At DDX we ensure all staff sign up to a set of ‘shared values’ when starting their journey with us. Our ‘shared values’ are a simple document outlining the focuses and core fundamentals that underpin the company. We believe that through doing so this gives both structure and focus to both the organisation's staffing and the work we do.
Here four key reasons why we created them and why shared values are important to any workplace:
1) An Enabler of a positive working culture
I am sure many of us have worked in a company with a ‘toxic’ work culture before. Some of the greatest organisations and ideas can be quickly derailed because of a poor workingenvironment.
Ensuring all staff sign up to a set of shared values is a quick way to avoid issues within the workplace. How? It does this in two ways:
Companies can quickly weed out ‘bad apples’ before they get through the door - any interviewee that doesn’t see the value of them should be quickly disregarded. At DDX we ensure that all core aspects of the shared values are captured within our interview process. By then, ensuring that staff sign to it before starting gives new joiners to think and pause on whether this organisation is right for them. It also gives them a framework around how to act, and what will be acceptable within our company's culture.
Creating a visible framework that all staff have signed ensures complete transparency around behaviour patterns. If any in-appropriate behaviour then occurs, this empowers all members of the team to then bring up the actions and discuss challenges and approach difficult attitudes in an honest and open manner.
2) A framework for decision making
Running a growing company means decisions need to be made fast. These decisions can occur across the company as our priorities shift to meet customers needs and market movements.
When faced with complex decisions not all internal stakeholders can always be present, and resultantly having a shared direction and guiding pole star through the shared values is extremely helpful to allow discussions to happen quickly. More importantly we have seen it as an enabler for staff to become increasingly empowered when faced with decision making. This ensures the junior members of staff can make focused simple decisions for the betterment of the organisations
We have found this simple document reduces decision making time, helps focus priorities and ensures that staff are predominantly content on the decisions taken at all points - even when absent.
3) Platform for innovation
Having a core element of our business in technology means we need to be continually innovating. In order to do this successfully we need to ensure we have a fully engaged staff force, that team members are always willing to ‘do different’ and they have confidence to try.
Any company culture is clearly crucial to this aspect. Through both an aligned culture through set out via of the shared values, and by further writing statements such as ‘we never stop learning’ within the document starts staff off on the right foot with being inquisitive and trying new things.
Resultantly at DDX I regularly see staff coming to me within morning meetings about new approaches and new technologies we can leverage every day.
4) A focus on social responsibility
With some extremely challenging times ahead for the world it's crucial the businesses, staff and the wider community act as much as possible towards a more sustainable future. At DDX we believe this strongly and are continually wanting to ensure all our staff are confident and driven to work with the right companies. Creating alignment for new staff members on this when they start with the company is crucial to setting the tone and ensuring that positive work relationships are built over the course of their career.