Editor's letter: At the core

When asked about personal values, many people can quite quickly rattle off a list of things which define them. This is usually because they have given it some thought in the past and therefore do not need more than a short reflection to do so.

But when it comes to organisational values, it is harder to find someone who can say what their business stands for, without checking the employee handbook or the firm’s website.

Values feed into culture, which can dramatically affect the way people function within a given framework. It can bring out positive traits or result in disillusionment.

Of course, the issue for leaders is how to get people engaged with their firms, to feel a sense of personal pride in belonging to their organisations.

With the economy gradually recovering, it can feel like an endless march toward sustainable business. There doesn’t seem to be any time to think about things which won’t have a clear and quantifiable impact on the bottom line.

But sometimes a rough patch is the best place to stop, reflect and decide upon what is at the core, the essence, of the business.

If values can shape a person’s character from childhood, imagine how much change they can bring to a firm which has lost direction or purpose.

Until next month,

Manju Manglani, Editor

– mmanglani@wilmington.co.uk