Many companies boldly proclaim their core values on their websites, in annual reports and during onboarding. However, all too often, those values remain aspirational slogans rather than guiding principles.
For leaders who truly want their values to matter, the work doesn’t stop at declaration—it begins there. Below, Forbes Human Resources Council members weigh in on the best ways to ensure the values their companies state are actually embedded in their everyday policies, behaviors and decision-making. This will help to ensure that leadership executives model an impactful culture that trickles down.
1. Live Values Through Transparency, Accountability And Communication
At my digital banking company, we focus on leaders living our values through transparency, accountability and consistent communication. When executives connect strategy to purpose and model the behaviors we expect, those values become embedded in every policy, decision and interaction, creating a culture that truly reflects who we are. – Julie Hoagland, Alkami
2. Gain A Clear Understanding Of Values First
Having a clear definition and understanding of what those values mean and how they apply to everyday culture is crucial. Culture is the everyday experience, behaviors, expectations and trust (or lack thereof) that occur in the everyday moments that aren’t being measured. Leaders must first understand the values to apply them and live them to the fullest extent. – Darwin Espinosa, Helm Bank USA
3. Create Values That Employees Can Measure
Values are performance drivers, but only if they are more than just words on a poster or annual report. Bake them into goals, feedback and recognition so people see them rewarded in real decisions. When leadership lives those values visibly, culture becomes something employees can measure, not just read. – Jamie Aitken, Betterworks
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4. Put Policies In Place That Prioritize Well-Being
For any value about supporting employees, audit your leave and time-off policies. Do they enable people to access the time needed to recharge and recover without financial penalties? If your company values prioritize well-being, your policies must reflect that. Most importantly, leaders should use these benefits themselves to authentically demonstrate that the culture is lived, not just stated. – Seth Turner, AbsenceSoft
5. Implement ‘Winning Workplace Wednesdays’
Inspect what you expect. However, before the inspection, set the expectation. Implementing “Winning Workplace Wednesdays” is where leaders take the time to connect, get to know their team a little more, answer questions about policies and live the values the company proclaims. After the bar has been set, conducting a pulse survey is a good way to see if the organization is on brand or not. – Tish Hodge, The Shine Institute
6. Let Your Values Dictate The Decisions You Make
True cultural embedding begins when values dictate decisions before leaders even speak. Executives don’t model culture through speeches; they demonstrate it in the choices they make under pressure, the trade-offs they tolerate and the behaviors they refuse to reward. Culture isn’t aspirational—it’s the predictable output of disciplined, value-aligned choices. – Katrina Jones
7. Do An ‘Inside Brand Audit’ To Strengthen Alignment
When your culture and brand tell the same story, your people deliver the outcomes your business promises. When they don’t, it shows up in turnover, misaligned behaviors and brand erosion. Conduct an “Inside Brand Audit” to uncover where your people, systems and culture reinforce (or undermine) your strategy. Then prioritize practical changes to strengthen alignment. – Maureen Cawley, Saatva
8. Show People What You Mean By Calling Out Bad Behaviors
If leaders want values to stick, they have to model them. No exceptions. I’ve learned that when execs show up with the right behaviors and call out what doesn’t fit, it sets the tone. Make values part of hiring, feedback and recognition. Then, people will see you mean it. – Nancy Adams, CenTrak
9. Measure Employee Value Alignment Through Company Surveys
As a people analytics enthusiast, I would highly recommend measuring how well both leaders and employees throughout the organization are living the values through employee surveys. This is a great place to gather additional feedback on how they can be better embedded throughout the organization. And of course, 360-degree feedback could be a great way to amplify leaders living the values as well. – Sanja Licina, QuestionPro
10. Reinforce Real-Time Stories About Company Values
It takes strong leadership and dedication to complete this complicated endeavour. Leaders must demonstrate the values by their actions and include them in the hiring, onboarding, training and performance evaluation processes. Also, share stories about the values regularly and keep reinforcing them across different channels, including the company newsletter, internal intranet, appraisals and other platforms. – Dr. Nara Ringrose, Cyclife Aquila Nuclear
11. Avoid Hypocrisy By Closing The Gaps
Walk the talk or don’t talk at all. If you claim work-life balance but email at 10 p.m., employees notice the misalignment. Values mean nothing without behavioral reinforcement. Does your promotion process reward people skills or results at any cost? Do leaders take PTO? Audit decisions against stated values and close gaps systematically. Sentiment data shows hypocrisy destroys trust every time. – Matt Poepsel, The Predictive Index
12. List One To Two Nonnegotiables
If you wouldn’t let a top performer go for violating a value, it’s not really a core value. Narrow your list to one to two nonnegotiables. Then, ask: “Are we willing to part ways if this isn’t lived?” That’s the test. Until values drive real decisions regarding hiring, promotions and exits, they’re just slogans, not culture. – Nicole Brown, Ask Nikki HR
13. Outline The Spirit Of Each Value
Company values become the culture when leaders of all levels use the values in their everyday language. This goes beyond utilizing them during feedback, performance or talent reviews. It’s the unconscious use during a conversation, meeting or social interaction. Start by outlining the spirit of each value. Provide context for why it was chosen and boundaries to clarify misuse of each value. – Melissa Van Dine, Ravago