values exercise

7/27/2019 Values Exercise

1/8

Tools

4NonProfits Exercies

for

DeterminingYour

OrganizationsValues

Copyright 2002 Help 4 NonProfits & Tribes 4433 E. Broadway Blvd. Suite 202 Tucson, Az 85711 Ph 1-888-787-4433 www.Help4NonProfits.co


2/8

Inst

ructions


Determining Your Organizations Values

What Are Organizational Values?Organizational values are moral boundaries - the lines the organization will not cross. They are theethical standards by which organizations measure themselves, and by which they invite thecommunity to measure them. The working credo you will create from these values will be a

commitment to the community to do your work in a way they would be proud of.

We Already Know Our Values. We Dont Need to Write Them Down.Now for the real picture:1) Most NonProfit Boards of Directors and CEOs think their organizations are values-based. Theybelieve their organization has a code of values, whether or not that code is written down, simplybecause of the presumption of moral purpose behind the organizations mission.2) When values-laden issues arise, however, organizations quickly see that they do NOT have ashared code of values. Instead, what they do have is a situation where each board member assumeshis/her values are shared by everyone. And that aint necessarily so.

When an organization has codified its values, and has incorporated those values into every aspect ofeverything it does, it is evident in everything it does. Conversely, when we read of scandals in boththe NonProfit and For Profit worlds, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is the need for ashared code of values. Just look at all the ethics books that were published immediately after thecorporate scandals of 2002!

A code of values that is incorporated into all actions taken by the organization will become the pointon which future decisions about tough matters will balance. A code of values is risk prevention - thebest tool you can find for keeping your organization off the 6 OClock News.

Values are NOT esoteric. Values are Practical.Because we consult and train, we know that values are seen as a touchy-feely exercise that havelittle to do with reality.

But the truth is that we face ethical dilemmas at our board tables all the time. We just dont recognizethem as such. Here are just a few:- Are there groups from whom it isnt ok to accept donations?- What kind of employee benefits package should we offer?- If we have 3 options for a tough decision, what should we base the ultimate decision on?- When a board member betrays a confidential matter, what should we do?- When weve outgrown our rental space, should we buy a building and potentially go into debt, or just

lease more space?- Should we provide a program that goes outside our area of core competency if the need exists andno one else is filling it?

These questions (and a thousand more lined up behind them) all pivot on values issues. Once adiscussion even remotely begins to ask Whats more important - this, or that? you can bet theanswer hinges on a values issue. And once that discussion escalates to arguing or worse - you canbet what you are really arguing about is a values issue.


3/8

Inst

ructions


Instructions:

The sheets that follow contain a series of questions and examples that will help your organizationuncover the values inherent in the decisions you make. Whether you use a facilitator for these exercisesor not, we recommend that you go through the exercises in a designated planning session (rather than at

a board meeting or series of board meetings), to allow the maximum time for discussion of the issues thatarise. In addition, participants may wish to do some of their thinking as homework, but only if theypromise to really do it.

Each of the sheets has instructions for the individual topic, including who should take part in each ofthose discussions.

The steps in this process include:

Step 1) Determine why its important your organization exists vs.

all the others in town.

Step 2) Examine what is important when internal decisions are

made.

Step 3) Examine what isnt important at all - the things you are

willing to forego.

Step 4) Create a working credo from all the values youve listed.

Step 5) Commit to adhere to these values as the organizationdoes its work in the community.


4/8

All Materials 2003 ReSolve, Inc. 4433 E. Broadway Blvd. Ste. 202 Tucson, Arizona 85711 PHONE (520) 321-4433

www. He lp 4N onPr ofi ts .c om

Identify and list similar organizations to yours in the for-profit world. Then list NonProfit organizationsin your community that could potentially be seen as having a similar mission.

List the ways your organization is similar to your for-profit competition. What services do youprovide that are similar? Are the services exactly the same, or is there a degree of difference between them?

List the ways your organization is different from your NonProfit competition. What services do youprovide that are similar? Are the services exactly the same, or is there a degree of difference be

tween them?

If there is a difference between your organization and the other organization, what is at the core othat difference? What is it that differentiates you from them?

Step 1 - Determining What is Important About Your Organization

What core values do you think you hold that the other organization does not?

If your competition is a for-profit business, what is your organizations motivation for providing the serviceyou provide? What do you think the motivation of the for-profit enterprise is? Is there a difference in those

motivations? And if there is a difference in the motivations, does that translate into a difference in the way

you provide service?

If your competition is a nonprofit organization, where there may be a perception of duplication, is this dupli-cation real? If the organizations are, in fact, different, what is at the core of that difference? Does that

difference translate into a difference in the way you provide service?

What are the most important things your organization can be doing for the community?

The purpose of these questions is to identify the things that set your organization apart, the veryreasons you should exist.

If your organization has direct or indirect competition, either in the NonProfit or the for-profit world,use those organizations for comparison. From hospitals and universities to health clinics, daycarecenters, and tutoring organizations, examples abound of organizations that face what could be seenas (or actually is) competition from similar organizations, whether they are for-profit or NonProfit.

In some communities, especially smaller communities, your organization might not face competitionright now. You might, then, consider the possibility of what might happen if another NonProfit orga-nization like yours DID set up shop in your town. What would set you apart?

The following thought-starter questions should be answered by your whole board, plus relevant keystaff.

DETERMINING YOUR ORGANIZATIONS VALUES


5/8



When we are forced to make hard decisions, what do we base those decisions on, and in whatorder?

What standards should our employees pay attention to when making decisions, and in what order?

What values do we want our employees basing their decisions on? What values do we want toreward our employees for?

What behaviors do we want to reward?

Step 2 - Look Inside Yourself

What do we want our employees and volunteers to say about the organization after they leave?

What do we want clients / patrons to say about how they were treated by our organization?

How will we know if an emotionally charged decision is the right one?

How will we know if a decision is appropriate for us?

Complete this sentence:When decisions need to be made at our organization, we will always consider ______________

______________________________________________________ as the most important factor.

What values do we want to align the whole rest of the organization around?

To test if your answers are enduring values or simply reflections of currentorganizational realities, measure your answers against this standard:

If we were asked this question 20 years from now,and our organization was well renowned and prosperous

(fully funded and living off its endowment),would our answers be the same?

After looking at your organizations importance to the outside world, its time to look inside yourorganization to answer those same types of questions. The purpose of these questions is to beginto identify the everyday values your organization is already acting upon or assuming are in place,whether or not they are acknowledged verbally.

Like the first exercise, this is also a large-group exercise. However the first set of questions dealtwith mission and vision values - an easier subject to tackle with staff in the room. Because this seof questions will focus internally, depending on the boards relationship with and trust level in theCEO, the board will want to consider whether or not to include the CEO in these discussions.

Make sure you allow plenty of time for discussion. And remember - values go beyond day-to-dayconcerns. Values are enduring.



6/8



Step 3 - What are we NOT about?

Where is it acceptable for your organization to cut corners?

Where is the organization cutting corners now? Are those acceptable places to cut? Why?Why not?

What is sacrosanct? What should the organization never sacrifice? And what, then, is NOTsacrosanct? What can go?

Sometimes it helps to clarify what we ARE all about by looking at what we are NOT all about. Whakinds of things are NOT important to us? Where is it ok to cut corners?

We all make these value judgements every day. We base our decisions not only on the things wecant live without, but the things we CAN live without. I dont have enough money to buy all the things on my holiday shopping list, so I wont get thesocks and the wallet, but I MUST get that sweater! My vacation to New York City has been cut short to only 3 days, so I will skip the Bronx Zoo andCircle Line cruise. But there is no way I will skip a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

The purpose of these questions is to ferret out the side of our values that some may not want to taabout. These are often, however, the areas that quickly come back to haunt an organization, so itbest to talk about them honestly up front.

This is an area that can get contentious between the board and the staff, where the boards

perceptions and the staffs may not be in synch. So you may want to have the staff do this exercisseparately and anonymously, prior to the boards sessions, and then have their answers reported tthe board. And remember, this is not a time for getting defensive - you need to know what theperceptions are if you are to plan well.

As with the others, this exercise will raise issues and discussions that should involve the wholeboard. We recommend doing this exercise as a full-group exercise.


The intent here is not to get into budget discussions, but to focus on what is acceptable, what is noacceptable, and (most importantly) why or why not that is the case.

NOW, if you want real insight (and if you are brave), ask the staff to answer the following questionwithout the board present, so they can be honest:

The answers to this set of questions will show you the areas of disconnect between what the boardTHINKS it values, and those values the board has actually been acting on (or has been perceived be acting upon).

Where do you think the board thinks is ok to cut corners? What items does the boardregularly cut corners on? Are those acceptable areas to cut corners? Why? Why not?


7/8




The Diaper Banks responsibility is, first and foremost, to the communities we serve

throughout the state, working to convert our communities compassion into action tomeet the basic needs of Arizonas most vulnerable residents - our states babies, disabled,and elderly.

The following core values are critical to our ability to accomplish that mission:

If We Cant Do It Right, Dont Do ItAt all levels of the organization, we must consider only those actions that evidence thehighest integrity, accountability and quality, or not take action at all.

Focus on Long Term BenefitWe must always consider the long-term implications of decisions over short term gain; we are efficient in ouruse of resources, but do not allow short term efficiency to jeopardize the long-term success of the mission.

In every decision, the focus of the Diaper Bank must be the long term capability to provide ongoing benefit.Serving All People in Need Around the StateWe must acknowledge that each communitys diaper bank is part of a larger statewide effort to ensure thatall Arizonas babies, disabled and elderly who need diapers and incontinence supplies have access to them. Nocommunitys branch of the Diaper Bank will have to operate in a vacuum; each community will receive benefitfrom and provide input to the statewide organization as a whole. If we are to truly help all Arizonas vulnerablepopulations, no community that wants to work to create and maintain a diaper bank branch can be left out dueto remoteness of location or other factors often seen as limiting.

Functional Collaboration, Using Excess Community Capacity, Leads to SustainabilityWe must acknowledge that the long term capacity of the Diaper Bank to provide benefit to the community isbest ensured if the community feels a sense of ownership of its branch of the Diaper Bank. Therefore, thediaper bank in each community will be built upon a functionally collaborative structure, bringing parties togetherto provide this service who might not otherwise be considered part of the human service arena. This community-building approach of using excess capacity ensures that the Diaper Bank is efficient in its use of resources,while expanding the ownership roots of this effort firmly throughout the community.

Community Ownership: If Its Not Good for Everyone, Its Not Good for AnyoneWe must acknowledge that as collaborative entity, each communitys diaper bank must have the ongoingparticipation of business leaders, community leaders, government officials, and human service providers, aswell as donors, volunteers, and recipients. Therefore, all parties involved with the Diaper Bank must betreated as an equal part of the same team - with enthusiasm and gratitude and grace. What is best for theDiaper Bank is what is best for all parties to any decision.

The Road to Long Term Change: From Awareness to Compassion to ActionWe understand that most people care deeply about other people, failing to take action only because they do

not believe real change is possible and/or do not think their individual actions will make a difference. We willtherefore only accomplish the mission if we1. make others feel the need for change at a personal level,2. show them that such change is really possible, and3. show them how they can help effect that change.

Dont Fear the Messiness of the MessageWe must acknowledge that our society views some of the issues addressed by the Diaper Bank astaboo, and that the only way to encourage folks to openly discuss these issues is if the message iscrafted in a manner that is appropriate for each community and each segment within the community.We must acknowledge that the politically correct approach to the subject may not be the mosteffective as we focus on lasting results.

Example of a

WORKING CREDO


8/8



Step 5 - Commit to live by these values

In every decision made, from the

boards meetings to strategic plan-ning to day-to-day staff matters,measure each decision against the

values you have stated you wantto uphold.


values exercise

Documents