Last month, I sat in a room with a group of executive leaders, and the mood was heavy. In addition to managing benefits, operations, and supply chains, they were fielding tough conversations about layoffs, navigating growing tensions around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and trying to ease the stress of economic uncertainty.
While each organization’s purpose and culture represented in this discussion were unique, a common theme emerged. Leaders across nearly every organization were leaning into their organizational values to address the uncertainty weighing on employees.
When done right, values are more than a poster in the breakroom or a section on the company website. They act as a unifying force by providing a shared language that helps people make decisions, connect across differences, and find clarity in times of change.
Values Are a Compass in Uncertain Times
When people feel unsettled, whether due to economic headwinds, social tensions, or internal restructuring, they look for stability. Employees may dig in and resist change, disengage, or seek security elsewhere. Leaders often react by focusing on tactical adjustments to address employee disengagement: new policies, new messaging, or new initiatives.
But the most effective leaders recognize that uncertainty isn’t just an operational or performance challenge—it’s an emotional one.
This is where values come in.
Organizational values remind people why they are here. They reinforce a sense of belonging and purpose. When decisions get difficult, values help answer the question, What do we stand for? And when employees feel connected to an organization’s values, they are more likely to trust leadership and stay engaged—even in times of disruption.
How to Tap Into Values to Strengthen Your Organization
If your team is feeling the weight of uncertainty, here’s how you can use organizational values to unify and support them:
- Reconnect with Your Core Values Are your values still relevant? Do they reflect what your company truly prioritizes? If they feel outdated or misaligned, update them. But if they still resonate, amplify them.
- Make Values Visible in Daily Work Employees shouldn’t have to guess what your organization stands for. Values should be present in team meetings, leadership communications, hiring practices, and performance conversations.
- Listen to How Employees Experience Your Values Employees know when there’s a gap between what an organization says its values are and what it does. Use surveys, focus groups, and even exit interviews to ask, Do you see our values reflected in your day-to-day work? Use the response rate as a barometer for employee engagement. If your organization lacks trust, you see a low response rate and limited responses to optional questions. In a high-trust environment, employees will be eager to share what is working and what is not.
Values Can Be the Steady Ground People Need
During times of uncertainty, it’s easy for teams to feel fragmented and unsure of what’s coming next. But strong, lived values can be a powerful stabilizer. Values give employees something concrete to aspire to and build a collective identity around. They don’t eliminate uncertainty, but they provide a sense of clarity and conviction that can carry organizations forward.
So, if your employees are struggling with change or the uncertainty of the present moment, don’t resort to a focus on tactics. Anchor your people in your values—and let that be the foundation for everything that comes next.
