Core, Situational, and Operational Values

August 28 2023
By: Shawn M. Galloway

Most large corporations understand the importance of shaping culture by prioritizing the creation of desired beliefs, behaviors, and values. Organizations' most common approach is to develop and communicate the values important to shape business decisions. These are often referred to as core values. But how core are they?

Whether true or not, beliefs are how we see the world and what we experience. Behaviors are what someone does, says, how they say it, the words they use, their body language, and their work product. They are observable acts. Values are principles or the standards we set for desired behavior and what we judge as important.

I frequently encounter three types of company values during my work with clients:

• Core — what the organization judges as important and you find listed along the organization's mission and vision
• Situational — what an employee experiences when the core values are demonstrated, but often this is the exception, not the rule
• Operational — what people most commonly experience while conducting their work

Consider the values employees experience within your company. Which ones are core, situational, and operational?

"When you know something to be true in your very core, there is no need to shout it from the rooftops." — Basetsana Kumalo

"Leaders, companies or individuals guided by situational values do whatever the situation will allow, no matter the wider interests of their communities." — Dov Seidman

"The question is not, do you have conflicts? The real question is, are you aware of your conflicts?" — Abhijit Naskar