46% of job seekers consider company culture as an important job factor, and over 85% of seekers state they typically avoid companies with poor reputations. Positive and ethical standards at your company are the foundation of a high-spirited and productive workplace. Helping your employees feel a deeper connection to their workplace is also key for retention.
Key Takeaways
- Focus on the personal values of your team members
- Identify what’s important to the organization
- Explore the company’s image from all perspectives
One great way to achieve this is by identifying your company’s core values. With a professional corporate emcee by your side, guiding your team through the interactive sessions can break the ice and put everyone at ease. Plus, it’s the best way to ensure your employees truly understand the principles and beliefs of the company they work for.
Keep reading, and I’ll share three exercises you and your team can do with a corporate emcee in order to dive deeper into what makes your company such a special place!
See Related: 5 Event Hosting Ideas From A Corporate Emcee
#1. Focus On The Personal Values Of Your Team Members
Whether you work for a large-scale firm or in a small, family-oriented business, understanding the values of the organization you work for is important. For most people, work is more than a place to waste away from nine to five.
Instead, it’s the best place to explore new ideas, discover personal passion projects, and make new friends!
Many people often feel that they benefit from identifying with their company’s core values and culture. After all, an organization is about more than numbers and profit margins.
When it comes down to it, any organization is more a reflection of the people who make it up.
Now more than ever, people prioritize “people and culture fit” above all else at their place of work. And the one thing that has the highest impact on the culture of a company? Team leaders.
If you’re a team leader, it’s up to you to show your employees what your organization is all about. It’s essential to find ways to provide them with purpose and bring them closer to the mission of the company.
Why Is It So Important To Understand An Organization’s Core VALUES?
If the concept of core values is new to you, you might be wondering why it’s so important to define and understand these qualities. There are countless reasons why, so let me break it down into the acronym VALUES.
V – Vision Alignment
The values and mission of a company make up its foundation. It’s important for employees to share those same values so that everyone can work hand-in-hand for a common goal!
Understanding core values helps employees comprehend and resonate with the company’s vision. It connects employees to a higher purpose, driving them to contribute wholeheartedly to the success of the organization.
When it comes down to it, aligning values with the company’s vision creates a shared sense of purpose. This is key in encouraging employees to go the extra mile in order to achieve collective objectives.
A – Appreciation And Recognition
Did you know that 69% of employees would work harder if they just received a bit more recognition?
If you’re not dedicating a sizeable chunk of time and effort to recognizing and rewarding your team, you should start ASAP. One way to do so is by cultivating a positive workplace culture that focuses on the core values of the company!
When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to be engaged, productive, and loyal to the company.
L – Learning And Growth
As I said, the workplace is often the one place where employees are free to explore their full potential. They deserve to have the support needed in order to be their best selves!
Organizations that encourage continuous learning and growth attract top talent and retain their employees for longer periods.
Making an effort to provide opportunities for growth and personal development is the cornerstone of creating a skilled and adaptable team.
U – Unity And Collaboration
In an organization, teamwork is key. If you want your company to be successful, you need to be sure that the employees are able to collaborate.
It’s important to foster a collaborative atmosphere that leads to a cohesive and unified team. Teamwork and collaboration should be an integral part of your organization’s core values.
E – Employee Well-Being
What good is a company that doesn’t care about the well-being of its employees?
Organizations that invest in their employees’ health and happiness are able to effectively reduce stress levels and increase productivity. And that’s what all employees need!
Helping your team understand the core values that make up the company is a critical step in supporting a healthy work-life balance.
S – Strong Ethical Standards
The core values define what your company stands for. It’s important that these values help inspire team members to follow ethical standards.
Demonstrating ethical leadership is what fosters trust and credibility among the company’s employees. By enhancing the company’s reputation, you’ll be able to contribute to its long-term success.
When it comes down to it, the foundation of any positive workplace is strong ethical values.
A Powerful Core Values Exercise For The Whole Team
Strengthening and understanding the core values of your company is essential. And as a team leader, it’s up to you to guide your team along this journey.
The values of any organization are different and unique. It often depends on things like the industry or the background of the employees.
What’s important to remember is that all organizations are made up of their people. So, even the values of a company can be largely influenced by the values of its employees!
This brings me to my first core values exercise. It involves exploring the personal values of your team in order to become more in tune with the values of the company.
Bonus: What Are The Duties & Responsibilities Of An Emcee?
Merging Personal Values Exercise
Start by handing out a few index cards to your team. Then, ask them to write down one of their own personal values on each notecard.
You can determine a set amount that they should write down or just go with the flow. You can also stick with a certain theme if that will help guide your team better.
Next, divide your employees into small groups. It would be best to have two to five people in each group, but this can depend on the size of your team.
Once the teams have gathered, have each person share their personal values with the rest of the group. The group can then make a shared values list for them all.
After that, each group can share its core values list as a group. Your entire team can discuss the results and more deeply understand what matters to them as a whole.
After taking time to discuss ideas and values, compare the core values list of each group to the core values of the company.
This exercise is a great way for employees to learn more about their coworkers while seeing how their own core values tie into that of the company.
#2. Identify What’s Important To The Organization
A big part of learning a company’s values is identifying what matters to the company.
It’s important for your team to think about what they believe matters to the company so that they can discover how their own individual values fit in.
Properly facilitating group activities and discussions can be hard. But with a professional corporate speaker, you can feel assured knowing that your team is getting the professional guidance they need.
A master of ceremonies is more than just an event speaker. Emcees are the glue that keeps teams together!
As a corporate emcee with over 25 years of experience, I’ve learned a thing or two about facilitating group discussions and activities. By simply taking the time and effort to prioritize team bonding and discussion, I can effectively help your team foster positive relationships while learning about their organization!
What Actually Matters To Your Company?
Start this exercise by dividing your employees into groups. Then, have them think about what is important to the company they work for.
For example, prod them to consider the different departments and levels of the company and break down the values of the organization. Here are some thought-provoking questions that will help get their brains moving:
- What are a few negative qualities that are avoided at this company?
- What are the key qualities and attributes of an employee who works here?
- How does the company work to shape employees’ career paths?
#3. Explore The Company’s Image From All Perspectives
If you want your team to understand the actual values of the company, they first need to have a firm grasp of the company’s image.
Company image is the accumulation of the reputation, culture, and values of a company. It’s seen and experienced by everyone from upper managers to simple consumers.
Your company’s values often play an integral role in curating the image. For example, a company with poor values will likely have a poor reputation and poor image. Conversely, a company with solid and upstanding values will have a positive culture and a strong image.
This exercise is merely a group discussion that will dive into the very image of your company.
Ask these simple questions to get the ball rolling:
- What do people first think of when they hear about our company? This question considers the outward reputation of the company.
- What makes our company unique? Positive qualities that set your company apart from the competition are often a great way to learn about its image and values.
- What problems is our company working to solve? No organization is perfect! However, the mark of any great company is that it recognizes any flaws and properly addresses them.
- What does good work look like in our company? What does a star employee look like? What makes them the gold standard?
Of course, you can ask any sort of questions you’d like. However, the goal is to get your team to start thinking about the image of the company and how it ties into the core values.
Wrapping Up
The core values of your company are about more than a general mission statement. Instead, it’s the foundation of creating a workplace in which you and your employees can be proud of and happy!
Keep Reading: 8 Ways An MC Can Help Your Team Stay Motivated This Summer
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Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings, special events, gala celebrations, and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com. For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
