Valuable Values Questions to Help You Assess, Measure, and Define Your Workplace Values
Are you truly valuing your workplace values?
The following excerpt from my book, “Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results” offers some some valuable questions to help ensure you are truly valuing your workplace values!
1. How will we know we are living this value out loud?
- What tangible evidence or visible actions will others notice?
- How will customers, partners, or team members describe us when this value is present in our work?
- What stories could we tell that illustrate this value in action?
- How would a new hire be able to tell—without reading anything—what we stand for?
2. What are some critical behaviors that support this value?
- Which daily habits or small actions reinforce this value consistently?
- How do leaders at all levels model this value in their decisions and interactions?
- What does it look like when this value shows up in a conversation, a meeting, or a project plan?
- How do we reward or recognize people who embody this value?
3. What are some red flags that might indicate we aren’t living up to this value?
- What subtle warning signs should we watch for in our language, priorities, or behavior?
- Are there processes, systems, or habits that quietly undermine this value?
- How might someone outside the organization be able to tell we’ve drifted away from it?
- What “excuses” do we sometimes make that reveal we’re not fully committed to it?
4. Describe a time when we had to make a difficult decision to live up to this value.
- What was at stake, and what did we risk by staying true to our value?
- How did we communicate our decision to others?
- How did people react—both positively and negatively?
- What lessons did we learn that we could apply in the future?
5. Describe a time when we clearly strayed outside the spirit of this value.
- What factors contributed to us losing our way?
- How did this misstep affect relationships, trust, or performance?
- What could we have done differently in the moment?
- How did we repair the situation—and how do we prevent it from happening again?
6. Who brought the cookies to the meeting? (Okay I jest, that’s how I roll, but hey, humor is a critically important value too!)
- How do we keep our values conversations light, human, and energizing?
- Who consistently brings joy, kindness, or small acts of generosity to the group?
- How do we celebrate the small, often-overlooked contributions that strengthen our culture?
Michael Kerr is a Canadian Hall of Fame speaker, trainer, coach, and thought leader on the topics of workplace culture and workplace culture leadership. Michael Kerr is also the author of nine books, including, “The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses are Laughing All the Way to the Bank” and “Small Moments, Big Outcomes: How Leaders Create Cultures That Fuel Extraordinary Results.” To find out how Michael can help energize or re-energize your workplace culture, connect with him at mike@mikekerr.com
