Imagine you're part of a basketball team. Each player has unique skills, some are good at dribbling, some at shooting, while others might excel at defense. Sounds great, right? But even with such a talented mix, the team might still flounder. Why? Because without shared values, there is no unity, no shared purpose, and as a result, no success. The same concept rings true of every team--whether church, nonprofit, or business. The role of shared values in unifying a team and ensuring consistent productivity cannot be overstated. 

To realize the full potential of your team, you need to define, develop and promote a solid set of values that every member identifies and aligns with. These values not only clarify expected behavior but also foster unity and improve performance. A good set of values will become your filter for hiring, textbook for onboarding, measuring stick for performance reviews and salary increases, and magnet for team unity. 

8 Things To Know When Writing Staff Values

1. Build a Culture Team. Pull together a cross-section of people from across your organization who each embody the culture you are hoping to create, and ask them to help you identify your values. This is especially important as you will need this group to help you get broad ownership of the values. 

2. Start with Assessing. You need to know what is true of your culture today, even if it isn't pretty. Knowing this, and having a shared agreement about it, will give you a benchmark for what needs to be preserved and what needs to change.

3. Values Should Be Memorable. This means choose no more than five values. No one can remember more than five things on any list. Keep it short and keep it sticky.

4. Some Values Can Be Aspirational. This is especially true if you are trying to turn around a toxic team or you are going through significant change. Pick some values that define who you want to become as a team.

5. Each Value Should Be Connected to Behaviors. Many times, values statements are hard to measure. For example, I worked with a church that had this value: Choose Unity -- Diversity is Our Strength. That's pretty hard to measure whether someone on your team is living out the value, right? So two of the behaviors connected to this value were, "We always ask whose voice is missing at the table" and "We build teams across racial, ethnic, cultural, gender and generational lines." Both of those are very easy to measure. 

6. Look for Shared Stories. I learned this from Jenni Catron at 4Sight Group. She encouraged us to mine for stories that would help our team connect to the value. If you have a shared story that exemplifies the value, this greatly increases the possibility of that value becoming part of the air your team breathes. And when that happens, it's part of your DNA.

7. Never Stop Over-Communicating the Values. Seriously, talk about them until you are sick of hearing about them. Then do it some more. These shouldn't just be plastered on a wall. Celebrate people who are living out the values. Focus on a value every month in your staff meeting and internal newsletter. Bake them into your team agendas at every level. Give awards for people who are living out your values. 

8. Embed the Values into Everything. Build questions and exercises around your values when hiring. Create a system for teaching your values when onboarding. Include them in every meeting you are leading. Write questions around your values for performance reviews. Give your biggest raises to those who most embody the values. 

In essence, having a well-defined set of staff values is an irreplaceable connector across your organization. These values shape your team's culture, help preserve what's working, and revise what is not. They promote unity and diversity, encourage consistent behavior and communication, and define the criteria for measuring performance. Moreover, integrating your chosen values into your everyday business elements, from hiring to evaluations and rewards, guarantees a unified front for your organization. Ultimately, well-defined staff values serve as the cornerstone for building a competent and unified team.

This is an excerpt from my new ebook, Culture Matters: Strategies for Cultivating Organizational Health. Download a free copy, or reach out for a conversation about how my team can help your organization develop values and embed them deeply into your culture.