Creating a workplace where values are integral to every decision requires aligning three crucial value-related dimensions. I call this "winning the values trifecta" because it significantly multiplies the outcomes for both individuals and overall business success.

The values trifecta consists of three essential aspects that ask questions about workplace culture:

Feeling Valued - how well the organisation defines and executes the Employee Value Proposition and Employee Experience
Valuing Others - how well workplaces support, leaders model, and individuals live the organisational values
Valuable Work - how well employees perceive their work aligning with and contributing to some greater personal and/or larger purpose.

Feeling Valued

Everybody wants to be seen and feel they matter. According to a recent Gartner study, 82% of employees said it was important for their organisation to see them as a person, but only 45% felt this was genuinely happening. When employees feel unappreciated, and their contributions are overlooked, morale, motivation, and commitment suffer.

Addressing this requires a focus on creating a robust Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and enhancing the employee experience. The EVP outlines why an employee should choose your organisation and goes beyond financial incentives. Employees are looking for many things in their working lives, with flexibility and opportunities for growth high on the agenda. Putting effort into delivering a positive employee experience validates your EVP, promotes success, elevates retention rates, and boosts engagement.

Valuing Others

Beyond feeling valued, how individuals behave towards their work and colleagues is crucial. Our organisational values serve as a compass, guiding behaviours and decisions that support the workplace culture and strategy. These values establish clear expectations regarding acceptable actions and behaviours. Rather than being some abstract concept, values are activated when leaders visibly demonstrate them and people understand what they mean in their role.

Valuable Work

People want to feel their work matters. This can mean connecting to a larger organisational purpose that goes beyond profitability and strives to create meaningful impact. However, it can also be about identifying your individual purpose and aligning it with what you do. A McKinsey study conducted during the pandemic found that those who believed they were living their purpose at work reported five times higher well-being and were four times more likely to be highly engaged than those who weren’t.

When employees feel valued, embrace organisational values in their actions, and perceive their work as valuable, you achieve the values trifecta and create a values-led workplace where individuals thrive professionally and personally.

That’s no gamble, it's a sure thing.

Win the values trifecta at work.