I hope you had the opportunity to read the first three postings on this subject. If not please do so when you can. Today I will discuss the next step in the process of core values integration.
Action Step 6
Establish a team from across the organization to review forms and reports and policy and procedure to cross check for alignment with the values.
Two separate teams may be best depending upon the size of the organization. If your forms and reports manual and policy and procedure manual are quite large, as is with too many organizations, the task may be done more efficiently with two teams. Either way each form and report and each policy and procedure should be reviewed and discussed as to how well it reflects the organization’s core values. It could be that they are in total alignment or totally out of alignment or somewhere in between. I would suspect there will be some of each to contend with during the review. The team should make recommendations to the CEO or appropriate individual or group as to any changes that need to be made to enhance alignment with core values. The team should look for ways to promote core values through each form or policy.
Forms and reports and policies that regulate conduct and used in employee discipline and evaluation should be give very close scrutiny. Also any that regulate high risk job task such as use of force or vehicle chases should also receive very close attention. These are the ones that will be considered most important by the organizational members. They will see these as ones that affect them personally. It is only natural to look at change in the light of “how is it going to affect me.” If a policy or form is perceived to, “hang the member out to dry”, it will not align with a core value such as “respect for organizational members.” It is very important also to scrutinize these types of forms or policies closely because these will be used by members to judge the magnitude, seriousness and sincerity of the organization in making real change in the way business is done.
I would suggest strongly that any form used to document behavior, albeit positive or negative, have a check off or fill in the blank block for the affected core value. The thought here is to always associate behavior to organizational core values. For example, let’s assume an employee has been suspected to have lied about a job related behavior. The charge sheet, or whatever the form name that is used, should read something like this.
“It is alleged on May 5, 2010 Officer Smith was untruthful in a written and verbal statement given to Officer Jones from the Organizational Values Compliance Section. Officer Smith stated untruthfully that while on duty this night he was not at his home at 10 pm on March 4, 2010 watching basketball on television while monitoring his radio. He stated untruthfully that he was on routine patrol. This alleged behavior is a violation of Policy A-5, subsection (e), Untruthfulness. Untruthfulness is a behavior that does not align with the organizational core values of: (1) Integrity and (2) Honesty.”
The exact wording in the above example is not the point here, but the fact that every behavior that is recorded, whether good or bad, should be associated with one or more of the core values, as are applicable. It ties behaviors to the core values and creates an immediate as well as a long term association. The purpose here is that with continual association and reinforcement of core values to behaviors it will lead organizational members to align future conduct with core values.
Most organizations have a report form to complete to acknowledge positive behaviors too. Here is another example for positive behavior recognition of an employee.
“On Saturday, June 5, 2010 Trooper Hendly spoke to the Elk Club about highway safety and safety belts. He received a letter of thanks from the club for his excellent presentation. This commendation report is to recognize Trooper Hendly for his exception service toward building better community relations with organizational stakeholders. This behavior is in alignment with the organization’s core value of: (1) maintaining excellent community relations.”
There is nothing an organization can do that will guarantee perfect employee conduct all of the time. Common sense tells us it will not happen. At first perhaps it will not be second nature for employees to “think” about core value alignment before making decisions and taking actions. But when an organization strives continually to associate and reinforce core values with behaviors in every aspect of its business functions more employees will begin do the right thing. Then it will become habit and a way of doing business. The habit of asking oneself “Is this action I am about to take in alignment with the organizational core values”, will be natural and second nature. It will become the norm; the way we live and work. When members start asking themselves that question you and the organization can be assured it is well on the way to obtaining and sustain a reputation of having an ethical and moral character.
I hope you all had great weekend. LeaderUp again this week and be safe out there.
Esse Quam Videri!
Carpe Diem
Arete'
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