“In over 20 years of research, I’ve never seen correlations like this.”
Dr. Paul H. Eccher, president of Vaya Group, a talent optimization and organizational assessment firm, points at the spreadsheet in his hands. “The results are so strong, it’s undeniable.”
Eccher is talking about the Organizational Values Inventory (OVI), a tool developed by CVDL to help companies measure how well an organization puts its values into practice. According to Eccher, whose company conducted the statistical analysis, the results show a remarkably strong correlation between specific values-related actions and the business outcomes executives want most: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and a culture of high performance.
Eccher says four things top the list:
- Consistent leadership words and actions,
- Investment in values dialogue and education,
- A culture (including rewards and sanctions) that supports the values, and
- Tools to integrate the values into day-to-day decision making.
“When those four things are in place, it’s almost like you’re pulling a lever, and the result is exceptionally high employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and performance improvement,” says Eccher. “These are the companies that can sustain a competitive advantage over the long term.”
To learn more about Vaya Group and Dr. Eccher’s new book, Optimizing Talent, visit www.vayapath.com.