When Organizational Values Aren't Values

After her presentation at a wellness conference, a colleague reports, an attendee told her:

I never would have thought to align our wellness program with our core values and business goals.

If a wellness leader never would have thought to align the wellness program with the organization's core values, they probably aren't really core values.

Often, what companies describe as their values are actually aspirations. Still lovely, but not the same.

As an example, many companies tout innovation as a value, but actually foster risk-averse environments (based on micromanagement, punitive actions, lack of psychological safety, etc.).

For potential hires and other stakeholders (customers, vendors, etc.), there's benefit to understanding that the values touted on a company poster often don't align with the reality of the organizational culture, climate, and practices.

Indeed, if your company really holds core values — as opposed to aspirations — there shouldn't be any need to remind employees using posters or other media...And it wouldn't be likely that managers and leaders would neglect to integrate them into their program strategies.