Chad Brown is the Manager of Human Resources at Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation.
getty
One day in college, my buddy was chatting with his girlfriend's father about wanting to get a Rolex someday. In a hushed tone, like in the movies, the father said "I've got a guy." The father's nickname was Brooklyn, he stood about 6'4" and looked and sounded like he could've been in The Sopranos. So, when he said, "I've got a guy," one would've expected him to include, "Who could whack someone wearing a Rolex that he'd sell to you." Instead, he said, "Who could get you a replica." Within a couple of weeks and $150 later, my buddy had his first "Rolex."
Soon after the purchase, he and I were at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles watching a game and at some point, the guy behind us tapped my friend on the shoulder and said, "Nice watch," and stuck out his wrist to show us what appeared to be the same watch. The guy continued by saying, "Yours doesn't look quite the same," to which my friend replied, "It's fake. I paid $150 for it." In that moment, my friend admitted to this person that he had not worked for the real thing and that he was OK with the perception of authenticity. That moment changed the way I looked at the world.
Recently, I was reflecting on our hiring process with Dr. Charla Brown, Assistant Professor of Human Resources from the University of Alaska, who is both my colleague and my beautiful wife. We discussed how, during interviews, we ask every candidate multiple questions related to our core values. This helps ensure everyone who comes to our organization fully understands the importance of those values and ultimately embraces what we have identified as foundational components of our team. This conversation led to a deep discussion on values and how they are used and not used in organizations. Let me give you a personal example.
Many years ago, a colleague and I had applied for a promotion to management with our organization. We both had several interviews and felt like we both had a good shot. Our manager eventually broke the news to us that neither of us had been selected. We were both surprised and disappointed to find out that, not only had the head of HR hired someone outside the company, but that person was coming in to meet the team in a couple of hours. Having both worked for this organization for several years, we were dumbfounded that the VP, whom we would've been reporting to, had to be asked to come down and tell us in person we didn't get the job, literally just a few minutes before the new person arrived. I remember thinking as I saw him walk through the door, "Here is a man who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk." The values he supposedly espoused included striving to treat clients, employees and competitors "with respect and appreciation."
I have never felt less appreciated and disrespected in my career than I did in that moment, and there stood the embodiment of counterfeit values. The snazzy slogan, the social media tagline, all of which meant absolutely nothing because I saw it for what it was in that moment: a fake Rolex that didn't look quite the same as the real thing.
Living up to our values takes work — not a poster on the wall. So what do we do? As HR professionals, it is critical for us to help our leaders take a look in the mirror and face reality. To help them walk the walk. How can we do that? Getting over the finish line is a marathon, but getting started is easier than you might think.
Ask yourselves and your executives these few questions:
• Who is championing your company values and why?
• How often are the values being discussed and by whom?
• Are the leaders exemplifying the values or are their actions in contradiction to them?
• Are behaviors not in line with the values being rewarded (or not condemned)?
• Who are the organization's leaders — the people who are admired, imitated? Are they espousing the values?
• Are you working with staff who have been identified as future leaders to align their growth with your values?
• How often are business and hiring decisions being made in alignment with your values?
• Have you operationalized the values to hold people accountable to them?
The answers or lack of will provide the starting line and direction we need to build the path and ensure our organizations are rooted in these values.
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
