Culture and Values development

Clarifying accepted beliefs, understandings and behaviour as well as intended cultural attributes

As a general rule professional service organisations don't 'do' culture and values very well. While partners/directors may feel clarity around culture and values is necessary, many would not appreciate their strategic significance. They would wish it was done and dusted, then everyone could get on with business.  However, those firms that have gone through the time-consuming exercise of deciding where they want to go, what they want to be (their vision), what their intended culture is, what beliefs, understandings and behaviours they will subscribe to (values), will often find that this forms a very powerful foundational element to their organisation. This is particularly so where there is widespread buy-in to these important elements. Of equal importance is that the staff are involved in some way but at the very least are fully communicated with as the process unfolds and is completed.

It is not easy getting professionals committed to and enthusiastic about these important matters but given its pivotal long term importance to a firm's strength and wellbeing, it is vital that organisations obtain clarity around their values and intended culture. It is always a challenge for someone from within an organisation to drive such projects. It usually pays to have independent facilitation and guidance.

The sorts of issues clients address in this area include:

• Clarifying an understanding amongst all within the organisation what terms like culture and values mean, & their practical value to an organisation.
• How to:
  • ascertain the existing culture of an organisation
  • develop an 'intended culture' rather than one that simply 'happens'
  • thread the attributes of the determined culture, and the firm's agreed values, into key aspects of the firm's management, systems and processes.

"With his wealth of experience in the legal industry and a continuous outlook for changing industry dynamics, Sean challenged the Firm’s status quo in a number of areas.  He led the initiative to create a new vision for the Firm and to memorialize values that would be required for a more collective and focused approach to the development of clients, people and the firm's business.  Sean particularly recognized the importance of developing talent within the firm, investing resources and implementing programs to embed focus on people as key assets of the Firm. This worked."

Maggie Callicrate, Partner, Kerma Partners, USA & former CEO, Bell Gully, New Zealand

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