Organisational values
From principles to practice
School Senior Leader Level 7 Apprenticeship
Welcome & Introductions
(PowerPoint will be shared & a Podcast will be available for each session)
AIM & OBJECTIVES
Aim
To develop your ability to recognise, interpret and act on organisational values in real leadership situations, particularly where priorities conflict and decisions carry ethical, strategic and reputational consequences.
Objectives
• Examine how organisational values are formed, interpreted and experienced across different parts of an organisation and the implications this has for consistency in leadership practice (K1, K2)
• Explore how leaders use values to navigate tension between competing demands such as performance, finance, governance and stakeholder expectations (S7, B2)
• Evaluate how effectively values are communicated, understood and enacted through organisational systems, decision-making and day-to-day practice (K20, S21)
• Apply values-based thinking to leadership scenarios to identify appropriate actions, anticipate risks and uphold organisational integrity (S8, B4)
Organisational values… …being comfortable…
…in the uncomfortable
Your organisation’s values
Share your organisation’s values with each other
Explain what they mean in practice
Do this clearly and concisely, without preparation
How confident are you in articulating them?
Are they clear, meaningful and useable?
Breakout room 1
• Introductions/catch up
• Discuss the following prompts and prepare to give feedback
Each person should:
Breakout room 1
• Share their organisation’s values
• Explain what they mean in practice
• Keep your explanation clear and precise
As you listen, consider: How clear was the explanation? Did the values feel meaningful or generic? Could you see how they influence decisions?
What did you notice?
• How easy was it to articulate your organisation’s values?
• How consistent were the explanations across the group?
• Did the values feel meaningful or generic?
• Could you see how they influence decisions in practice?
What do
we
mean by ‘organisational values’?
What an organisation says matters
What guides behaviour and decision-making
What shapes culture and expectations
What signals priorities to stakeholders
In practice…organisational values are revealed through… Decisions made under pressure
What is and isn’t prioritised
How people are treated
What is tolerated or challenged
Espoused values
Actual values
What we say Public statements
Aspirational
Stable
Where is the gap between espoused values and actual values?
What we do
Actual behaviour
Actual priorities
Under pressure
Values are tested when…
Priorities conflict
Resources are limited
Decisions need to be made quickly
Stakeholder expectations differ
Common tensions….
People vs performance
Ethics vs finance
Short-term vs long-term
Reputation vs transparency
What happens to values when pressure increases?
You are now part of a new strategic leadership team…your task is to…
Define a clear set of organisational values Ensure they are meaningful and usuable
Prepare to apply them in ‘real life’
These values should guide decisions… …not just describe ‘intentions’
Breakout room 2
• Introductions/catch up
• Discuss the following prompts and prepare to give feedback
Breakout room 2
As a strategic leadership team, you need to:
• Define your organisation’s values
• Clearly explain what each value means in practice
What matters most to you?
• Ensure your values would guide real decisions
What would you refuse to compromise on?
As you work, consider: Would these values stand up under pressure? Are they clear, specific and meaningful? Could others understand and apply them?
Your organisation is now under pressure… Do your values still hold?
Which values are most difficult to uphold?
What tensions or trade-off emerge?
Breakout room 3
• Introductions/catch up
• Discuss the following prompts and prepare to give feedback
Breakout room 3
Applying your values under pressure…
• Review the scenario as it unfolds
• Use your agreed organisational values to guide your thinking/actions
How might you communicate?
What would you say? Why?
• Decide what you would do at each stage Which values are being tested? Where do tensions/trade-offs emerge?
What decisions do you make and why? How you personally feel and respond/react?
Consider your own organisation
How clear are your organisational values – in practice?
How consistently are they understood across the organisation?
Reflect on strategic leadership
How confident are you in demonstrating your values under pressure?
How visible are your values in decisionmaking?
Looking ahead…
What might you need to change or strengthen?
What might you do differently?
Values are relatively easy to agree… Strategic leadership lives where those values cost you something.
Connecting this to your strategic business proposal…
• How clearly are your organisation’s values reflected in your proposal? • How will your proposal stand up to challenge or scrutiny?
Where might tensions or trade-offs emerge?
Strengthening your proposal
• Make values explicit in your rationale • Shoe how decisions align with organisational principles
Anticipate challenge and justify your approach
Reflection…
• What have you noticed about your own leadership today?
• How do you respond when values are under pressure?
• What will you do differently as a result of this session?
AIM & OBJECTIVES
Aim
To develop your ability to recognise, interpret and act on organisational values in real leadership situations, particularly where priorities conflict and decisions carry ethical, strategic and reputational consequences.
Objectives
• Examine how organisational values are formed, interpreted and experienced across different parts of an organisation and the implications this has for consistency in leadership practice (K1, K2)
• Explore how leaders use values to navigate tension between competing demands such as performance, finance, governance and stakeholder expectations (S7, B2)
• Evaluate how effectively values are communicated, understood and enacted through organisational systems, decision-making and day-to-day practice (K20, S21)
• Apply values-based thinking to leadership scenarios to identify appropriate actions, anticipate risks and uphold organisational integrity (S8, B4)
What lies ahead?
Applying values across organisational priorities, including social responsibility, finance, workforce planning and people management
Leading through complexity, making decisions under pressure and navigating change, risk and uncertainty
Developing others and strengthening culture through coaching, mentoring, teamwork and leadership practice
