At the Cascading Growth Event, hosted by @Adaptas, Mylyn’s founder Paul O’Kelly delved into a discussion every business leader should be having: What do values have to do with business growth?
Understanding the relationship between values and employee engagement is key to building a thriving, sustainable business. For Paul, this isn’t just a philosophical question – it’s about transforming organisations from the inside out.
The Role of Values in Organisational Growth
When you think about business growth, what comes to mind? Typically, it’s numbers – revenue, profits, client acquisition. One of the biggest threats Paul recognises is a fixation on sales. Resulting in employees fixating on isolated numbers rather than actively cooperating to set the business up for future success.
Paul is certain the key to sustainable business growth lies in something deeper. In the values and heart that’s in your business. Values form the very DNA of an organisation and must be more than simply words presented at the back of an employee manual or on a wall.
Values: Moving Beyond Superficial Keywords
How can leaders ensure that values aren’t merely perceived as a set of superficial keywords?
Paul deems it necessary to go beyond the executive team in defining and articulating core values. Anyone who’s involved with the organisation has an impact on the outcome and must get involved with identifying the values. Hosting a shared workshop to uncover the true values of an organisation is an excellent place to start.
In Paul’s experience, involving everyone raises engagement from every level of an organisation. Time after time, he’s facilitated the uncovering of core values and experienced organisations connect over certain phrases and words they can all act upon.
This works particularly well because buy-in afterwards isn’t needed, as people have already personally bought into the organisation’s future success and are ready to dedicate themselves to the mission.
Subcultures and Leadership: The Power of Shared Values
In almost any organisation, subcultures exist. Through engagement surveys, such as the Q12 Gallup survey, subcultures visibly appear as certain numbers appear higher or lower than the main part of the data. Oftentimes, subcultures entail a group of people who’ve connected over a set of shared values and beliefs about how to work together and how to deliver results. This can make certain subgroups particularly effective and highly engaged. When such a group is uncovered, Paul immediately looks to the leader of said groups. Asking, who’s in charge and what are they doing to motivate their people?
Extending the approach of the subgroup to the rest of the organisation can do wonders for the overall effectiveness. People want to feel like they are making a difference at work, feeling productive and contributing with real value. Core values can stimulate exactly that, as employees come together over shared goals and behaviours.
Personalising and Celebrating Values
As mentioned above, a collective and interactive workshop is an excellent place to start. However, for the impact to last, values must be personalised and celebrated.
When values are personalised, celebrated, and integrated into every aspect of the business — from recruitment to onboarding, weekly check-ins to performance management — employees begin to see them as more than just abstract concepts.
Celebrating behaviours that align with these values reinforces them as part of the company DNA. This requires a cultural shift where values are not just talked about but are actively lived out day-to-day.
When values are clear, personal, and deeply embedded in every aspect of an organisation, they drive engagement, alignment, and a sense of purpose that can propel the business to new heights.
Conclusion: Aligning Core Values for Future Success
As a participant to the Cascading Growth Event commented on Paul’s approach: “It’s balm for the soul.”
It allows for leaders and employees to pour their heart into the business and lead with their true values.
When everyone in the organisation is actively involved in the planning and visioning process, it fosters a sense of ownership and shared purpose. This isn’t top-down dictation. Instead, it’s a collaborative, inclusive process where employees feel that they are an integral part of the organisation’s future.
