How to motivate people: aligning their attitudes with values
A values-led culture is often considered the holy grail for workplaces and for good reason. People naturally gravitate toward businesses that align with their values. Employees want to make meaningful contributions and work in organisations that make a genuine impact. This underscores the importance of having clear, well-articulated organisational values.
At Unscripted HR, we partner with business leaders across Australia to create workplaces where values aren’t just words on the wall—they’re the foundation of employee engagement, motivation, and high performance. Building such a culture requires intentionality. Allow me to explain how embedding organisational values can help you create a workplace that thrives.
Why organisational values matter
When employees’ personal values align with your organisational values, something powerful happens. Job satisfaction and motivation skyrocket, driving improved performance. Research shows a strong connection between shared values and employee engagement.
Yet, the discussions around values often emphasise intrinsic aspects like respect, creativity, or integrity while excluding extrinsic values - elements like fair salaries, flexible work arrangements, or career growth opportunities. Both intrinsic and extrinsic values are vital to employees and, by extension, the overall success of your business.
A clear alignment between individual and organisational values strengthens your culture, but only when values are truly lived. Beautifully articulated values mean little if leadership doesn’t embody them. Leadership must model the values through their behaviour, providing consistent reinforcement.
From theory to practice: aligning values with actions
Clarifying values is often one of the first steps I take when supporting clients who feel their workplace culture could be stronger. Here’s how we translate values from theory into practice:
Start at the top. Cultural shifts need to be modelled by leadership. Leaders must set the tone by living the company’s values in their everyday actions. The way they behave sets expectations for the entire organisation.
Create a leadership charter. A charter outlines expected behaviours, common tools, and unified language that operationalises your values. Leaders who demonstrate executive presence and embody a values-driven leadership approach create stick-ability for the wider team.
Make values integral to performance reviews. Embedding values into your performance management process ensures employees are assessed not just on their output but also on how they behave. This creates a balanced structure that celebrates both technical skill and alignment with organisational culture.
When these principles are followed, values become visible and tangible, making them an active force in how your business operates.
Creating a values-driven performance review process
One effective way to align behaviours with values is by redesigning your performance review process. Traditionally, these reviews focus on quantifiable outputs and job descriptions, but this approach often overlooks key cultural elements.
A values-driven performance review includes questions like:
How does the individual’s behaviour reflect our organisational values in their day-to-day role?
How do they demonstrate the company’s value of collaboration when working with colleagues?
Can specific examples illustrate their commitment to excellence or innovation?
This approach ensures consistent reinforcement of values across teams, while also promoting accountability and engagement.
Avoiding compromises of values in the workplace
Compromising organisational values, even in the name of achieving business goals—can cause long-term harm to your culture. We see this play out often in team environments such as sports, where top-performing players’ unacceptable behaviour is overlooked due to their on-field success.
The same holds true in business. Leaders must ensure that values are non-negotiable, and that unacceptable behaviour is addressed, no matter the employee’s role or contribution. Conversely, employees who exemplify organisational values should be celebrated and recognised. This establishes a transparent standard, boosting trust and commitment across your workforce.
Building belonging through values
Values are not just about guiding behaviours, they’re about creating connection and fostering belonging. A workplace where employees feel they belong leads to higher retention, better performance, and greater satisfaction.
If your goal is a culture where employees feel truly connected to your mission, it starts with intentionality. Lived values create a cohesive workplace where people work toward shared goals and feel part of something bigger.
Is your culture authentically values-led?
If your organisational values feel more like clichés than guiding principles, it might be time to revisit how they’re being implemented. At Unscripted HR, we specialise in helping businesses like yours craft tailored solutions that bring values to life and make them a meaningful part of workplace culture. We do this with personalised support and a deep understanding of the unique challenges you face.
Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help your business unlock the benefits of a values-led culture. Together, we can create a workplace where your people thrive, your goals are met, and your culture stands strong.