10 Practical Tips to Turn Company Values into Action
Over the past decade and a half, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with organizations across industries and geographies — and one challenge I’ve seen consistently is the struggle to make organizational values truly come alive. While most companies proudly display their values on walls, websites, and onboarding decks, very few manage to embed them into the daily fabric of how people think, act, and lead. I’ve written this article “10 Practical Tips to Turn Company Values into Action” because I believe values shouldn’t just be lofty words — they should be lived experiences. When done right, they can shape culture, build trust, and drive performance in ways that strategies alone can’t.
What Are Organizational Values and Why Do They Matter?
Organizational values are the guiding principles that define a company’s culture, shape its identity, and influence behavior, decisions, and actions. To ensure these values truly resonate and drive the organization forward, they must go beyond being mere statements on a wall.
When organizational values are authentically lived by leaders, integrated into daily practices, and reinforced through recognition and communication, they become a powerful force driving employee engagement, customer loyalty, and long-term success. Learn More about our world-class, engaging Vision-Mission-Values Workshops.
What Are Organizational Values Created For?
Organizational values are guiding principles that shape decision-making, behavior, and culture. They act as a moral compass — helping companies define how they do things, not just what they do.
They serve to:
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Drive alignment between people and purpose
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Influence the organization’s culture
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Guide hiring, promotion, and performance standards
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Serve as filters for decision-making under uncertainty
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Shape brand identity both internally and externally
They’re not aspirational posters. They are meant to be operationalized.
Purpose of Organizational Values
Organizational values serve as the foundation of a company’s culture, decisions, and identity. They are not just inspirational words but strategic levers that influence how people behave, how decisions are made, and how organizations differentiate themselves. When embedded effectively, values become the invisible architecture that drives both employee experience and stakeholder trust.
1. Guiding Decision-Making
Values serve as a moral compass, helping employees make consistent, principled decisions, especially when there is ambiguity, pressure, or ethical dilemmas.
Example: At Patagonia, the value of “Cause No Unnecessary Harm” drives decisions about materials, production processes, and even marketing. In 2011, the company ran a bold campaign on Black Friday: “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” encouraging responsible consumption — a move aligned with its core values, even at the cost of short-term revenue.
2. Defining Organizational Identity
Values define who the organization is at its core. They distinguish it from competitors and shape how it’s perceived internally and externally.
Example: Zappos famously defines its identity around values like Deliver WOW Through Service and Create Fun and A Little Weirdness. These aren’t just slogans — they influence everything from hiring to how customer support interacts with clients.
3. Shaping Organizational Culture
Values influence what gets celebrated, tolerated, and discouraged, and ultimately become the foundation of company culture.
Example: Netflix emphasizes Freedom and Responsibility, which led to their now-famous practice of unlimited vacation days and their “keeper test” for managers.
4. Enhancing Employee Alignment & Engagement
When values are clear and lived out, they provide a shared understanding of what matters.
Example: Salesforce emphasizes values like Trust, Innovation, Customer Success, and Equality. Their commitment to equality has helped attract purpose-aligned talent.
5. Attracting and Retaining Talent
Today’s workforce increasingly looks for values alignment when choosing employers.
Example: Ben & Jerry’s advocates for social justice issues. This helps attract socially conscious employees who want to work for more than just profit.
6. Building Trust with Customers and Stakeholders
Consumers support companies whose values align with their own.
Example: Unilever’s Dove brand stands for Real Beauty. This value-led branding has built strong emotional connections and brand loyalty.
7. Driving Long-Term Sustainability
Values provide the long view, helping companies avoid actions that may harm their brand or stakeholders over time.
Example: Johnson & Johnson’s Credo guided the company during the Tylenol crisis, reinforcing trust and rebuilding the brand.
8. Creating Consistency Across Geographies & Teams
Values act as cultural glue, ensuring consistency across global operations.
Example: Google’s values like Focus on the User and Do the Right Thing enable coherent behavior across teams worldwide.
10 Ways to Make Organizational Values Stick
1. Co-create and Define Values Clearly
Why it works: When employees help shape the values, they feel ownership.
Example: Atlassian involved employees in defining values like “Don’t #@!% the customer.”
2. Tie Values to Behaviors
Why it works: People need observable examples of how values come to life.
Example: Ritz-Carlton empowers employees to act on its value of creating memorable guest experiences.
3. Hire and Promote Based on Values
Why it works: Hiring and promoting for values reinforces long-term alignment.
Example: Southwest Airlines prioritizes attitude and cultural fit, reflecting its core value of fun.
4. Integrate Values into Daily Processes
Why it works: Integration into workflows makes values part of how things get done.
Example: Salesforce includes values in appraisals, promotions, and leadership assessments.
5. Leadership Role Modeling
Why it works: Employees emulate what leaders do.
Example: Microsoft’s Satya Nadella modeled empathy during COVID-19, reinforcing company values.
6. Storytelling and Rituals
Why it works: Stories and rituals create shared meaning.
Example: Zappos shares real-life employee stories living the values in company newsletters.
7. Reinforce and Communicate Often
Why it works: Frequent communication keeps values front-of-mind.
Example: Airbnb uses blogs and videos to showcase stories of employees living the values.
8. Create Visual and Environmental Reminders
Why it works: Physical and digital cues reinforce presence.
Example: Ben & Jerry’s showcases their values through packaging, murals, and events.
9. Hold People Accountable
Why it works: Consequences for misalignment signal seriousness.
Example: Netflix lets go of “brilliant jerks” to preserve cultural values.
10. Revisit and Refresh Values Periodically
Why it works: Values should evolve with organizational growth.
Example: IBM’s ValuesJam involved 300,000+ employees in redefining the company’s values.
What Not to Do When Defining and Embedding Organizational Values
1. Don’t Copy-Paste Values from Another Company
Why it’s a mistake: Copying generic values leads to irrelevance.
2. Don’t Choose Too Many Values (3–5 is Ideal)
Why it’s a mistake: Too many values dilute focus and are hard to reinforce.
3. Don’t Use Vague, Generic Words Without Definition
Why it’s a mistake: Generic words lack behavioral clarity.
Instead: Define what “Integrity” or “Excellence” looks like in action to avoid ambiguity.
4. Don’t Let Values Live in HR’s Drawer
Why it’s a mistake: Values should live in daily behavior, not in handbooks.
How to avoid this:
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Integrate values into processes and conversations.
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Evaluate leaders on their demonstration of values.
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Recognize and reward values-driven behavior.
Bring Your Company Values to Life
Ready to move beyond posters and buzzwords? Learn how to embed values that inspire action, drive culture, and fuel performance — starting today.
Reach Us
Many organizations struggle because values are often treated as branding elements rather than behavioral expectations. They are displayed on walls but not embedded into everyday decision-making. Without consistent reinforcement through leadership modeling, communication, and integration into systems like performance reviews and hiring, values remain aspirational rather than operational.
To influence behavior, values must be translated into specific, observable actions. This includes defining what each value looks like in practice, integrating them into onboarding, using them in performance discussions, and celebrating employees who embody them. Values-aligned behaviors should be reinforced through feedback loops, peer recognition, and leadership example.
Leaders are the primary carriers of culture. When leaders consistently model company values in their words, actions, and decisions, they set the tone for the organization. Your article rightly points out that values must be lived—leaders who fail to walk the talk risk undermining credibility. Embedding values begins with leadership alignment and intentional role modeling.
Measurement can be both qualitative and quantitative. You can run pulse surveys, culture assessments, or feedback loops asking employees how often they see values lived out. Performance metrics, retention rates, and customer satisfaction can also be tied back to core values. Include value-based KPIs in your people processes to track this meaningfully.
Simple but powerful ways include:
Starting team meetings with a quick reflection on a value
Recognizing team members who acted in line with values
Using values as filters for decision-making
Including values in one-on-one check-ins and OKR discussions