Updating and reinforcing our values
Updating our values
Our values are updated frequently and as needed. Everyone is welcome to make a suggestion to improve them. To update: make a request and assign it to the MD. If you're a team member or in the core team please post a link to the MR in the #values Slack channel.
How do we reinforce our values
Whatever behaviour you reward will become your values. We reinforce our values by:
What we expect from all team members, as ambassadors for our values.
What we refer to when making decisions.
The example the servant (leader) group sets for the company since a fish rots from the head down.
What we select for during staff hiring/student selection.
What we emphasise during on-boarding.
Behaviour we give each other 360 feedback on.
Behaviour we compliment.
Criteria we use for promotions.
Criteria we use to manage under performance.
What we do when we let people go.
Our Techmission Song Book (not created yet), the song lyrics often mention Techmission values.
Applying one of our values virtual backgrounds in video calls.
Linking the takeaways of courses to our values.
The default settings of the software we use (for example: Speedy meetings, document sharing, agendas, etc.)
The most important moments to reinforce our values are decisions which affect individual team members most: staff hiring/student selection, onboarding, promotion and getting to mastery, which is why every promotion document at Techmission is shared with the entire company and uses the values as its core structure.
In negative feedback, we should be specific about what the problem is. For example, saying someone is "not living the values" isn't helpful.
Your values are what you hire for, what you praise people for, and what you promote them for. By definition, what you do in those instances are your values. It's not what you say they are. Values should be explicitly part of our hiring process, our job profiles, and our review process.
When we give incentives and promotions, they are always linked to values. That's the crucial thing. If you reinforce them there, that's the most powerful thing you can do.
What to do if values aren't being lived out
Value erosion can occur when indifference and apathy are tolerated. It can also occur when individuals justify undesired behaviours by interpreting values as "me values" rather than "company values." For example, a team member may speak to the importance of personal efficiency in order to justify not collaborating professionally with peers. This is not what we expect from team members in terms of efficiency and collaboration.
If you feel that values are not being lived out in a given scenario, speak up and ask for context in a respectful manner. Navigating value conflicts starts with assuming positive intent from other team members. Offer links to relevant values and/or sub-values when discussing the issue. If there is confusion or disagreement about the interpretation of a value, please surface the discussion in Techmission’s #values Slack channel (not created yet).
Almost every time we face a hard decision at Techmission, it's because values are in conflict. It's not binary logic. It requires conversation, and sometimes there is no obvious answer. We can only achieve resolution by respectfully talking with each other and trusting the DRI (directly responsible individual) to make the ultimate decision.
Permission to play
From our values we excluded some behaviours that are obvious; we call them our permission to play behaviour:
Be truthful and honest.
Be dependable, reliable, fair, and respectful.
Be committed, creative, inspiring, and passionate.
Be deserving of the trust of our team members, users and students.
Act in the best interest of the company, our team members, our students, users, and investors.
Act in accordance with the law.
Don't show favouritism as it breeds resentment, destroys employee morale, and creates disincentives for good performance. Seek out ways to be fair to everyone.
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