Elearning! Magazine: Building Smarter Companies via Learning & Workplace Technologies.
Issue link: http://elmezine.epubxp.com/i/430475
Elearning! December 2014 / January 2014 49 thing we do is enhance and evolve the VBL model. While it is an ideology, it's also a set of processes, models, tools and programs that we're constantly evolving. So we're modeling ourselves using our actions and behaviors while also continu- ing to develop the model. And there are two more im- peratives; the frst is to bring it to life within the company. Tis means that we own leadership, development and succession inside the company. Secondly, we're invested in sharing it with the world through mentoring, speaking, teaching, and con- sulting across industries. Q: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS THAT COME WITH THE APPLI- CATIONS OF VBL FROM AN ORGANIZATION STANDPOINT? Fernandes: We believe that companies exist for two rea- sons: one is to make meaning, and the other is to make mon- ey, because — let's be genuine — we're a for-proft company. You can't apologize for that, because you need to make the money in order to make the meaning and vice versa. Why does this matter and how does this work? We tell compa- nies to think about the diference you want to make in the world (e.g., human potential and how to positively impact lives around the world) and then think about the way in which you'll strategi- cally see the return on your in- vestment and make money. Te way you bring that to life is cen- tered on the reasons why your associates get up in the morning, do what they do every day, and how they make decisions. So we ask, "How do we get aligned to the mission and the margin and empower our as- sociates the best way possible to make the best decisions? Tat's where our values come in. Values ultimately drive actions, behaviors and deci- sions." While we have mis- sion, strategy, goal, objective, performance and outcome, we also have a set of values. We identifed the deepest held beliefs as to what is right and good for everyone in the orga- nization to deliver the mission and the margin. Not only do we have those values, but we have outcome statements that are tied to them. For example, one of our values is leadership, and the outcome we're looking for is igniting human poten- tial. We want our people to be happy, but we also want them to operate with some shared values and beliefs that are most important to the com- pany. Tat, to me, is magical. Q: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OF- FER OTHERS ON HOW TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN A VALUES-BASED CULTURE AND ORGANIZATION? Fernandes: Okay, let's assume everyone has clarity about the stated mission — your values, strategy and objectives. Now, how do you bring it to life for the long-term? Te organization's leaders need to model, as the associ- ates are going to take their queues from leaders. Te next step is to look at the processes, models and tools that we need to embed in the organization to bring values to life throughout the enterprise — and how do we keep it fresh and engaging? It starts with hiring. At Luck Companies, you'll take a values-assessment during the interview process so that-right out of the gate. We're much more interested in who you are than what you know. We can teach all of the technical as- pects of the job, but identifying who you are helps us to align the right candidates to our mis- sion and margin. Next is orientation, and our associates dive into the deep end of the values pool. Associ- ates at all levels participate in a values assessment to under- stand their personality — and they'll interact with a senior leader. Tis process begins dur- ing job description, which re- fects our values and behaviors just as equally as the technical skills. And we revisit values during performance reviews. We reinforce this in all aspects of training and development through recognition and re- ward and tying base pay to how the associate is going to show up every day. We build our succession planning around VBL. That's the doing good and do- ing well aspects of business performance that extend to everything we do. This in- cludes rituals. For example, at our plants, we start every day with a meeting where someone reads the mission statement then picks a value and talks about it. So you'll see these rituals embedded around the company to keep it alive. —The author, Tatiana Seh- ring, has more than 10 years of combined experience in corporate and strategic part- nerships for leadership, talent and professional development across a variety of industries. She is the director of Corporate and Strategic Relationships at American Public University System and a contributor to The Inspire Leadership Series. To read the full article or to subscribe to American Public University's Inspire Leadership Series, visit www.GreatLeadersInspire.com . Values-based leadership is defned by living, working and leading in alignment with your core values, principles, beliefs and purpose to, in turn, ignite the extraordinary potential in those around you.