Are Corporate Values Yucky?

I gave a TEDx talk on the question of whether corporate values are yucky. My initial answers were: (1) Yes, (2) Sometimes, (3) I used to think so, and then I elaborated for fifteen more minutes.

 

Comments

[Michael Cretzman]

Wow, that was really interesting. I worked in a company that dealt dishonorably with customers and I think the culture bred by such dishonesty created a cancer that eventually destroyed the place. The best people left and eventually so did the customers. Then the company's reputation was worthless.

I really liked your points about establishing what's important between managers and reports, and I liked your insight into what motivates people to develop corporate honesty and other values.

[French Dill]

So how do you square your Integrity value with abandoning 50 Engenio employees in Europe? You take the employees in the US, Asia, India but none in Europe? Are you not going to sell your E-series in Europe to European customers? Isn't that still doing business in Europe.

I understand that business is business but values aren't supposed to be only used when convenient. So to avoid having to comply with EU employment regulations you find it easier to have customer projects dropped and employees left out in the cold because you found it easier.

You might be following the letter of the law but you haven't followed the spirit of the law or the spirit of your corporate values. In addition you have treated 50 hard working people as if they had no value corporate or personal.