From posters to practice: How to bring your organization’s values to life

Knowing the values is not the same as connecting to them. Too often, core values remain abstract instead of becoming something people actually use.

I’ve seen this play out across organizations of all sizes. The values are there. The intent is there. What’s missing is the bridge between the words and the work.

When values become wallpaper

You’ve probably seen the posters. Thoughtfully designed, nicely framed, with words like Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, and Excellence. Maybe even something fun like Zest!

There’s nothing wrong with those words. The challenge is that, on their own, they don’t do much. They look important, but rarely show up in conversations, decisions, or real moments of work. Over time, people stop noticing them. Not because they disagree, but because no one has helped them translate those values into something practical.

The myth of the unteachable value

This is usually where someone says, “You can’t teach values. People either have them or they don’t.”

True, you can’t install values like a software update. But that doesn’t mean values are off-limits for learning. What is possible is creating experiences that help people surface the values they already hold and connect them to their work.

Values don’t come alive through lectures or slides. They come alive through reflection, conversation, and practice. As learning designers, we’re not telling people what to believe. We’re helping them make sense of what already matters to them and how it shows up at work.

Why this matters now

In times of change and uncertainty, values are one of the few steady anchors organizations have. They guide decisions when the rules are unclear. They shape how people work together under pressure. And they help people find meaning in work that can otherwise feel fragmented.

Research supports this. When people experience alignment between their own values and the organization’s, engagement and satisfaction tend to increase. When that alignment is missing, frustration and burnout are more common. Values may sound soft, but the impact is anything but.

From posters to practice

If values are going to matter, they have to move out of the abstract and into daily choices. That starts by treating them as something people use, not something they memorize.

Instead of leading with definitions, try questions: When have you felt proud of your work here? What value was at play? Which company value is hardest for you to live, and why?

Those conversations reveal far more about a culture than any poster ever could. They invite people to connect what matters to them personally with what the organization says it stands for.

As Brené Brown puts it, “Values are just intentions until they are operationalized into behaviors.” We don’t need people to recite values. We need to help them practice them.

Designing for alignment

Values alignment isn’t a communications problem. It’s a design challenge.

People need space to reflect, opportunities to talk through real situations, and clarity about what values look like in action. Values stick when they show up consistently in how decisions are made, how work is recognized, and how people are supported.

One of my favorite moments in this work is when someone realizes that their personal top value, say creativity, connects directly to the organization’s value of innovation. Suddenly the values stop feeling like “the company’s list” and start feeling shared. That shift from compliance to connection matters.

A thoughtful yes

So, can you really teach values?

Yes, as long as you rethink what teaching means. You can’t force values into daily behavior, but you can design experiences that help people discover, discuss, and live them.

That’s the work. Turning aspiration into action. Turning words into behavior. Turning corporate ideals into personal meaning.

Cross-posted on LinkedIn. Photo by Walls.io on Unsplash

Jeannie Z. Taylor explores how learning design helps organizations bring values to life, including throughManifesting Values, a program designed to move values from words to practice. Learn more here:Manifesting Values from Taylor Hodge Design