Podcast Summary: Coaching for Leaders
Episode 712: Clarifying Values for a Workplace People Love, with Anne Chow
Release Date: December 9, 2024

Introduction

In Episode 712 of Coaching for Leaders, host Dave Stachowiak delves into the critical topic of clarifying workplace values with guest Anne Chow. Anne Chow, the former CEO of AT&T Business and the first woman of color to hold that position in AT&T's 140-year history, brings her extensive leadership experience to the conversation. With a background that includes leading a $35 billion global operating unit and serving on several prestigious boards, Anne offers invaluable insights into establishing and aligning organizational values to foster a thriving workplace culture.

The Importance of Values in Leadership

Dave Stachowiak opens the discussion by emphasizing the centrality of values in leadership. He notes, "Values are central to how we show up, how we interact, how we behave in the workplace, the culture of our teams" (00:00). However, he acknowledges the challenge leaders face in defining and implementing these values effectively.

Anne Chow’s Personal Experience with Values

Anne Chow shares a poignant story from her tenure at AT&T Business that underscores the importance of upholding values, even in difficult situations.

Anne Chow recounts, "One of our fundamental values that we had established as a team was respect... Nothing in my mind would warrant this kind of language in a professional setting" (02:24). She describes an intense interaction with a disgruntled Chief Information Officer (CIO) of a key client account. Despite the client's aggressive and unprofessional behavior, Anne chose to uphold the organization's value of respect, requesting a more professional dialogue. This decision, although it led to the loss of a million-dollar account, reinforced trust and respect within her team. She reflects, "I earned an immense amount of trust and respect from my team because they knew that I had their back" (07:12).

Distinguishing Values from Ideology

A critical distinction Anne makes is between values and ideology.

Anne Chow explains, "Values are the guiding principles of your life... Your ideology represents your beliefs" (09:52). While values are universal principles that guide behavior and decision-making within an organization, ideology encompasses personal beliefs shaped by various factors like upbringing, religion, and politics. Anne warns against conflating the two, emphasizing that diverse ideologies within a team can foster innovation and prevent echo chambers. She states, "Common ideology is not what you're going for as a leader. You're actually going for common values" (12:30).

Indicators of Overemphasis on Ideology

When leaders prioritize common ideology over shared values, it can lead to homogeneity and stifle diverse perspectives. Anne Chow suggests using human resources as a strategic partner to ensure team diversity and mitigate unconscious biases (14:06). She recommends visual assessments of team composition and actively seeking diverse backgrounds and experiences to enrich the team's collective expertise.

Process for Clarifying Organizational Values

Anne outlines a structured, multi-step process for clarifying and implementing values within an organization:

1. Individual Brainstorming:

   • Anne Chow advises starting with individual brainstorming to avoid groupthink and ensure diverse input. She emphasizes, "This dynamic of group think and group dynamics can overshadow valuable perspectives" (17:26).

2. Consolidation and Multivoting:

   • After collecting individual inputs, the next step is to consolidate ideas and identify common themes through multivoting. Anne describes using sticky notes for participants to vote on their top three values, highlighting themes like trust, integrity, ethics, and character (21:49).

3. Prioritizing Core and Aspirational Values:

   • Anne underscores the importance of distinguishing between core values (currently embodied principles) and aspirational values (desired future principles). She notes, "Core values guide your actions today... Aspirational values are what you aspire to have, but you don't yet have" (24:43).

4. Measurement and Behavioral Alignment:

   • Implementing metrics to measure behaviors against defined values ensures accountability and continuous improvement. Anne highlights an example of a company rebuilding trust with its union workforce through regular trust surveys and action planning (26:44).

5. Regular Review and Updating:

   • Values should be revisited and refreshed regularly as part of the strategic planning process to ensure they remain aligned with the organization's evolving goals. Anne emphasizes, "Your culture is an integral part of your strategy" (29:43).

Measuring Behaviors Against Values

Anne insists on the necessity of measuring behaviors to uphold values. She states, "You can only monitor, manage and improve what you can measure" (26:31). By implementing regular surveys and performance metrics, organizations can track adherence to values like trust and integrity. For instance, measuring the speed of collective bargaining agreements can indicate the level of trust between management and union employees.

Continuous Review and Cultural Alignment

Anne advocates for integrating values into the strategic planning cycle, ensuring that cultural alignment is maintained alongside financial and operational objectives. She advises leaders to assess whether their current values support their strategic goals and to make adjustments as necessary. "If the values do not serve us well to enable success against that financial, operational, that strategic plan, then you just course correct and adjust" (30:24).

Evolving Perspectives on Generational Diversity

Towards the end of the episode, Anne shares her evolving thoughts on generational diversity in the workplace. Initially, she acknowledged common stereotypes about younger generations but has since recognized the importance of understanding individual values over generational labels. "Gen Z grew up in a very, very different time... they still want to work on meaningful work. It just shows up in a different way" (32:38).

Conclusion and Additional Resources

Dave wraps up the conversation by recommending related podcast episodes that delve deeper into creating team guidelines, discovering others' values, and preventing teams from repeating mistakes. He encourages listeners to explore these resources to further enhance their leadership and organizational culture. Additionally, Dave promotes the Coaching for Leaders membership for access to a comprehensive library of episodes and exclusive content.

Notable Quotes

• Dave Stachowiak: "Values are central to how we show up, how we interact, how we behave in the workplace, the culture of our teams" (00:00).

• Anne Chow: "Nothing in my mind would warrant this kind of language in a professional setting" (07:12).

• Anne Chow: "Common ideology is not what you're going for as a leader. You're actually going for common values" (12:30).

• Anne Chow: "You can only monitor, manage and improve what you can measure" (26:31).

• Anne Chow: "Gen Z grew up in a very, very different time... they still want to work on meaningful work. It just shows up in a different way" (32:38).

Related Episodes

1. Episode 192: How to Create Team Guidelines with Susan Gerke

   • Discusses step-by-step processes for establishing team values and guidelines.

2. Episode 616: How to Discover What Others Value with Joe Hart

   • Explores effective methods for uncovering colleagues' values through active listening and thoughtful questioning.

3. Episode 660: How to Prevent a Team from Repeating Mistakes with Robert Cujo Teschner

   • Covers the importance of debriefing and learning from past experiences to enhance future team performance.

For more insights and to access these episodes, visit CoachingforLeaders.com.

Final Thoughts

Episode 712 of Coaching for Leaders offers a comprehensive exploration of the role of values in building a workplace culture that people love. Anne Chow's real-world experiences and strategic approaches provide actionable guidance for leaders aiming to clarify, implement, and sustain their organizational values. By distinguishing between values and ideology, measuring behavioral alignment, and fostering continuous cultural alignment, leaders can cultivate environments that not only achieve strategic objectives but also resonate deeply with their teams.