Values : Inspiration vs. Behaviour

I buy the concept of a company having Values, but only when those Values add real value to me on a day to day level ( or at least I can see their positive influence around me ).

However, Values are one of those things that has to try and walk the thin line, one one side is inspiration, on the other side, a glowing pedestal inviting ridicule….  I fear it is more likely most fit into the latter, but I have never really looked around, so I hope, for the sanity of all knowledge workers, that I am wrong.

Since it is such fine line , there are times when, even with good intent, people fall on the wrong side of the line.

The company I am working at right now is fully of incredibly talented and dedicated people, who are always keen to help; go the extra mile; genuinely care about the product and the people around them.

So in an attempt to capture this natural heartbeat, what better way to do it than to cement these into Values :

Ownership.  Passion. Care

I guess the argument would go something like this: For the new people joining, they can ask these key questions when they approach any new task, am I employing Ownership, Passion and Care.

However I see it as rather counter productive :

While the intent is noble, I think it misses the key point, and that is that the Values are something that is supposed to inspire, give you something to measure against, not describe desirable behaviour.

No matter how many times someone asks me to have more ownership, show more passion, care more, I never will, even if I want to want to. Why… simple because Ownership, Passion and Care are the overflow, the manifestation of something you believe in, something that has moved you.

In many ways Values like this are frustrating, condescending  and irritating - just like  well meaning person who saying “Smile” when you are not happy.

A smile is a manifestation of happiness, not the path to it!

For software developers ( all knowledge works ? ),  it is generally an innate need to write good software ( do a good job ) that drives them, even when there is nothing but negative or ill conceived “motivation” trying to get in their way.  Which is why generally you will not get developers to see any real value in Values.

At the end of the day, you should never be targeting your Values at your new people; they are going to learn it from they people they work with anyway, and that is the way you want it.

Make sure you inspire your best people, so that they are Passionate about what they do, Care about work and take Ownership of everything they touch; this will bleed life through a company more than any desired behaviours guised as Values ever could.