2: Are your decisions symbolic of what you say you value?
May 14, 2019
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Learn how to use symbols to change your organizational culture. Explore how decisions reflect values, showcasing the importance of aligning choices with what you value.
Symbols play a crucial role in showcasing values through decision-making processes.
Allocation of resources and scheduling reflect leaders' true values and can be strategic symbols of change.
Deep dives
Symbols as Demonstrations of Values
Symbols play a vital role in demonstrating a commitment to specific values. The decisions we make, more than our behaviors, often determine whether we are living up to the values we claim to prioritize. For example, when recruiting, the choices we make between a candidate who possesses the right attitude but lacks experience and one with technical skills but behavioral uncertainties reveal our hierarchy of values. Another symbol is how we allocate physical space. Choosing to prioritize workspaces with stunning views reflects a strong value of integrating work and passion. Furthermore, the order and topics we prioritize in meeting agendas, as well as the allocation of budget cuts, showcase our true values.
Changing Decisions to Align with Values
With limited resources like time, money, physical space, and personnel, our choices become symbolic representations of our values. To demonstrate authenticity, we can deliberately change our decisions in these areas. For instance, starting meetings with topics that reflect a core value, such as safety or customer satisfaction, instead of profit, signals a shift in priorities. Moreover, openly discussing and explaining the reasons behind these decisions amplifies their impact and invites others to follow suit. By consistently aligning actions with values and effectively using symbols, leaders can truly walk their talk.
Use symbols to change your culture. There a hundreds of symbols that you can use to demonstrate that you are a leader who walks your talk. Whichever culture goals and values you and your organisation aspire to, being smart about how you use symbols is the fastest way to signal change. And the great thing, most of these are 100% in your control. Whenever you make choices about how you use your time, or how you spend money, for example, you are making symbolic decisions. This episode shows you how to pick good symbols and how to amplify what you are doing to send messages about what you value.