Why Corporate Values Don't Work (And What Does)

One of Enron's core values was "integrity."

I'll wait for that sink in for a moment.

A company now synonymous with corporate fraud and deception. And "integrity" was literally one of the values they had printed on posters throughout their offices.

This is one example of why I lean a tad skeptical of corporate values. Not because the values are wrong, but because asking someone to live out someone else's values is like asking them to wear clothes that don't fit.

So, let's talk about personal values. Everyone has them, but most of us can't actually tell you what they are.

We inherit some from our families, pick up others through hard experiences, or discover some through moments of clarity. But when we're asked to name them, we often struggle.

This matters more than you might think.

Recently, I led our team through a values exercise. I asked everyone to identify their top three values and share why those particular ones mattered to them.

I loved seeing the results that came from this. Some people had one value that overlapped, maybe two, but when we went around the room, everyone's combination was different.

And here was my key insight: that didn't make anyone wrong.

In fact, this makes our team much more interesting and valuable. We all come to the table with different priorities, different perspectives, different strengths.

One team member said, "I value family."

Instead of just nodding and moving on, I asked her to tell me more. "What does that mean to you? How does that show up in your work?"

Her answer was beautiful. She explained that even in a work environment, she deeply cares about the people she works with. This family value drives her to mentor and train others.

When I interviewed her, she told me, "I love hiring somebody and getting them to be better than I am so that they can be very successful."

That's her living out this family value through her work. She's not just following a job description—she's expressing something she genuinely cares about.

"Because I value family," she said, "this is how I do my work."

Think about your values like a root system.

Every time you say yes to something that aligns with your values, your roots grow stronger.

And every time you say no to something that conflicts with what you care about, you also get stronger—you're protecting what matters most.

But here's the danger: every time you say yes to things that go against your values, or no to things that would help you grow in your values, your roots get a little weaker.

Over time, you start to lose your sense of self.

I've seen this happen to good people in our industry. They get so focused on pleasing everyone, on saying yes to every request, that they lose touch with what they actually care about. They start going through the motions instead of bringing their authentic selves to their work.

When people know their values and can connect them to their daily work, something changes. They stand up a little straighter. They're more willing to lean into difficult situations because they're not just doing what they're told—they're expressing something meaningful.

Here's a simple exercise that can change how you think about your work and your life:

Step 1: Write down 10 values that resonate with you. Don't overthink it—just write down things that feel important.

Step 2: Force yourself to narrow it down to 5. For each one, write a sentence about why this value matters to you.

Step 3: Identify your top 3. These become your "true north"—the values that are most core to who you are.

The goal isn't to dismiss the importance of other values, but to recognize which ones are truly foundational for you.

When you're clear on your values, you can:

Most importantly, you stop feeling like you're just going through the motions. You start to see how your work can be an expression of what you genuinely value.

Next week, I want to share a story about how understanding values—both yours and others'—can transform your most difficult workplace conversations.

Once you get to the underlying values, you can have conversations about what's really going on instead of just arguing about surface-level disagreements.

Take some time this week to work through that values exercise. I'm curious to hear what you discover about yourself.

Take care,

Josh

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