, material, time resources spent in the work process. It will not be superfluous to spend comparative analysis achieved and planned to achieve. Such work is a comparison of efficiency and effectiveness.
Social aspects
For a long time, entrepreneurs realized that only a business that is actively promoted in society can be successful. Sociality is an example of the value of an organization that reflects the drive to improve the environment. An organization can be proud of its activities if attempts are made to develop the staff, improve locality, improve the quality of life, level. If the organization is ready to take losses in order to achieve this goal, it is formed positive image that attracts the attention of a wide audience.
Closely related to the described value is customer focus. The organization's specialists must constantly monitor the characteristics of the target audience and be aware of the customer base, take care of the interests of everyone. There are many ways to realize this value - stimulating more active demand and satisfaction, deepening the existing one. At the same time, it is necessary to work on the formation of competitive advantages, which will be appreciated by the most priority client group. The task of the enterprise is to work on creating demand for the new products it offers, assessing not only the present, but also the prospects for the near future. While at first glance this value may seem important only to the business itself, in reality, customer focus benefits both sides of the process.
Initiative and teamwork
Only a company whose corporate culture encourages not only diligence, but a focus on improving results can count on success. The staff must be motivated so that everyone strives to perform the tasks assigned to him with high quality, achieving the best results. This has a positive effect on the organizational environment and, in the long term, improves the results of the enterprise as a whole. At the same time, it is important not just to put pressure on employees, forcing them to strive to improve performance, but to formulate the right motivation, which will allow every person employed in the company to truly strive for success sincerely. This approach shows the best results.
The desire and ability to work in a team is another value closely related to corporate culture. It is about the unity of the staff, the pursuit of uniform goals. The team must work in a coordinated manner, synchronizing actions to achieve the target. The task of the leader is not only to control the process, but also to create conditions in which all team members can develop their skills and abilities. This applies not only to executive tasks, but also to managerial ones. If the organization has several departments, the task of the leader is to create a corporate culture that would stimulate interaction between departments.
Go ahead, but not at any cost
If we analyze the modern business sector, it will become noticeable: the company's motto (albeit not any, but an impressive percentage of enterprises) contains a statement about the desire to achieve all the formulated goals. This is really important and should be declared by the values of the organization, supported by them, by the chosen development strategy. The task of the management personnel is to correctly formulate goals and work out the tactics of action, allowing to achieve the declared, and the personnel must carefully follow the "guiding star". The choice of goals that lead to the improvement of various aspects of the organization's activities is also important.
At the same time, the achievement of the conceived should not be realized at any cost. You need to remember about commitment, loyalty to the given word and reliability. It is important to promote such values both “locally”, that is, within the team, and as the main feature of the company's image as a whole. Vertically, horizontally - it is necessary to take a very responsible attitude to obligations, only this will help to really successfully avoid unpleasant, conflict situations that can undermine the company's reputation.
Trust and manage
When developing a company's motto, marketers very often suggest that the leader choose something that would encourage the client to trust their organization. Indeed, the ability to operate with such arguments means a lot in today's market, but it is important not only to speak loud words, but also to conduct business in such a way that practice confirms the statements of the marketing department published in advertising campaigns for product promotion. Trust implies confidence that all parties to the transaction are ready to fulfill their obligations. If agreements have been made, they must be followed; if rules have been established, they must be followed.
At the same time, they analyze the manageability of the enterprise as a value of the company. The term is usually understood as the level of controllability of the company's subsystems in relation to management. An assessment of manageability can be given if we analyze the consistency of the activity of all employees of the enterprise and departments. At the same time, first of all, attention is paid to work related to the implementation of management decisions. Manageability also shows how correct and lasting organizational order was created within the company.
Quality as a path to success
Perhaps this value is declared by any organization (however, it is not a fact that what is officially declared will be observed in practice). When trainings, interviews, briefings, meetings are held, the speaker invites everyone to adhere to quality standards and carefully work out all the tasks.
In general, quality is usually understood as the compliance of the workflow results with the standards, client request. To identify the quality level, you need to compare the indicators of utility, as well as previously produced products. It is necessary that the characteristics of modern ones be better. Quality involves the analysis of the items and services provided to the client in comparison with those that a competitor can offer. Improvement in relation to your own proposals in the past and rival in the present and forecasted future is the key to the success of the organization.
Decent, adequate and orderly
Speaking about the values of the company, it is especially worth noting the dignity. This term is customary to denote a respectful attitude towards the personality of each employee of the enterprise. The company is obliged to recognize the individuality of the employed employees. Adequacy, in turn, presupposes the possibility and inclination to resolve conflict situations by compromise, developing solutions that are acceptable to all parties to the process.
Orderliness is an indicator of the work of an enterprise, which is expressed through the systematization of all work processes. Work should be rationalized and unnecessary labor costs eliminated. At the same time, it is in the interests of the company, thus, to set up the workflow so that raw materials, time, and money are spent as little as possible. This also applies to orderliness as the declared value of the company.
Working together to be the best
Some modern enterprises, denoting the values characteristic of them, Special attention pay synergy. The term is customary to denote such additional energy, a fundamentally new quality level, which is achieved by an integrated approach using several factors, each of which individually can already stimulate success. A company that promotes synergy as a value sets up the workflow, generating impulses that help to grow.
Competition plays an equally important role. This example of company values suggests that employees are brought up to be as good as others and, if possible, to be superior. Analysis on this aspect involves the intercomparison of objects, subjects of the work process.
In this article, you will learn why values are a tool operational management companies, and see examples of values from different areas. After reading this material, you can!
1. Values - a tool for the operational management of the company
Are you surprised? However, this is the case. I do not presume to judge the reason why values are often referred to as "a free supplement to a strategy, for show." But this is the most powerful assistant in the implementation of the strategy!
To begin with, here are some of the most popular misconceptions we hear about values on a regular basis:
- Values are needed for strategy, because that's what management books say.
- The development of values can be entrusted to external consultants (HR director, marketing department, etc.). I'm not kidding, these are real examples.
- There is a list of standard values, you can choose those that suit our company.
- There should be five values.
- Values have nothing to do with running a company.
- Once developed, the values can be simply mailed to all employees.
- It is enough to write values and place them on the site.
The list goes on, but here's what we've heard dozens of times. I consider it important to dispel all these misconceptions. To do this, start with general definition values. Values(value, guiding principles) are general guidelines that set out the foundations for how an organization is governed.
In simple terms, values help determine how to behave in situations of uncertainty, indicate direction and coordinate movement. Values are what creates "management by concepts" in the company, which is "management by values".
Why is it important for an organization to have firm values and clear rules (or principles) that concretize them?
There are many stories of stable companies that have adhered to the same values for years. In companies with strong corporate culture, values become the "core rules of the game" that help to withstand the years of crisis and maintain a strong corporate culture.
"The rules of the SMaK are not a strategy, not a culture, not a system of values, not an end and not a means ... The SMaK recipe also includes prohibitions - what should not be done".
Companies like Apple (led by Steve Jobs), Intel, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines have strictly followed their core principles, not backing down or changing them. This allowed them to quickly navigate difficult times, recruit employees who meet these principles, and conquer the market despite mistakes and mistakes.
An example of a Southwest Airlines CMaK recipe:
- We remain a carrier for short distances, flights lasting no more than two hours.
- For the next 10-12 years, our main aircraft will be the Boeing 737.
- We maintain a high level of aircraft operation and short pauses between flights, in most cases 10 minutes is enough.
- Our main product is the passenger. We refuse cargo and mail with the exception of small parcels with low cost and high profitability.
- We save low cost ticket and frequent flights.
- We do not serve food on board.
- We refuse to cooperate on ticket sales, fares and computers, our unique airports do not accept other flights.
- Texas remains the main territory for us, we only go outside the state where there is a niche of frequent and short-haul flights available to us.
- We preserve the family atmosphere of the company, we never stop joking. We are proud of our employees.
- Keep it simple. Save your tickets through the ticket office ...
On the other hand, there are companies in which top management engages company employees in the development of values. So, for example, did the company Enter (enter.ru):
"We have our own approach to the spiritual component of the company. We wrote the mission and values ourselves. Each employee is directly related to them. For us, this is not a brass plaque with words on the wall, for us these are the principles of daily communication and work with each other and with partners. ...
Our values
The result is YES!
I have goals, they are time-bound and have clear parameters. As I take actions and decisions, I make sure that they bring me closer to my goals. Within the framework of a commercial organization, everything is measurable, the result is an understandable and obvious thing. Therefore, I want to answer the question “Done?”, Always proudly answer “Yes!”. I perceive the goals of the team and the company as my own, regardless of the role I occupy in the team. I think like an entrepreneur with a passion for what I do.
I am a team
I feel like a part of the team and emotionally connected with it. It is important for me to be involved, it is important to share with the team both dizzying successes and the consequences of mistakes. I support the team leaders, am attentive to the initiatives of other members, understand my role in the team and am ready to perform it in the best possible way.
Instead of waiting for someone "in charge of the process" to make a decision and direct the team, I am ready to take the initiative. I consider myself the author of what is happening, and I consider all external obstacles as conditions of the problem. I am ready to support those who doubt their abilities, to propose solutions, to be a leader, regardless of my formal status.
Freshness
Usually I find it easier to solve problems in proven ways, but the world is changing quickly, and the chosen habits stop working. Therefore, I am ready to hear alternative opinions, especially if these opinions do not agree with mine. I am ready to act in a new way and bring freshness. If you close yourself from everything new, you can very quickly become the past. My goal is to be the future. I am a source of new ideas, a person who actively improves processes. I offer fresh solutions to my colleagues and partners. For me, finding new ideas and ways is an important and constant part of my work. I understand that to stop changing means to stop your growth and the development of your company.
Joy - YES!
I look for inspiration in my even small successes and the successes of my colleagues, I strive to enjoy interacting with like-minded people, people close to me in spirit. It is important for me to feel joy in what I am doing.
I choose to be a source of joy no matter the circumstances. Difficulty at work can be seen as an excuse to become discouraged and create an atmosphere of depression and tension around you. But my choice is a positive attitude. Faced with obstacles, I look for solutions. Creating joy is a way for me to be more efficient and enjoy life more.
Speed - YES!
I am ready to maintain the pace suggested by partners. I understand that our overall speed depends on the results on my site. It is important for me to fulfill my obligations within the agreed time frame. I propose ambitious deadlines, looking for ways to increase the speed of solving problems.
All this formed the basis of our Philosophy "YES"!
Values make sense when I use them to evaluate ITS manifestations. The most useless thing about values is to watch how others manifest themselves in them. It is important when I myself understand how I correspond to the values of the company, how much I myself am a team player. Feedback is a significant part of the manifestation of our values. In fact, this is any reaction of people to my actions and my reaction to the actions of people around me. I give it and I receive it. When I give feedback, it is important to ensure that it is done in a positive, welcoming atmosphere and with the consent of the person to whom I am giving it. It is also important for the team how I react to feedback: willingness to listen and accept. "
Without clear, value-based messages, it is difficult to build a strong corporate culture and team of like-minded people.
If you think of an organization as a building, values are the foundation. When an organization clearly understands its advantages and the basic rules that express the nature of the organization, it becomes clear who is suitable for such an organization and who is not, how to behave in a given situation.
Why are values needed?
- Values are the basic elements of corporate culture.
- Values increase the attractiveness of the company in the person of potential candidates (corresponding to the corporate culture).
- Values allow to build a management system that does not require constant "manual control" and high regulation.
- Values help create a culture in which employees begin to "think" and be guided in decision-making by principles or rules.
- Values help drive strategy.
2. Examples of values from different fields
Consider some examples of corporate values.
According to Michael Wilkinson (recognized expert in group work and strategic management), the formula “We consider… (value). Therefore, we will ... (behavior style) ”is a standard format for combining values and rules (principles) (Michael Wilkinson. The Executive guide to facilitating strategy). pay attention to different ways structuring these principles, how value is indicated and the style of behavior that supports this value.
Continuous development
We strive for continuous development. Therefore, we will try not to repeat the same mistakes. If a mistake is made, we will not only correct it, but also try to understand why this mistake happened and what we should do in order to prevent it from happening again in the future.
A socially responsible company
We conduct our business in a socially responsible and ethical manner. We respect the law, uphold universal human rights, protect the environment, and help the communities in which we operate.
A socially responsible company
We are committed to making the world a better place by participating in our community.
Customer service
Because we value our customers, we:
- we put our clients at the forefront;
- do our best to meet the needs of our clients;
- we provide a unique customer service; we treat our clients with respect and dignity;
- we continue to “date” our clients on an ongoing basis even after establishing a business relationship;
- we behave courteously with our clients; listening to our clients;
- we respond to our clients in a timely manner.
Customer service
We do not forget that our clients are our leaders and that they pay us a salary. We are responsive, courteous, qualified and punctual.
Customer service
We provide unparalleled service with a fanatical focus on order and detail.
Devotion
We are committed to working harder and harder than our competitors to help our organization succeed.
Enthusiasm
Every day we carry out our work with all possible passion and energy.
Bringing it to the end
We do what we are going to do. Completion and craftsmanship are our goals.
Industry leaders
We believe that the effectiveness of industry leaders depends on investing in innovative ideas. Therefore, we will:
- interact with our customers to understand and respond to their changing needs;
- look for new opportunities;
- create and maintain partnerships;
- strive for the cutting edge of the industry.
Honesty
We do everything right, even if no one is watching us. We strive to maintain a high level of integrity and consistency in our relationships with customers and within our team. Lack of decency is unacceptable.
Honesty
Ethics and integrity determine our conduct in dealing with customers, team members, suppliers and our company.
Leadership
We believe in progressive leadership - in leaders who understand that their job is to increase the effectiveness of their people. Therefore, we will:
- on top as leaders;
- make management decisions according to the list (eg, ethics, feasibility, legitimacy, influence);
- consistent in decision making;
- to increase our resources, both human and financial;
- evaluate the work of employees according to the results of their activities.
Needs orientation
We take into account the needs of our customers, not just in order to satisfy their requirements. We strive to understand the deep-seated needs of our customers so that we can be confident that we offer solutions that work.Openness
We listen to the ideas of others and encourage open dialogue.
Owner's mind
We believe in the mindset of the owner. We use the company's money as if it were our own. We economically spend our time only on activities that generate income for the company.
Work performance standards
We value high standards of work performance. Therefore, we will:
- reward employees for exceptional performance;
- be responsible for the performance of their work;
- welcome innovation and creativity;
- cost effective;
- Demonstrate professional behavior at all times (eg dress appropriately, be punctual).
Personal responsibility
We take personal responsibility. If we have a problem, we take responsibility for solving it (and do not complain to others or refuse). If we make mistakes, then we accept our responsibility for them.
Professional ethics
We believe that professional ethics are important in all aspects of our business. That's why we:
- are polite and honest;
- share and respect ethical standards;
- do not show favoritism and discrimination.
Skill level
We are fighting for high rates level of qualifications, we develop competence in all aspects of our work, using personal and professional trainings. We are looking for knowledge.
Quality
Everything we do carries the mark of the highest quality. We plan well - our activities, people and technology are of high quality. We do not hand over the work until we are convinced that it is ready.
Security
We maintain working conditions that minimize hazards, risks and injuries.
Command
We support positive attitude in a team. We are positive in communication, sharing support, information and advice with each other, instead of thinking only about ourselves and bringing negative energy to workplace... No pessimism.
Command
- We believe in the value of teamwork. Therefore, we support a work environment that is conducive to:
- constructive and effective communication throughout the organization;
- respect for diversity of opinion;
- participation in business and cooperation;
- innovation;
- strict adherence to the deadlines for completing the work.
3. A step-by-step algorithm for developing values
Step 1. Agree on concepts.
Explain what values are and why the company and each of your team members need them.
Step 2. Determine the preferred behavior style for your company.
Offer employees a scenario in which they should envision someone in the organization who embodies its values and culture. Write down the characteristics he possesses, what he does, what he doesn't.
Step 3. Describe the undesirable behavior.
Now that you have established your preferred behavior, the next step is to define the unwanted behavior. Describe a scenario in which team members help the newcomer adapt to the team. Ask them to tell the new team member about what kind of behavior in the organization is not encouraged, not accepted, disliked, for which they may even be fired.
Step 4. Define values.
Ask to categorize positive characteristics and inappropriate actions into logical categories. These categories usually represent the values of the organization and serve as a starting point for core principles.
Step 5. Highlight the basic principles (rules).
To highlight the core principles, take each category and create the core principles using the format “We believe ... (value). Therefore, we will be ... (behavior style) "as a model. To save time, you can single out the first principle as a whole group, and then use the separate groups to develop the rest.
Step 6. Check the values and rules (principles) for clarity and simplicity of wording, completeness and accuracy.
Do the values express how your company is different from competitors and other companies in the market? Are actions consistent with values understandable? Are all the wording simple and clear?
In order not to forget something important, you can use a simple checklist:
- Customer values
- Values for the owner / shareholders
- Values for company employees
- Values for society
Sberbank
Step 7. Develop an action plan.
The final step in the process of creating core principles is defining the strategies that you and your team will use to transfer core principles from paper to life.
Start by reviewing the strategies used by other organizations. Then brainstorm on strategies that could be used, and then choose the ones that you will use.
Agree on the next step for each team member.
4. The role of the leader
Developing values with the involvement of company employees allows you to create an environment in which employees themselves contribute to the transmission of values. But this is not enough to transfer values from paper to life. It is important that you, as the leader of the organization, lead the process of developing and communicating values.
Most simple ways make values a part Everyday life:
- come up with an acronym that will allow you to remember values faster and better
- hang valuables in a conspicuous place in the office (s) of the company
- make for each individual copy of values in such a way that it can be constantly used
- include alignment with values in the selection phase
- conduct individual interviews with newcomers for alignment with values
- write a personal letter to all employees of the company describing what each value means to you personally and why they are important
- enter the value of the day (month) and talk about it on the internal resource
- conduct a survey on attitudes towards these values among your customers
It is important that you yourself demonstrate compliance with the values by your behavior, words, attitude. It is better to have no more than 10 values. After this group work, read all the developed values and think if something important is missing.
Do all values resonate with you personally?
Interesting topic?
Explore deeper spiral dynamics as a tool for creating a strong and bright corporate culture.
The core values and life plans of the company's employees can be largely realized through increased efficiency, growth and business development.
Therefore, the prospects of our business are the prospects of each of us.
To the extent that the Company is successful, the qualifications, income, career, satisfaction with their work and the atmosphere in the team will grow among employees. In other words, the interests of our people are directly related to the goals of the Company.
Below is an example of the values of a real commercial company.
1. The structure of the values of the Company
The development of the Company's divisions is based on two groups of corporate values:
- Basic, the focus on which provides the required level of efficiency of the firm;
- Higher, the orientation to which gives the firm the energy of breakthrough, anticipation, market leadership.
Each group includes values - one leader (highlighted) and supporters.
Basic values:
- Controllability
- Achievability
- Commanding
- Pace (value of time)
Higher values:
- Proactivity
- Innovativeness
- Clientele
- Competitiveness
2. Basic values of the Company
Controllability
- timely achievement of the set goals, consistency of goals and actions of employees.
- The goals and priorities of the Company are communicated to each department in relation to the specifics of its position.
- All managers and employees are assessed according to their specific contribution to the results of the Company's work.
- Fewer tasks, more rules. This means that more orders and orders should be replaced by streamlining business processes, functions, goals, evaluation criteria, etc.
- Do not give assignments, do not encourage or punish the employee over the head of his immediate supervisor.
- As the goals and working conditions of the Company change, the functions and motivation of employees change.
- When setting a task, the manager has the right to count on meeting the deadlines on the first presentation. No reminders. No intermediate control. In the event of unforeseen circumstances affecting the deadline for completing the task, the employee must immediately notify the manager and, if necessary, other participants in the business process.
- An employee who provokes step-by-step control in relation to himself is considered costly.
Achievability
- ensuring real results, increasing efficiency at every workplace.
- We report by results, not activities.
- We evaluate and reward not so much for experience as for achievements.
- In the definition of each employee function, the criteria for assessing its performance are indicated.
- The right to make a mistake: the mistake is not a crash, but experience. We learn lessons from every mistake.
- We do not repeat mistakes.
Commanding
- consistency of goals and actions of employees in a friendly atmosphere.
Motto: we are all clients here.
- Interchangeability: if someone is absent, the rest take over his functions.
- We build relationships between a leader and a subordinate not according to the "Parent - Child" principle, but according to the "Adult - Adult" principle.
- If you have information of interest to another employee, pass it on to him immediately.
- Do not pass on to someone else what is your responsibility.
- We do not refuse to help others.
- We overcome disagreements without conflicts.
- Wrong - we'll figure it out, deceived - let's disperse.
- In our country, rewards significantly prevail over punishments.
- The principle of mutual responsibility for damages is applied between the company and its employees.
- We hire employees not so much for a position as for a company. If valuable employee a specific position is not suitable, we will find him a worthy place in the Company.
- The manager plans both the official and non-official careers of his subordinates.
- Do not frighten our "white crows" (we take non-standard judgments constructively).
- We criticize not a person, but actions.
- We each have something like a "giraffe" (we expect and recognize the individual superiority of each in some way).
- Mutual obligation of everyone and in everything.
- Instead of "You misunderstood me," say "I said incomprehensibly."
Pace (value of time)
- the speed of implementation of the necessary changes, saving your own and general time.
Motto: we are stingy with time - not renewable
and always a scarce resource.
- Deadlines are met without reminders. An employee who has to be reminded of a deadline is considered too costly.
- There are no tasks without deadlines.
- The appointed dates, hours, minutes are understood literally, not roughly. Failure to comply with them is a blow to prestige.
- The implementation of large-scale works is staged in time with the corresponding dates.
- We prioritize urgency.
- Loss of time has a monetary equivalent and can be assessed as concrete damage to the case.
- The pace should not be achieved at the expense of quality.
- We compare and synchronize the rates of development of the market, company, division, employee.
3. The highest values of the Company
Proactivity
- proactive impact on the market, the ability to suppress unwanted trends and accelerate desirable ones. Don't follow demand - be ahead of it.
- The most important sign of a leader's qualifications is the ability to foresee. It is being evaluated.
- Best = Proactive.
- Periodically evaluate yourself from the future. What are we going to laugh about today? What are we going to regret not done today?
- Each creative employee has a personal VISION (the image of the desired future in the Company).
- The most important criterion for recruiting new employees is proactive tendencies.
Innovativeness
- openness and readiness to change, the success of innovations.
Motto: there is nothing that cannot be improved.
- We regularly replenish the Company's innovative bank.
- Promising innovations are implemented through the mechanism of temporary target groups.
- We encourage new ideas.
- Every idea has an author.
- By accepting an employee's innovative proposal, the Company assumes the risks of its implementation.
- Innovation is a sign of a creative employee and a criterion for evaluation.
Clientele
- the ability to expand and develop priority customer groups.
- All sales departments have criteria for prioritizing their customers.
- We turn an increasing number of priority clients into our adherents.
- The loss of a priority client is an extraordinary event that is being specifically investigated.
- We carry out certification of priority clients.
- The departure of an employee does not mean the loss of a client.
- Not saying no to the client, but suggesting options.
- If an employee has caused a loss to the Company, we will figure it out, but if he has damaged the reputation of the Company, we will not forgive.
Competitiveness
- the ability to create competitive advantages in the markets of customers, suppliers and labor.
Motto: respect, know and surpass your competitor.
- The divisions of the Company regularly conduct comparisons with competitors.
- Sales and procurement divisions, personnel service constantly assess the focus of competition in the markets of customers, suppliers and labor, respectively.
- These divisions are regularly assessed for the creation and development of competitive advantages.
- Once a quarter, we collectively answer the questions: - what and why are we lagging behind the strongest? - which of our competitors is now a beacon for us and in what?
Compliance with this Code is mandatory for all employees of the Company. Evaluation of employee performance also includes compliance with the values and rules named here.
This text of the Ideology and Code of the Company is subject to periodic updating and development.
Case based on the materials of A.I. Prigogine prepared
Any set of phenomena united by some common properties, with its quantitative accumulation, inevitably causes the need for its ordering. This is how our consciousness is arranged, so it is easier to perceive all the diversity of the surrounding world. Corporate values that are born and exist in the business environment of modern Russian reality are no exception.
Almost every leader or HR manager who, on duty, was involved in solving one of the most difficult management tasks - the formation of the company's corporate culture, came across their terminological diversity and substantial diversity.
Diversity dictates choice, choice raises numerous questions and among them:
- What values should you choose?
- What should be the criterion for our choice?
- Is it possible to form this or that value without other values?
- Without which ones?
- How and on the basis of what can these or those values be formed?
- Or without which it is impossible to form and develop them?
This article is an attempt to find and offer answers to the questions posed.
An express study of corporate values of 100 companies, which are the best employers in Russia, was chosen as the method of obtaining objective answers. The information base was the 7th annual rating-2017 compiled by HeadHunter based on the results of a voluntary assessment of 223 employers.
This was due to the following reasons. The rating was calculated by 3 components. I quote the authors of the procedure:
- « External evaluation of applicants: Applicants choose the companies in which they would like to work according to the methodology approved by VTsIOM.
- HR department assessment. HR specialists fill out a professional questionnaire developed by HeadHunter taking into account the recommendations of the consultants of PricewaterhouseCoopers Russia B.V. This is how the effectiveness of the HR function in the company is assessed.
- Employee Engagement Survey conducted by "ECOPSY Consulting" ... on three parameters - satisfaction, loyalty and support for the initiative. "
It should be noted that it is essential large weights the final assessment had the opinions of working employees and applicants. The authority of these companies, rating partners, is beyond doubt. Full information about the rating "100 best employers in Russia" and the methodology for calculating the results are presented on the pages: hh.ru and rating.hh.ru.
It was assumed that the companies included in the Top 100 in terms of the development of their own HR brands rely in their activities on a developed corporate culture, which, incl. provides successful development business. And if this is so, then it is worth taking a closer look at the formed systems of their internal corporate values, trying to see what is common that characterizes and unites the best.
The variety of companies participating in the rating in terms of scale (from transnational to regional), industry sector (from energy and raw materials production to services for business), as well as the inevitable subjective understanding of certain values led to a number of assumptions and restrictions that were forced to be used during processing such a heterogeneous and rather large data set. Namely:
- To obtain meaningful information about corporate values, only the official websites of companies and some documents under the general heading “corporate codes” were used.
- Due to the limited time and resources, data from sites where information was contained only in English were not used.
- From the initial list of "TOP-100" companies were removed for which it was not possible to explicitly find specific information on the sites about the declared values.
- Some "values" were removed that were difficult to attribute to the concept under study itself, for example:
- "enjoyment of life" (HEINEKEN);
- "low prices" (LENTA, federal retail network);
- “we encourage diversity” and “we are original in our quest to exceed expectations” (Danfoss LLC);
- “profit” (JSC “Khlebprom”);
- "brands ( trade marks) ”,“ Company name ”(GC“ Magnat ”);
- "reliability" and "versatility" (VTB 24), which, according to the description, are rather characteristics of a business, but not values, etc.
- Some very specific "values" were removed, over-abstract concepts and declarative statements that were not meaningfully disclosed and their further typing was difficult (if not impossible, in principle), for example:
- “we think like Danfoss”, “our corporate culture is reflected in the style of our work” (Danfoss LLC);
- “balancing short-term and long-term plans” (PepsiCo);
- “the development of the company largely depends on the development of society” (GC “Ideal Stone”);
- “our employees” (LENTA, federal retail chain);
- “life”, “time”, “private property” (GC “Magnat”), etc.
As a result, the list of companies was reduced to 61 with a total of 301 declared values. A meaningful analysis of a wide variety of formulations made it possible to type values, thereby limiting their initial list to 35 positions. Below is the summary data, ranked (by frequency of references) in descending order (see Table 1).
Table # 1 List of corporate values
"Top 100" companies in terms of development of their own "HR-brands "
| № | Values | Frequency (qty) | Share of companies declaring value (%) | Value rank |
| 1 | Respect | 30 | 49% | 1 |
| 2 | Team spirit | 29 | 48% | 2 |
| 3 | Innovative development | 26 | 43% | 3 |
| 4 | Customer focus | 19 | 31% | 4 |
| 5 | Honesty | 18 | 30% | 5 |
| 6 | A responsibility | 17 | 28% | 6 |
| 7 | Professionalism | 16 | 26% | 7 |
| 8 | 15 | 25% | 8 | |
| 9 | Openness | 14 | 23% | 9 |
| 10 | Efficiency | 12 | 20% | 10 |
| 11 | Confidence | 11 | 18% | 11 |
| 12 | Focus on results | 10 | 16% | 12 |
| 13 | Quality | 9 | 15% | 13 |
| 14 | Decency | 9 | 15% | 13 |
| 15 | Involvement (non-indifference) | 9 | 15% | 13 |
| 16 | Security | 6 | 10% | 16 |
| 17 | Leadership | 6 | 10% | 16 |
| 18 | Initiative | 5 | 8% | 18 |
| 19 | Partnership | 5 | 8% | 18 |
| 20 | Meritocracy | 4 | 7% | 20 |
| 21 | Courage | 4 | 7% | 20 |
| 22 | Social responsibility | 4 | 7% | 20 |
| 23 | Respect for resources | 3 | 5% | 23 |
| 24 | Health | 3 | 5% | 23 |
| 25 | Creativity | 3 | 5% | 23 |
| 26 | Reliability | 3 | 5% | 23 |
| 27 | Equality of opportunity | 3 | 5% | 23 |
| 28 | Flexibility | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 29 | Naturalness | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 30 | Common sense | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 31 | Simplicity | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 32 | Accuracy | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 33 | Respect for tradition | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 34 | Hard work | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 35 | Versatility | 1 | 2% | 28 |
| 35 | Total | 301 |
For further analysis, the first 20 values of the list were taken, conditionally divided into 3 groups:
- Business values. These included values that affect the basic interests of any business, such as: "safety", "quality", "partnership", " innovative development" and etc.
- Operating values. These included values-means that allow you to effectively achieve business goals. In this respect, such a division is consonant with the classification of the famous psychologist M. Rokeach, who perceived the "instrumental" values "as the belief that any mode of action or personality trait is preferable in any situation." "Team spirit", "initiative", "responsibility" and others determined the composition of this group.
- Ethical values. These included the values that determine the most effective interpersonal relationships. Namely: "respect", "honesty", "openness", "trust" and "decency".
Below are the most typical and interesting semantic formulations that form collective “portraits-definitions” of certain corporate values (see Tables 2,3,4). Despite the obviousness of a number of concepts, each of them, in relation to business, has its own specifics, in contrast to the manifestations of these values in everyday life, politics, family, folk traditions, etc. public relations and institutes.
The definitions do not claim to be classical. More important here is the meaning laid down by companies that rely on certain values in their corporate culture. The wording collected from this angle helps in answering the main question of the article.
The following should be noted characteristic feature... As they say at school: "no one cheated from anyone." Each company worked independently to write the foundations of its own "moral constitution." Although, with modern capabilities search engines, it is not difficult to do this.
Table 2 Business values
| Value | It is understood as: |
| Innovative development | – permanent job over the introduction of new products and technologies; - the only way to prosperity and necessary condition ensuring the viability of the enterprise; - movement without stopping at the achieved result, improvement and setting new ambitious goals; - the ability to accurately and in time to identify new opportunities and quickly turn them into benefits for our customers and partners; - targeted concentration of efforts and focus on strategic priorities; - primacy in the study and testing of new technologies and implementation best ideas; - independent search for ways of development, daily work on yourself; - prompt response to changes, openness and accepting feedback from employees and customers; - condition employee development through their participation in development companies; – reliance on all opportunities within the framework of a value culture the company to ensure its constant growth and development; - encouraging an atmosphere of creative search for non-standard solutions to create unique products. |
| Efficiency | - the most rational use of the company's resources and continuous improvement of work processes; - cooperation for the sake of finding the best solutions; - the ability to "do the right thing right" due to constant improving business systems; - consistent correction of inefficiency in processes, unnecessary bureaucracy and outdated solutions; – open discussion of noticed problems, use of intuition, logic and experience; - orientation on maximum result with minimal costs. |
| Quality | - production and sale of only those products that you can be proud of striving for the highest quality of work and the best result, striving for the impossible, to achieve the maximum; - continuous improvement of production, product, logistics, service, services. Today is better than yesterday. Tomorrow is better than today ... is the business of each of us; - to do the right thing the first time the result of the work professionals their business, not indifferent and responsible; - stability of results and guarantees for clients. |
| Security | - ensuring, first of all, the complete safety of people and the environment; - strict observance of the rule: no goal can justify violation of production safety requirements or neglect of human life and health; - one of the highest priorities, in compliance with which there are no trifles. |
| Partnership | - win-win position - mutually beneficial cooperation, in which both parties win; - a unified understanding of goals, a unified strategy for moving towards a result that satisfies both parties; - first of all respect feelings and opinions of your opponent, understanding his point of view, the ability to see the situation through the eyes of another person; - a guarantee of the immutability of principles honesty, fairness and professional ethics in partnerships; - creation in a relationship trust and supports that win all; - inner confidence that receiving momentary personal gain cannot be basis long-term productive relationship. |
Table 3 Operating values
| Value | It is understood as: |
| Team spirit | - Ability to work in a team, reliability, mutual assistance, willingness to help and provide support; - the willingness and ability of the company's employees to jointly achieve the set goals; - adherence to the principles: “One for all and all for one”; - a way of interaction with a resonating effect: enhancing knowledge, professionalism, potential, energy and creativity of everyone, forming a strong and unique team; - how confidence such a level that team members can working situation calmly "jump with a parachute, which was folded by a colleague, without rechecking it"; - condition mutual respect to each other, leaning on confidence; - purposeful actions of like-minded people who share the company's vision and goals; - mutually beneficial relationships that open up new creative opportunities in work; - a sense of mutual understanding, brought to the level “At a glance. From the floor of the look. As a single organism ... ”; - recognition of the value that each person is important for the success of the entire team; - internal confidence that the best results are achieved only through well-coordinated work, where each employee puts the interests of the team above his own. |
| Customer focus | - loyalty to the interests of clients always and in any situation; – respect and awareness of the value of customers as the basis for the development, improvement and prosperity of the company, since since no client - no company - no work; – equal respect for everyone since each client is dear to the company, regardless of the duration of the relationship, the profitability of working with him or his fame; - constant and thorough study of customer needs and prompt response to their needs; - striving not just for their complete and high-quality satisfaction, but the desire to exceed their expectations by offering the best product, the best solutions, best service; – building relationships with clients rather than selling your product; - focus on building long-term partnerships with clients based on reliability, respect, mutual trust, attention and care; - a guarantee of reliability, readiness to be responsible for the result and quality their work in front of the client, ensuring their only quality goods by honest prices and first class service; – honesty in their promises and a responsibility in their implementation: rigorously, accurately and on time; - Individual approach to each client; - one of the components of a company's reputation, which is always more valuable than money. |
| A responsibility | - willingness to admit shortcomings in their work and become more perfect to ensure the comfort and well-being of our clients; - not evasion, readiness fulfill obligations on decisions taken, agreements, assigned tasks; - awareness of the degree of its importance in the chain of the company's overall result, – indifference and dedication to the observance of this rule always and in everything, under any circumstances, responsibility not only for the results of their work, but also for their behavior, words and deeds, which together affect the reputation of the company. |
| Professionalism | - ability efficiently do your job with high results, permanent improvement processes, products and their professional level when “good is the enemy of the best”; - expertise - the ability to deeply immerse yourself in the client's task and find the optimal solution for it; - guarantee quality produced goods and services good knowledge of your specialty, responsible and a conscientious attitude towards responsibilities, quality and timely completion of assigned tasks. |
| Professional development and inner growth of personality | - a thirst for knowledge, a person's desire to know and be able to do more in order to do faster and cooler, supported by love for work and concern for the result; – development not only in what you love, but also in what others love - for understanding others; - daily training from their colleagues, exchange of experience and knowledge; - encouraging and creating conditions for self-improvement; Is a necessary condition for development the company, achieving its most ambitious goals; |
| Focus on results | - actions according to the principle “Think-Do-Achieve”; - measurement of work by the value produced, reliance on the principle: not the effort expended, but the achieved result is evaluated; - manifestation initiatives and creativity as a basis for achieving better results; obtaining a specific, measurable and in demand product or solution; - purposefulness and consistency of all actions performed: the ability to see the goal being achieved, always remember what result the client will receive when starting any task, early miscalculation and risk management, bringing all decisions to the end. |
| Involvement | - when a person does not just come to work from 9 to 6 in order to earn a living, but is infected with an idea and does a job that he considers important, necessary, valuable. Often it is an idea to change something in the world, to do it differently, to do it better; - drive, energy and passion for what we love - what we respect in people, which allows us to forget about the word "work" (in the understanding of office plankton); - personal example: “I kindle others, I encourage them to take action”; - indifference: "We care." I cannot but quote here only the original explanation given by PROFI.RU: “In the eggs and bacon, the chicken is involved, and the pig is committed. A seemingly insignificant difference between the meanings of the words involved and committed costs life for a pig, and only one day of incubation for a chicken. The pig won't be able to afford a second scrambled eggs, so it doesn't care what that particular scrambled egg turns out to be. The same is in our common cause. There can be no indifferent people next to people who treat each task and the company as their own. ” |
| Leadership | - the desire to be always one step ahead in technology, knowledge and qualities our employees; - setting ambitious goals for yourself and carrying personal responsibility for their activities: its results, successes and failures; - inspiring and motivating others by personal example; - impartial and respectful attitude towards people; – honesty with yourself, colleagues and clients; – improvement yourself, the company and its environment, doing the best he can. |
| Initiative | - relentless search for opportunities to improve work; - challenge to difficulties and to ourselves; – openness to everything new: to see, to offer, to actively participate in the implementation - movement: mountain stream, not a stagnant swamp. |
| Meritocracy | - adherence to the principle: the position of an employee in the organizational hierarchy is determined by his knowledge, abilities, skills, initiative, responsibility and labor results;
- assessment of the employee's work - according to the achieved results, on which the payment directly depends and career in company. |
Involved - Involved.
Committed - Committed.
Table 4 Ethical values
| Value | It is understood as: |
| Confidence | – the greatest value companies, business basis and partnerships an interconnected process: relying on the trust of customers and partners, we trust them in return; - condition being in the team: losing the trust of your customers, colleagues and company management means losing your place in team; - the first step towards creating successful relationship and constant goal setting: in everything we do; |
| Respect | - a positive feeling that is experienced for everyone with whom the company interacts: employees, customers, clients, partners and suppliers; - the ability to listen and hear each other attentively, to be correct, regardless of the positions held, place and term of work, as well as the specific situation; - recognition of the dignity of the individual, professionalism and achievements of the respected party; - inadmissibility of discrimination and injustice, incompatibility of official relations with rudeness, aggression and indifference; - the ability to listen to the opinion of those with whom the service interaction takes place; - a mutual process in which the company respects the opinion of its employees, employees respect the opinion of the company; - observance of the principle “treat others the way you would like to be treated”; - an attitude based on recognition equal rights and interests of each person, freedom of his beliefs and views; - the position of the company, which puts a person above everything, an attitude towards everyone with trepidation, honestly and ethical. |
| Honesty | - the need to speak and act open both with clients and employees; - behavior in which, words do not diverge from deeds, moreover, are supported by deeds; - readiness trust others and the desire to establish open relationships; - non-use of double standards; - observance of laws and regulations always and everywhere; - actions for justice; - the ability to find and readiness to admit their mistakes, not hushing up, but bringing up existing problems for discussion so that the team can discuss them, quickly correct them and prevent them in the future; – sincerity before another and before oneself in relation to those motives by which a person is guided by the preservation of fidelity to people, words; - recognition and observance of the rights of other people to what legally belongs to them, not the appropriation of other people's ideas, things, money; - doing your daily work confidentially and with respect - mutual manifestation of this quality: the company is honest with its employees and employees are honest with their company. |
| Openness | - willingness to express one's opinion and listen to the opinions of others, to be honest;
- organization and performance of work in any area of activity on the basis of free access to information, voluntary and equal participation of all interested parties; - providing all interested parties with the information they need to make rational decisions in an open, complete, timely and understandable form; - an explanation always and everywhere of their actions, ensuring the transparency of their decisions and procedures, without hiding behind bureaucracy and without creating artificial barriers. |
| Decency | – respect and unconditional observance of general agreements, interests, the established procedure for interaction with business partners, clients, colleagues, society; - determination of their actions by the norms and rules of decency; - the ability to keep your word, which is manifested in the work thus. : the assigned task must be completed, all agreements have been observed, said - done, planned - done. |
Determining essential meanings, people consciously or unconsciously build a hierarchy of their values, establish certain cause-and-effect relationships. To do this, they use in speech such expressions as: "based on ...", "for the implementation of development goals ...", "our actions are based on ...", "we believe that this is possible provided ...", "it is important for us ..., therefore we ... ", precisely because ... we observe the principle ...", "readiness ... to ...." etc.
A careful reading of the above definitions allows us to make a quite definite conclusion: The 3 groups of values identified are in the following causal relationships (see Fig. 1). This can be indirectly confirmed by the simplest statistical calculations (see Table 5) from the above initial data.
Table # 5 Calculation of arithmetic mean values of frequencymentioningby value groups
Fig. 1.
Let's take a closer look at the “base” of the constructed pyramid - the so-called. "Ethical values".
Respectus or respect
Respect was the leader (49%) in terms of frequency of use as a corporate value. Most likely, this is the component that is most prominently manifested in companies with both a plus and a minus in the system of interpersonal relations. This is something that the vast majority of employees can, if desired, follow, demonstrating recognition, attention, courtesy, reverence, tact and other characteristics accompanying respect. This is the easiest and most natural way to understand each other. That is, something that is easily understood by everyone and is most acutely felt by each of us with its deficit.
Respecting others is very important. At the same time, self-respect, respect for oneself as an individual is key, since the way each of us relates to ourselves is the basis of our relationship to others. Respect is a very important component of personal identity. Feeling respected is a basic human right, and vice versa, respect is a basic duty of every member of the human community. People need to be respected simply because we are all human. By respecting others, we recognize the equality of people, i.e. we act with integrity and honesty.
Hence the definition. Respect - there is a positive attitude towards people associated with the recognition of the merits of others, the ability to value and honor any person as himself and even more.
In the context of the above, the following definition, found in the fields of research, deserves interest: respect is the company's position, “putting a person above all else, treating everyone with trepidation, honestly and ethically”.
In business practice, respect for others determines the efficiency and comfort of service relationships between people, doing business, obtaining information, creates the best conditions for the development of the company and the self-realization of its employees. According to Yitzhak Adizes, a successful entrepreneur is one who can form mutual respect and trust. What makes us successful is not what we know, but what we are.
Thus, the grounds for respect are: openness, honesty, sincere attention, self-respect, benevolence, tolerance, trust.
Honesty
Writing about honesty succinctly is both simple and difficult. And nevertheless, in the context of this article, it seems appropriate to state the following.
Honesty is the avoidance of deception, the true correspondence of a person's words to the actions he performs as a standard of fair behavior that is always manifested to everyone and in everything.
Honesty and decency are the foundation of trust. One of its main manifestations is expressed in a respectful attitude towards persons who are absent at the time of the conversation. A person who is able to discuss and speak badly about the qualities of people "behind their back" does not deserve the trust of those present.
A person who openly and publicly expresses his point of view on any issue and at the same time deliberately refrains from "discussing" the absent is honest. Thus, I form sincerity in communication, without which there is no trust and respect.
As a personality trait, honesty does not accept such qualities as: duplicity, treachery, hypocrisy, a tendency to deceit, etc. A two-faced person who is unable to follow the canons of decency and honesty will never achieve high trust. Even if he tries to adapt as much as possible, fulfill the promise, be attentive to every little thing and strive for mutual understanding.
A significant number of people who have succeeded in economically value honesty very highly, attach great importance to this value as a factor in their success. It is no coincidence that a third of the companies from the surveyed list chose honesty as the leading component of their corporate culture. It is honesty, strength of character, respect and an unblemished reputation that are closely intertwined and go hand in hand on the path to outstanding business success. Yes, and historical experience testifies that the main asset of an honest merchant and entrepreneur in Russia - reputation - has always been earned for years and cherished like the apple of an eye. It is no coincidence that from the most ancient origins to the present day, the following proverb has been preserved in the Russian language: "You cannot trade a profit by deception."
Honesty breeds respect - even a dishonest person recognizes the superiority of an honest person.
Honesty is one of the most revered virtues in all religions, that is, in those "companies" with a thousand-year history (in business language), which in their "corporate culture" rely on this very value.
Thus, the foundations of honesty are: openness, decency, loyalty to established obligations, conviction in actions, in their rightness, adherence to principles, sincerity in relation to the motives that a person is guided by in their actions. But you can say so. Honesty, according to Confucius, is the basic foundation of human relations and high morality.
Openness
It is hardly possible to give a definition of openness more concise and simpler than the explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language. Openness - frankness, truthfulness, credulity. Open (person) - sincere, frank, expressing directness.
The interest in and prioritization of this value is, in all likelihood, due to the same reasons given in the consideration of "respect." To this can only be added the special advantages of openness.
Openness fosters courage, and through it honesty and decency, since it allows you to directly indicate inappropriate behavior and unseemly actions. It is no coincidence that openness is called "the advantage of an honest person over liars."
Openness provides independence from negative opinions and hypocritical judgments, and therefore forms the foundations of self-esteem, which, in turn, fosters respect from others.
By showing openness, we unselfishly open the doors of our personal space for others, which means that the door of trust opens before us. For a person open to the world, the world opens up to meet him. With such a position, the opportunities for constructive interaction with colleagues are resonantly increased, the harmonious existence of such values as "team spirit", "initiative" becomes possible, and "professionalism", "professional development and internal growth of the personality" receive the energy of acceleration. Indeed, if you are open, then you can perceive, and to perceive is to learn. The faster this process goes, the fewer mistakes, the more positive results in work, the faster professionalism is formed.
In turn: Can there be openness without respect? Is openness dishonest? Maybe insincere? Is there openness in the soul of a distrustful person? This is what lies at the heart of openness.
Confidence
Trust is the unconditional foundation of all healthy and long-term relationships.
The emergence of this value in the business environment is quite natural. This is facilitated by at least 3 rational circumstances:
- First, any activity of people and their energy, frozen in the form of a product of their labor, requires a certain credit and rules for trust on the part of its consumers.
- Second, productive business relations, any constructive activity in a safe environment, which, incl. provided with trust, more efficiently.
- Trust helps streamline business processes. When there is trust, we can act faster and more efficiently. According to Stephen Covey “when there is no trust, everything starts to cost more. Lack of trust is a kind of tax on relationships. "
Google has introduced trust as an integral part of its corporate culture. The company is convinced that creativity and innovation are impossible without this, just as it is impossible without trust to attract and retain the best employees. It is no coincidence that almost 1/5 of companies talk about the value of trust and trust this value.
If you want to gain the trust of another person, talk to him the way you would like to be talked to you, i.e. it is necessary to communicate on an equal footing, and to be more precise, respectfully.
If we argue "opposite", then trust cannot exist in conditions of: rudeness, unfounded criticism, ridicule, barbs, disregard, inattention to the interlocutor, and so on. in the absence of respect. Trust can never arise when there are double standards, hypocrisy and deceit. For it to emerge, opposite values are required.
Thus, the foundations of trust are: respect for the individual and factors that form a sense of reliability: decency, honesty, sincerity, disinterestedness, openness.
Decency
At least 15% of companies identified “decency” as one of the leading values. One of the explanations for this follows from the very essence of this concept. Let's turn to Ozhegov's dictionary: “Decency is honesty, inability to low, immoral, antisocial acts. A decent person is honest, complying with the accepted rules of behavior. "
When it comes to corporate values, “compliance” is the key here. What is the use of any correct and useful business values, if their declaration is not followed by the behavior of employees corresponding to these values? This is why "decency" is valuable, since is a necessary basis for the real viability of all proclaimed values. Only when this condition is met does a fundamental competitive advantage companies have a strong corporate culture that cannot be copied or stolen. In this sense, decency is a practical virtue - a virtue that benefits business in the face of inevitable competition.
The second key word is "honesty" decency, which manifests itself:
- willingness to defend justice, even if it does not coincide with personal interests;
- in the readiness of a person, faced with a choice of what to do, to always act according to his conscience.
And in the case of an accidental or forced violation of accepted norms - in the ability to experience feelings of shame and guilt.
Decency is inseparable from another of its foundations - respect, since it is a formed ability to treat one's neighbor as oneself, not doing and not wanting him what he would not want to do or wish for himself. By treating respectfully to his subordinate, colleague, client, this or that manager or employee should ethical principle"Presumption of decency". According to him, every person should be considered decent until he proves otherwise. On the other hand, as with honesty, decency ensures respect. Even a low person has at least an inner respect for a decent person.
The fundamental nature of this value is emphasized by its historical age. One of the first definitions of decency can be found in the Gospel of Matthew: “But let your word be:“ yes - yes ”,“ no - no ”; and what is beyond this is from the evil one. " Plato wrote about decency, defining it as "sincerity of disposition combined with the correct way of thinking." His disciple, Aristotle, defined a decent person as never doing evil on his own.
Thus, decency is a bouquet of virtues, such as: honesty, openness, nobility, sincerity, sincerity, generosity, straightforwardness and self-esteem, which are its foundations.
The above reasoning allows us to present the refined hierarchy of the selected groups of corporate values in the form of the following scheme (see Fig. 2.).
Fig. 2.
From here we will draw several useful conclusions:
- Whatever the list of corporate values formed in a particular company, they will be based on a dedicated ethical group.
- This group is not a random set of well-known, socially approved characteristics, but has the features of an integral system. Those. such a union, where each of its elements is interconnected with others, mutually determines and interdependent on others. Where each of the selected values is a part of the whole, unable to exist separately, and each of which strengthens the others, thereby forming a coherent whole.
- In all likelihood, this ethical system is nothing more than the core of the fundamental foundations of human relationships, providing the most effective forms of interpersonal interaction between people.
- Without this core, it is extremely difficult to form, ensure the conscious implementation and consistent implementation of any other corporate values. And in this respect, business is not an exception, but an important sphere of human life, confirming the universality of priceless values: honesty, openness, respect, decency and trust.
It would be wrong to give all the answers to the questions posed without giving the readers a reason for reflection. Answering some questions, let's leave the field of doubt open, not completely sown. Let us formulate only a method for self-verification of the conclusions made.
Suppose completely practical situation... In a certain company there is an understanding that their corporate culture must necessarily be based on such a value as “team spirit”. The task is to form this elusive "spirit", thus, so that it is this value, not on paper, but in reality, that determines the behavior of employees in the company. But we will only implement it as follows:
- Yes, we will discuss official issues openly, together, but it is better not to bring up sharp issues and criticism for discussion. Better in the old fashioned way, not with everyone and a narrow familiar circle, or it doesn't even need to be touched at all and it will dissolve that way. Moreover, not everyone needs to know everything!
- Of course, we trust everyone. But the right to make decisions should not be given to everyone, otherwise they will make mistakes, then you will not shake things up. And these two generally need to be monitored every day!
- In principle, we must ask, we will be demanding of the team members. How else? But some should be treated more loyal for now. Let's forgive them for non-performance, violation of agreements. After all, they are so busy, so much depends on them now! It's okay the rest will understand and tolerate.
- We are for keeping our word. Without this, nowhere! But the circumstances have changed. Sorry, the market is the market, that's life. Let's get back to this question sometime later.
- Come on, give us your suggestions. What nonsense are you talking about! Don't you know anything about this at all ?! What is the point of inviting him for discussion, sense from him as from….
This happens in practice, but this does not create a true "team spirit".
Suppose a completely practical situation ...
The infinity of human knowledge forces us to formulate another new question: If the foundations are found, then what lies at the basis of the foundations, at the basis of the identified ethical values? It seems that these are the ideals of love, the search for justice and goodness. But this is another story with a philosophical taste.
The author does not consider this article as a theoretical eulogy to well-known virtues. The question of the hierarchy of values is not important in itself and is not a refined scientific curiosity. It is of practical interest, since corporate values are useful in the context of real opportunities for their formation and cultivation, understanding the ways of how to do this. The article is addressed to those who are guided not by momentary goals and interests, but to build business relationship and your business on a long-term basis. This is the position of the author, who adheres to the conclusions reached in his consulting activities and invites everyone to mutually beneficial cooperation.
It might be helpful to read:
- Massage, massage products Nem Yandex Direct massage parlor Sorry;
- How to start a bakery from scratch - a guide and business plan Bakery pleasure for all customers;
- Auto shelf - wholesale supplies;
- Ideas for a profitable business;
- What is second hand and stock clothes?;
- Making ritual wreaths;
- How to keep records in an online store: accounting, tax and product accounting;
- Business plan: how to start a business selling meat;