Can we talk about values? As 45% of us would consider resigning if company's values don't match our own, where does that leave the likes of Centrica after their profit tripling 'success'?
'Care, delivery, collaboration, agility and courage' are the company's publicly stated set
Self-care maybe. Collaboration hasn't always been a positive world and used to reek of plotting. Agility can be nimbly avoiding what
matters. Courage is obviously bare faced boldness in getting away with this sh*t. And delivery isn't a value it's a functional requirement.
Parking that revisionism through, values aren't a piece of paper to keep in a drawer, and they should help drive decision making and be understood and communicated to all.
Including alleged sub-contractors who have been breaking into people's homes to instal pre-payment meters to stop Centrica profits suffering, poor lambs.
Every business should be revisiting what they stand for and what matters to their people in tough times, and ideally co-creating them rather than imposing them.
And judging themselves regularly on whether they are living what matters.
So how is this passing by the energy companies? Aside from the 45% of people who would consider leaving, 80% say values are a critical factor in where they choose to join.
Of course shareholders are happy. And profitability per se should not be a dirty word.
But in the context of hardship stories, realities and being sold supply challenges as cause for higher prices, the storytelling set up and end results don’t add up.
Which is where values and corporate conscience should be playing a bigger part, with a live role within the business, not ending up as best as a rear-view mirror check.
Corporates need to run an urgent MOT on where they stand here. Fix
cultures that meander around the edge of what should matter. And read the dammed room.
I’m hoping their internal comms are busy this finding a human way to share the ‘good news’ with their hopefully values led individuals. Care and courage? Good luck on the nuancing…