Why Company Values Don’t Work (and What to Do About It)
Integrity. Innovation. Collaboration. Courage. Transparency.
They sound great.
They’re meant to guide decisions, shape culture, and define how people work together.
And yet...
Most of the time, they don’t work.
They don’t change behavior.
They don’t shape culture.
And they often do more harm than good.
The Problem: Values That Don’t Live in Reality
1. They’re generic
Most values are a collection of vague words that sound good but say nothing specific. You could swap the value statements of one company with another, and no one would notice.
It’s a branding exercise more than a cultural one.
For example: “Integrity” is a value for Enron. Yes…. Enron.
If values don’t set you apart or challenge you in meaningful ways, they’re just corporate fluff.
2. They’re disconnected from behavior
Values only matter when they’re tied to how people act, especially in moments of tension, pressure, and trade-offs.
If your company says “we value transparency” but keeps employees in the dark during a reorganization, then you’re sending a very different message.
Values are only real if people see them in action every day.
3. There’s a credibility gap
One of the biggest sources of employee disengagement comes from a gap between what leaders say the company stands for and what employees actually experience.
When that gap exists, values don’t inspire, they breed cynicism.
This is especially dangerous because it erodes trust and signals to people that the organization doesn’t mean what it says.
The Impact: When Values Fail
When company values don’t work, the organization suffers in subtle but significant ways:
Culture becomes performative – People say the right things in meetings but act differently behind closed doors.
Moral confusion – Teams don’t know what to prioritize when tough decisions arise.
Disengagement – Employees stop believing in the mission and just “do their job.”
Burnout and mistrust – Especially when values like “work-life balance” or “respect” are violated repeatedly without consequences.
Values are meant to align people.
But when they’re hollow, they do the opposite.
So What Can You Actually Do About It?
Here’s how to design values that don’t just live in a document—but in the daily life of your organization.
1. Co-create them with your people
Instead of inventing values in a boardroom, discover them from real stories inside your organization.
Ask teams:
When were you proud to work here?
What’s a moment that reflects who we want to be?
What do we admire in our best colleagues?
These stories surface the lived values—not the aspirational ones—and give you a foundation that feels authentic.
2. Translate values into observable behaviors
Words like “respect” or “innovation” mean different things to different people. That’s why you must define values in behavioral terms.
Examples:
Instead of “collaboration” → “We involve the right people early, even if it slows us down at first.”
Instead of “accountability” → “We take ownership, even when it’s not our fault.”
This makes values actionable and assessable.
3. Align values with systems
If you say you value “learning,” but punish people for mistakes, your system is undermining your culture.
Embed values into:
Hiring and onboarding – Do candidates reflect your culture?
Feedback and performance reviews – Are values part of how success is measured?
Promotions and rewards – Are people rewarded for how they lead, not just what they deliver?
What gets measured and rewarded is what gets repeated.
4. Start with leadership
Leaders shape culture more than anyone else. If they don’t walk the talk, nothing else matters.
Ask:
Are our leaders living the values daily?
Are they calling out behavior that goes against them?
Do people feel safe to challenge when values are violated?
Values aren’t just for the frontline. They must be embodied most consistently by those in power.
5. Make values a living conversation
Values aren’t one-time declarations. They need regular reflection, reinforcement, and evolution.
Use retrospectives, town halls, and feedback loops to:
Reflect on whether values are still relevant
Celebrate people who live them well
Tweak or update them as the organization grows
Your culture is always changing. Your values should grow with it.
Final Thought: Values Should Cost Something
If your values don’t cost you anything, they’re not real.
Company values shouldn’t be decoration.
They should be tools.
Tools for clarity. For alignment. For hard decisions. For trust.
True values help you make hard choices:
Turning down a client who clashes with your ethics.
Letting go of a top performer who violates team norms.
Saying “no” to fast results because you believe in long-term trust.
That’s when values go from aspiration to identity.
If you don’t mean them, don’t publish them.
If you do mean them, then live them, even when it’s hard.
That’s when values stop being words on the wall
and start becoming the culture you actually build.
What to Remember
Most company values fail because they’re vague, disconnected, or ignored.
Real values are co-created, behavioral, embedded in systems, and modeled by leaders.
When done well, values align decisions, shape culture, and build deep trust.
Don’t write your values on the wall.
Write them in your behavior.
Write them in your choices.
Write them in your leadership.
This is my last blog before I take a summer break, and I want to thank all of you for your ongoing support, curiosity, and readership. Writing here and connecting with this community has been such a meaningful part of my journey.
As we head into summer, I also want to share something more personal: after 28 years in Norway, my family and I are seriously considering a move back to Barcelona.
It’s been a long-time dream for my wife Aru and our kids Pau and Emil, and now I’m opening up to the possibility too.
I’m exploring work opportunities that could make this big move possible. If you know of any interesting roles, projects, or simply want to catch up while I’m in Barcelona this July, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s grab a coffee and reconnect!
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