By Danielle Rocheleau
Lately, there’s been a lot of discussion about healthy workplace cultures—what they look like, how to build them, and how to sustain them. But when you boil it down, culture is simply how things get done in your organization. And at the heart of that? Values.
Your values define the behaviours and ethical model that hold your organization together. They shape how your team engages in work and interacts with others—whether it’s your colleagues, board, clients, volunteers, or community partners. But values are only powerful if they are clearly defined, communicated, and most importantly, lived.
So how do you move beyond a set of words on a poster and truly embed values into your organization?
First, get to the right values
Values should feel authentic to your organization and guide decision-making at every level. Engage your team in shaping them. Ask:
- What is important to us?
- How do we want to treat one another?
- What do we need to live by to achieve our mission with integrity?
For example, consider the difference between values like:
- Collaboration – emphasizes teamwork, shared decision-making, and partnership.
- Accountability – signals a focus on ownership, responsibility, and results.
- Empathy – prioritizes kindness, understanding, and support.
Each value creates a different cultural feel—and the right ones should align with your mission and the experience you want to foster.
Second, define your values clearly
Once you’ve identified values, go beyond a single word.
Words can mean different things to different people. Take “respect,” for example—some may interpret it as listening attentively, while others may see it as speaking candidly without fear.
To create clarity, define each value with a simple statement and concrete behaviours. Example:
- Respect: We listen actively, assume positive intent, and communicate with honesty and kindness—even when we disagree.
These definitions help eliminate ambiguity and set expectations for everyone.
Third, expand their meaning with practical examples
Once you have the right words, with the right definitions, take the time to expand on them to give them further meaning for your team. A succinct, easy-to-communicate version is important for sharing your values internally and externally, but a deeper internal version is just as crucial.
Let’s use Laridae’s values as an example. Our recently updated values are:
- Courage – Embracing discomfort with integrity
- Vibrancy – Leading with energy, humour, and joy
- Curiosity – Inspiring growth through open minds
- Empathy – Acting with care and understanding
- Collaboration – Solving together through strength and respect
Although great for communicating externally, and as a quick reference internally, there is room for interpretation when setting internal expectations around behaviours.
We’ve then broken them down further for internal communications and reference. Let’s use Vibrancy as an example. This is how we describe this value in more detail:
- Infuse positivity into daily interactions: Vibrancy means showing up with enthusiasm and optimism, whether it’s celebrating team successes or encouraging colleagues during challenges. For example, starting a meeting with an uplifting story or a shared laugh to set the tone.
- Bring humour to build connection: Leading with humour involves using lightheartedness to strengthen relationships and ease tension. This might include finding a funny analogy during brainstorming sessions or sharing an appropriate joke to diffuse a stressful situation.
- Elevate the client experience with energy and engagement: Vibrancy transforms client interactions from good to great by ensuring facilitation is dynamic, engaging, and accessible. This includes using humour and enthusiasm to help clients connect with the content, embrace learning, and remain open to change.
- Create a joyful work environment: Vibrancy inspires a culture where people enjoy their work and feel appreciated. This could include organizing small celebrations for wins, recognizing individual contributions, or fostering moments of fun and creativity.
- Energize others through your actions: Leading with energy means approaching tasks with focus and determination, inspiring others to do the same. For instance, tackling a challenging project with confidence and encouraging the team to stay motivated and solutions-oriented.
By giving depth to your values, you set clear expectations and make it easier for your team to bring them to life.
Fourth, make your values live
Communicate them widely
Values shouldn’t be hidden in an employee handbook. Share them with enthusiasm. Present them at all-team meetings. Use real-life examples. Ask your team for their own stories of how they see values in action.
Why? Because people need repetition to absorb new ideas. If values are only mentioned once during onboarding, they won’t stick. Frequent and engaging communication helps solidify them.
Lead by example
Leaders and managers must model the values every day. It’s not just about holding employees accountable—it’s about checking ourselves too. When leaders adjust their behaviours to align with values, they build trust and drive collective buy-in.
Why? Because culture is shaped from the top. If leaders don’t walk the talk, employees won’t either. Leadership behaviours set the standard for everyone else.
Reinforce in hiring and performance reviews
Values should be part of hiring decisions. At Laridae, we use a simple +/- system when assessing candidates or providing feedback to staff:
- “+” means they demonstrate alignment with our values.
- “+/-“ means they demonstrate this value inconsistently.
- “-” means they rarely or never demonstrates this value.
Why? Because one misaligned hire can shift a team’s dynamic entirely. If someone doesn’t share your core values, their presence can disrupt the workplace and affect morale.
When it comes to performance, highlight when people are living the values—be specific. On the flip side, when someone isn’t upholding them, name it and address it. This clarity ensures values aren’t just aspirational but truly embedded in the workplace.
Check the pulse regularly
At Laridae, we run a quarterly pulse survey asking two simple yes/no questions:
- Is the organization living its values in its work?
- Are you living the values in your work?
We aim for 100% “yes” responses. If even one person says “no,” we see it as an opportunity to start a conversation and course-correct before bigger issues arise.
Why? Because culture drifts if not actively maintained. Regular check-ins help catch small misalignments before they turn into big problems.
The impact of values alignment
When your team is aligned on values, you can feel it. It’s tangible. There’s more trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose.
Values aren’t a one-and-done exercise. They require intention, consideration, and ongoing reinforcement. But when embedded properly, they shape a thriving culture—one where people are not only engaged but deeply connected to the mission.
What values define your organization? And how do you bring them to life? Let’s start the conversation.