Values, Vision and Team Mission Statements
(Your Honor Code)

Developing a team's Honor Code, which includes the values, vision and team mission statements, can be one of the most frustrating and cynicism provoking activities you will ever undertake. But it doesn't have to be.

Everyone seems to agree that having an Honor Code is an important part of any business. It articulates the reason for the organization's existence, where it is heading and how it would like to get there.

Most Values, Vision and Team Mission statements contain similar sentiments - no matter the business or industry - with a few unique elements that distinguish each particular organization. Generally, they contain words and phrases, like: Leadership, Caring, Do the Right Thing, Innovation, People are Important, Share the Wealth, Teamwork, Open Communication, Honesty, Integrity, Profitable. When the Honor Code is lived and breathed, it enables people to bring a high degree of passion and energy to the workplace.

Create High Performance not Cynicism

Generally many hours are spent on crafting the statements, with often long and vigorous debates on whether the word 'a' or 'the' should be used in a particular sentence! Sadly, once crafted most organizations do not utilize the power contained within the statement.

The Honor Code becomes a series of documents which (whilst looking good in employee handbooks and on the walls for visitors) create cynicism simply because the desired ideals and behaviors are ignored by the Leadership Team. This lack of daily and consistent use of the Honor Code is one of the reasons so few organizations attain High Performance.

In High Performance Organizations you see clear evidence that the leadership team are committed to living their Honor Code bringing about their Vision by living their Values and ensuring the Team Mission Statements drive decisions. These leaders are passionate about ensuring that people feel an integral part of the business' purpose. The Honor Code is integrated into how they do business.

Simply put, High Performance Leaders have made the connection that the consistent application of the principles contained within the Honor Code results in an organization in which people can perform at their best. When an organization is founded in integrity it becomes profitable in all senses of the word.

Here is the distinction between the three components of your Honor Code:

The Vision: Where you are going

Mission: What and how you do it

The Values: What you stand for

In many, many organizations that I have interacted with very few people can clearly and quickly articulate their Values, Vision, and Team Mission statements, and fewer yet, can provide examples of how they use them in their daily decision-making.

This Organization doesn't utilize their Honor Code and the results show

Contrast this with another organization I have dealt with recently (thankfully I didn't actually work with them!). It is an organization that identified the need to re-structure and as a part of this re-structure they retrenched people. The people I had worked with clearly understood the need for the re-structure and the retrenchments and in the early days supported the changes.

But the way in which it was conducted was a long way short of their organization's articulated values.

In fact if ever there was a text-book case in how to get an organization to take its eye off the main ball game (i.e. running a profitable business) and set it up for long-term cynicism, disillusionment, anger and frustration this would be it.

The way in which they conducted their restructure will ensure that for the long-term there will be very little trust or faith shown from their middle-management toward their senior management team. And the flow-on effects you can only imagine.

Interestingly enough this organization is one that is well known to struggle in its industry with lack-lustre performance results and to have continual industrial relations problems. Do you think it is a coincidence? Is it sheer luck? I think not! Do you think their senior management team will ever 'get' it? I really don't think so! They just don't seem to get the connection between performance and decisions based on integrity.

How well do you use your organization's Honor Code?

How would you answer these two questions:

1. "Provide me with at least three examples of how you applied your Values, Vision, and Team Mission Statements in the past week"
2. "Do the people around you know that you are using your Values, Vision,and Team Mission Statements to drive your decision-making."

If it is a struggle for you to remember how you've used your Honor Code, then time to dig out those statements and start to find opportunities to apply them in your daily decision-making. Become conscious of the reasons for those words and statements being chosen and what they are supposed to enable your business to deliver.

If you influence the people around you to use your Values, Vision, and Team Mission Statements as decision-drivers watch how your organization will flourish.

Growth Opportunity

1. Keep a track of how many times this week you use your Values, Vision, and Team Mission Statements to drive your decision-making
2. Identify the impact your decisions are having on your business for the short and long-term, particularly if you are not using your Values, Vision and Team Mission Statements as decision-drivers
3. Find ways to refer to your Values, Vision and Team Mission Statements when in meetings with others to heighten the awareness of your team, your peers, and others leaders that daily use of these powerful statements is a sure way to move your business toward High Performance