Our Core Values look great on a poster, but they do not seem to influence how our people actually behave day-to-day. How do we integrate our values into our operating system so they have real teeth?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Core Values only have teeth when they carry consequences. If your values are just words on a wall, it is because you have not integrated them into your hiring, firing, reviewing, and rewarding processes. To make your Core Values real, you must start using the People Analyzer™ tool. This tool rates every employee against your core values using a simple plus, plus-minus, or minus system. You must establish a clear bar, a minimum acceptable standard for living your values. If an employee consistently falls below the bar, you must have a difficult conversation. If their behavior does not improve, you must be willing to fire them, even if they are a high producer. Keeping a toxic high-performer who violates your core values tells your entire company that performance matters more than culture. Next, bring your Core Values into your hiring process. Design interview questions that require candidates to share specific past behaviors that demonstrate your values. Finally, recognize and reward values-driven behavior publicly. During your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ or quarterly meetings, call out individuals who demonstrated a core value in a specific, measurable way. When your team sees that living the values leads to recognition, advancement, and protection, while violating them leads to termination, your culture will align rapidly.