712: Clarifying Values for a Workplace People Love, with Anne Chow
Dec 9, 2024
auto_awesome
Anne Chow, the first woman of color CEO at AT&T Business, discusses the transformative power of inclusion and values in the workplace. She emphasizes the distinction between core and aspirational values, advocating for aligning them with actual behaviors. Anne shares strategies for engaging teams in values discussions and stresses the importance of accountability and regular assessments to build trust. The conversation also touches on evolving perspectives around generational diversity and the need for leaders to understand the unique motivations of younger employees.
Leaders must clarify both personal and professional values to foster a cohesive culture that resonates with team members' beliefs.
Embracing diverse perspectives while aligning on core values encourages innovation and adaptability within the organization.
Deep dives
The Significance of Values in Leadership
Values play a crucial role in defining how leaders and teams operate within an organization, influencing interactions and workplace culture. Establishing clear values is essential for fostering a supportive environment that aligns with a shared vision. Leaders are responsible for ensuring that both personal values and professional values coexist, guiding behavior and decision-making in accordance with these principles. The importance of respect was highlighted as a fundamental value that can guide interactions, even in challenging client relationships, emphasizing the need for leaders to uphold their values consistently.
Personal Values as a Foundation for Professional Values
Understanding personal values can serve as an effective starting point for leaders to define professional values within their teams. By reflecting on individual values, team members can articulate what they deem important in a workplace culture, facilitating a more engaged dialogue about collective values. This alignment is particularly relevant in today’s work environments, where employees seek cultures that resonate with their personal beliefs. Identifying these shared professional values not only enhances team cohesion but also guides strategic decision-making.
Distinguishing Between Values and Ideology
It is important for leaders to differentiate between values, which represent guiding principles, and ideology, which encompasses personal beliefs shaped by various factors. While shared values can unify a team, an overemphasis on ideological conformity can stifle diversity of thought and hinder innovation. Leaders should aim to promote an environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed, aligning team members on shared values instead of forcing a consensus on beliefs. This approach encourages richer discussions, fostering creativity and adaptability within the organization.
Creating and Evaluating Organizational Values
Developing a process for creating and evaluating organizational values is essential for fostering a positive culture. This involves gathering input from diverse stakeholders to brainstorm values individually, ensuring that all voices are heard before synthesizing ideas in a group setting. Following this, organizations should assess the relevance of core and aspirational values periodically, evaluating if they are actively living up to their stated principles. Regularly revisiting values ensures they remain aligned with organizational goals and cultivates a culture that can adapt to changing circumstances.
Anne Chow was the CEO of AT&T Business and the first woman of color CEO in AT&T’s 140+ year history, responsible for leading a $35B global operating unit of over 35,000 people. She was named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business twice and today serves on a number of boards, including FranklinCovey, 3M, and CSX. She is the author of Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion.
We all know the importance of values, but it’s often hard to know where to begin when clarifying them with a team. In this conversation, Anne and I explore how to align on values that support a great culture and move towards a vision.
Key Points
Values and ideologies are distinct. Leading bigger means honoring diverse ideologies while aligning on core values.
Bigger leaders have the courage to admit and cite situations where they fall short.
When asking people to craft values, invite them to start by individually considering their personal values.
When discussing values as a group, highlight both the common agreements and also the outlying ideas.
Leaders must ultimately decide which values best embody the culture and vision of their organization.
Bring in different stakeholders to do a gut check on whether the values are legitimate.
Measure behaviors against values and review and update values and metrics regularly.