The Bathroom was Out of Date

When we started remodeling our bathroom, it did not seem like such a big. Deborah and I had a shared vision: to turn a pink fifties-style bathroom into a beautiful spa-retreat.

We envisioned a place to take a steam, relax in the Jacuzzi, unwind and rejuvenate; a place of simplicity, stone, and warm, earthy colors.

Then, the contractor came. He saw. He demolished.
I stared into the barren room and the dirt floor.
The tub was gone. The old tiles were gone. Large sections of the walls were gone, too.

Without the walls covering them, the original sixty year-old joists were visible. Some were charred, apparently from fire damage, many showed water and termite damage, and some were virtually rotted away.

“This is good”, Deborah told me.

It’s good to see what’s hidden beneath the surface

Deborah understands the value of exposing the crumbling structures that are hidden beneath the surface of things.

“This is what happens when you remodel an old house,” she said. “You find things that were hidden and need attention, care, and repair.”

She was right.

Deborah’s point holds is true for home remodeling. And it’s also true for leading organizational change.

Whenever you choose a new direction for your team or organization – you will encounter hidden structures that need attention

Because, successful and sustainable change is more than cosmetic.

And, you can’t realize a vision with superficial face-lifts and simplistic quick fixes.

Quick fixes that cover up structural problems – always create more challenges down the road.

When you remodel a bathroom or change an organization, your work always starts with making sure the foundation is strong enough to support the new direction.

So, what is the foundation of a team or organization?

The foundation of an organization is made of core values.

Core values are fundamental principles – that govern how people in the organization – act, interact, and make decisions.

Core values identify what matters most to us; help us choose between alternatives; guide decision making; give meaning to our actions; define what is “right” and “good”.

Can an organization really be built on something as intangible as core values?

Yes. In fact, those organizations that endure, as Jim Collin’s Good to Great research affirms, are those that have a living connection to a set of enduring core values.

Keeping your team or organization’s core values alive, strong, and vibrant takes an investment of time and attention

Core values need attention in order to stay strong, vibrant, and alive. It is not enough to have a list of values printed on posters, newsletters, t-shirts, and annual reports. While these can be useful reminders – they can also be little more than organizational décor.

To stay alive and vital – core values need to be:

• Talked about in meetings.
• Examined when decisions are being made.
• Referenced and referred to when changes are being implemented.

Because, unless core values are part of the conscious, on-going conversation between people – the organization’s foundation may be in trouble.

Core values (like the joists in my bathroom) can become compromised and if neglected – even start to rot away

When big organizational scandals make the headlines – we see what happens when core values are neglected. Of course, most organizations never reach Enron-level disasters. But, the impact of neglected core values can still infect peoples’ day-to-day work.

Some of the signs that core values need attention are when:

• People complain about a lack of accountability
• The criteria for decision-making is unclear – or constantly changing
• People avoid bringing up important – but difficult issues
• New initiatives are subtly but persistently resisted
• The organization is caught up in fire-fighting day-to-day emergencies

These are signs that your core values are in trouble. That there is a disconnection between what the organization says it values – and how people are behaving day-to-day. It may be time for an organizational remodel. A time to re-new your core values.

Your organizational remodel – like our bathroom remodel – starts by looking below the surface

You look below the surface – even if what you find isn’t pretty

But, as Deborah told me – you can’t re-build if you don’t expose the crumbling structures that are hidden beneath the surface of things.

In looking deeply, we inevitably see how our own behavior, decisions, and choices have compromised our core values.

Seeing this isn’t fun. But, it is good. Because this kind of clarity – helps us reaffirm and return to the core values that matter most to us. This kind of truthfulness – helps us re-connect our daily actions to our enduring core values.

So what can a bathroom remodel teach you about core values?

1. Every great organization is built on a hidden, intangible foundation of core values
2. Core values need on-going attention in order to stay vibrant and alive
3. There are signs in the organization that let us know if our core values are erroding
4. Looking beneath the surface – isn’t always pretty
5. But, telling the truth about our values is the foundation for re-establishing organizational direction, focus, and congruent action.

Is it time for your core values to get some attention? Are you ready to remodel your organization – and make your vision real?

Core values are a great place to start.

Related Posts:

• Do You Want People to be More Accountable?
• Why it’s better to not know (than know)
• Are you ready to stop otherizing?
• Why you need to know your leadership “chord”
• What happens when you zig-zag around problems