The Hidden Power of Values: Why Teams Struggle Without Clear Alignment
Values may be the latest buzzword in business, but they’re far from new. What is new is the level of importance employees—especially younger generations—place on working for organizations whose values align with their own.
Most companies claim to have core values. You’ll find them in an employee handbook, printed on a poster in the breakroom, or splashed across marketing materials. But values aren’t powerful because they’re written down—they’re powerful when they’re lived. That means they shape decisions, guide behaviour, and sometimes require tough calls, like parting ways with a client who doesn’t align.
When organizations act in ways that contradict their stated values, the consequences are real: disengagement, confusion, misalignment among employees, and in many cases, higher turnover.
Alignment Drives Engagement
Values need to be the basis of decisions to be effective.
Gino Wickman, in his Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), writes that organizations should hire, fire, reward, recognize, and promote people based on core values. When businesses are small, it’s easier for the CEO to hire people who are a values-fit, but as a business scales, it becomes critical to clarify core values so that everyone coming onboard aligns with them.
Values ought to be used to make decisions and drive actions. Employees need to understand them clearly so they can act with confidence and make the right choices.
Imagine an organization that claims honesty as a value but won’t tell a client hard news. What employees really learn is that honesty is only important when it’s easy or convenient.
When I was young, the phrase “Do what I say, not what I do” was common. That attitude is still alive in some workplaces today, but it doesn’t fly anymore.
Employees and clients alike expect words and actions to align. Leaders need to lead by example—and that example must be rooted in values.
Values Need to be Lived, Not Just Posted
While many organizations state they have core values (and sometimes their employees can even recite them), the critical step of defining them is often missing.
Defining values means clearly stating the behaviours that demonstrate them. Without that clarity, each person is left to interpret them differently. I once worked with an organization that had “Go Beyond” as a value. Some people thought it meant working overtime, while the true intention was to deliver a great customer experience. Without the clear definition, we run the risk of holding people accountable using a variable standard.
Consider these questions:
Do you use your values to form interview questions, looking for both examples and non-examples of alignment?
When you promote someone, are you confident they are a values fit?
Do you connect recognition—formal or informal—back to values?
Do you (even unintentionally) reward people for actions that go against your values?
Do your values make decision-making easier, even when the decision itself isn’t easy?
When values aren’t lived, people notice. Cynicism builds, especially when leaders talk about values but act in ways that contradict them. Trust erodes—not only with employees, but also with clients who see you failing to walk your talk. Younger generations, in particular, will often walk away—whether that means leaving as employees or choosing a competitor as clients.
And sometimes the negative impact isn’t dramatic. Leaders may not even realize how much better things could be if values were actively lived and reinforced.
Different People Connect Differently
Some values will feel natural to one person but not to another. This doesn’t mean the value is wrong—it means people connect to it differently. DISC gives us a useful lens for understanding these differences.
D-styles connect when values emphasize results, achievement, and speed.
I-styles connect when values highlight inspiration, collaboration, and people.
S-styles connect when values focus on trust, loyalty, consistency, and teamwork.
C-styles connect when values are tied to standards, accuracy, fairness, and integrity.
Some values may need to be defined and described differently so that everyone on the team sees themselves in them. For example:
Value: “Customer First”
D: “We prioritize actions that deliver the fastest, most impactful results for our clients.”
I: “We delight our clients by building strong relationships and memorable experiences.”
S: “We consistently support our clients, ensuring they feel valued and understood every step of the way.”
C: “We follow clear processes and standards to ensure client needs are met accurately and fairly.”
Value: “Continuous Improvement”
D: “We are always looking for ways to get better and achieve faster, bigger results.”
I: “We innovate and share ideas that make work more exciting and effective for everyone.”
S: “We steadily improve our processes and support each other in learning new skills.”
C: “We measure performance, analyze results, and refine processes based on data and standards.”
The key takeaway: the value itself isn’t the problem—it’s how it’s defined and described. Leaders who do this thoughtfully help everyone on the team connect to the values in a way that makes sense for them.
Case Studies
Hiring the Wrong Fit Leads to Lost Productivity and Extra Recruiting
A mid-sized company hired a technically skilled employee without fully considering whether they aligned with the team’s core value of “Collaboration.” It quickly became clear that the fit wasn’t right. Within a few months, the employee had to be let go, forcing the company to restart the hiring process. Meanwhile, another team member, frustrated by the misalignment, chose to resign, creating an additional vacancy. Between lost productivity, time spent recruiting, and onboarding new employees, the organization faced significant costs—financially and operationally.
Compromising Integrity Leads to Client Backlash and Team Strain
A company listed “Integrity” as a core value. When a major client requested a cheaper solution that fell outside the company’s core offerings, leadership agreed rather than having the difficult conversation about why it wasn’t the best fit. The client was ultimately dissatisfied and blamed the company for the outcome. Employees also noticed the disconnect between the company’s stated value and its actions, which undermined confidence in leadership and created internal frustration. The account managers had to manage the upset client directly, dealing with the fallout from a decision they had no part in, further straining morale and
The Ripple Effect of Values
Values aren’t just words on a wall—they’re the foundation for decisions, behaviours, and culture. When leaders define and live their values, the benefits ripple across the organization: employees understand what’s expected, teams work more effectively, and clients experience consistent, high-quality interactions.
On the other hand, when values aren’t clear or aren’t acted upon, the consequences are real. Misaligned hires, frustrated employees, and dissatisfied clients can create significant challenges, costing time, energy, and trust.
Taking the time to clearly define values, describe them in ways that connect with everyone on your team, and consistently act on them isn’t optional—it’s essential. When values guide actions at every level, organizations create alignment that fuels engagement, builds trust, and drives results.
What’s Next
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