You’ve invested time and effort in defining your company values. Perhaps you’ve committed to “trust and respect” or “recognising and rewarding creativity and initiative.” Your team knows these values. They’ve heard the presentations, seen the updates.
But here’s what matters more than what you say about your values: what you do when those values are tested. Your people aren’t just listening – they’re watching for proof that your promises are real.
When high performance meets poor behaviour
A client of ours faced exactly this dilemma. Their top salesperson had delivered exceptional results over three years, personally closing deals worth 30% of the company’s revenue. His commercial value was undeniable.
However, his behaviour was a problem. Arrogant and rude, he treated colleagues badly and ignored company ways of working. When the leadership team announced a culture change programme, his response was blunt: they could put in place “whatever fancy ideas they wanted” – he had no plan to change his approach.
This created an immediate test of leadership credibility. The board had three options:
Option 1: Attempt to bring the salesperson on board with the new approach
Option 2: Abandon the culture programme before wider implementation
Option 3: Replace the salesperson, despite his commercial contribution
After attempting persuasion without success, they made the difficult decision to part ways with him.
The impact of decisive action
This decision proved game-changing. Before the new values had even been fully shared, every employee understood that this culture change was different. Leadership had shown real commitment by taking action that carried real business risk.
The results backed up their approach: within 12 months, they had won back the lost revenue, and staff turnover in the sales department fell from 11% to 5%. The culture programme worked because people believed leadership was serious about making it happen.
Your defining moment
Every change initiative reaches a critical juncture where maintaining the status quo feels safer than moving forward. This is the moment your entire organisation watches most closely. They’re assessing whether this change effort is genuine or just another initiative that will quietly disappear.
The signal you send at this point matters more than any communication strategy or motivational campaign. Making the right decision will drive your programme forward. Making the wrong one will undermine everything that follows.
Implementing zero tolerance for your values
What would it mean to operate zero tolerance for behaviour that contradicts your stated values? At minimum, it would require consistent standards across all levels of your organisation – from senior executives to new hires.
It also means accepting that tough decisions may be necessary. Before embarking on any culture change programme, consider this carefully: you may face moments where upholding your values requires taking calculated risks with established business patterns.
The question isn’t whether you’ll encounter this choice – you will. The question is whether you’re prepared to act decisively when that moment arrives.
Making your values matter
Half-hearted culture change is often worse than no change at all. It signals to your team that your values are aspirational rather than operational, and that your commitments have limits.
But when you’re willing to back your values with difficult decisions, that’s when genuine transformation becomes possible. That’s when you build a business culture that goes beyond words on a wall to become the foundation of how you actually operate.
If you’re considering changes and want to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead, we’re here to help. Call us on 01865 881056 / 07801 259637 or email km@leaderslab.co.uk for an exploratory chat.