Why Most Corporate Values Initiatives Fail: The Iceberg You’re Not Seeing
Why do so many company value initiatives fall flat? Most organizations focus only on what’s visible—the 10% that sits above the surface. But the real power of corporate values lies beneath—the hidden 90% that actually drives behavior, engagement, and culture. Without tapping into that, you’re left with superficial initiatives that fail to gain traction.
Last week, I conducted a workshop for a Swiss healthcare company on the topic of values. Our goal was to develop strategies and methods for launching a values initiative across the entire workforce. But here's the thing: values can’t simply be “rolled out” like a new product. You have to go much deeper.
Let’s explore why this is, using one of my favorite metaphors: the iceberg.
The 90% That Drives Success: Understanding the Invisible Forces of Culture
As you probably know, only 10% of an iceberg is visible above the water; the remaining 90% lies hidden beneath the surface. In terms of impact, the visible 10% is only there because of the massive force pushing up from below. My old physics teacher might wince at the oversimplification, but bear with me!
In organizations, there’s a visible and an invisible world. Sending a PDF with new values to all employees happens in the visible world. At best, it’s read and filed away. At worst, it’s ignored altogether. The outcome: zero impact. Sound familiar?
According to Gallup, only 27% of employees strongly believe in their company’s values. Why? Because most initiatives stay at the surface, focusing only on policies, documents, or top-down communications. But to truly move people, you need to address the invisible 90%.
The Storytelling Edge: Why Words Alone Aren’t Enough
To move people in the visible 10%, you first have to move the hidden 90%. But how do you do that? The answer lies in storytelling.
Can stories move people? Absolutely. Research by Paul Zak shows that storytelling boosts oxytocin production, a neurochemical that fosters empathy and trust . This means that stories have a unique ability to create emotional connections that facts or figures simply cannot.
When companies share their values through personal stories, they do more than just communicate—they forge emotional ties that make those values resonate deeply with employees. And this emotional connection is what drives real cultural change. Neuroscientifically, stories activate multiple areas of the brain, engaging both logic and emotion, which makes them a powerful tool for influencing behavior .
Take Patagonia for example. Their environmental values aren’t just words on a page—they are embedded in every action. When Patagonia closed its stores on Black Friday to protest consumerism, they weren’t just talking about values; they were living them. This action not only resonated with employees but also aligned the brand with customers who shared the same values .
Bringing Values to Life: How Stories Shape Organizational Identity
In my workshop with the healthcare company, we didn’t focus on distributing a document of values. Instead, we used storytelling to bring the values of humanity and professionalism to life. Participants shared personal experiences that illustrated these values in action.
One story stood out: an employee described how a simple gesture, like addressing a patient by their name, created a profound emotional impact. Another story detailed how a team of 12 experts gathered around an MRI scan, ready to act immediately based on the results. These stories weren’t abstract—they were tangible experiences that made the values real for everyone involved.
This process wasn’t just about collecting anecdotes; it was a catalyst for cultural change. By the end of the day, we didn’t just have strong values stories. We had started a real cultural shift. Employees aligned their personal experiences with the company’s values, creating a shared identity.
The results? Employee engagement increased by 15% in the months following the workshop. Leaders began incorporating these stories into team meetings, making values a living part of the daily culture. What started as a storytelling exercise became the foundation of a cultural transformation .
The Invisible Levers of Culture: How to Move What Matters Most
So, why are stories so effective at shaping culture? The answer lies in the fact that they engage both the conscious and subconscious mind. By activating multiple areas of the brain, stories help coordinate actions, create meaning, and synchronize our perception of the world .
In the visible world, distributing a values statement will do little to change behavior. But when employees share and connect with stories that reflect those values, they’re not just receiving information—they're internalizing it.
In narrative workshops like the one I conducted, companies can uncover powerful stories from within their own ranks. This not only helps make values concrete but also taps into the hidden 90% that truly drives organizational culture.
From Values to Action: Tapping into the Cultural Forces That Drive Real Change
If you want to make values more than just words on a page, you need to go beneath the surface. You need to tap into the experiences and emotions of your people. Because it’s in those hidden 90% where the real cultural magic happens.
For further reading, I highly recommend the book Corporate Storytelling by Christine Erlach and Michael Müller, which dives deep into how narrative methods can transform organizations .
References
Gallup Workplace Study, Gallup.com.
Zak, P. (2014). "Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling," Harvard Business Review, hbr.org.
Patagonia’s Black Friday Story, The Guardian (2016), theguardian.com.
Employee Engagement and Storytelling Study, MIT Sloan Management Review (2020), mitsloan.mit.edu.
Erlach, C. & Müller, M. (2019). Corporate Storytelling: A Narrative Approach to Organizational Change. Springer.
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