Core values – 8. Conclusions

Over this series of blog posts, I have set out the 6 core values that underpin the work that I lead in the NHS here in England. As I have explained, these values have been teased out through work carried out by external researchers who looked at the impact of our work on the health system which we cover.

The values became apparent to the researchers as they listened to us describing the work that we do, and more importantly why and how we do that work.

I had a “strategic coffee” in Lancaster yesterday with a new contact (hello Stephen) and we were talking about the importance of values. We realised as the conversation developed that values are key for underpinning the work that we do and driving forward major decisions that we make about the work we will become involved in. We also realised that the structure of organisation is secondary to the set of values that we work from. If we have a robust set of values, the governance that we work with, whether public, private or not for profit becomes much less important. Of course, there are other considerations to take into account when deciding which organisational structure is the best fit. But it is important to realise that structure does not determine values. Values drive the structure and ensure that we are working from a sound ethical base.

Values help us to look at what we should say no to as well as what we should say yes to. They also help us to see who fits well with our work – employees, associates and partners.

Above all else, being clear about the values of the organisation we are working in helps to be clear that we have good alignment with our workplace. If this is not the case, it’s probably time to start looking for another job!

I hope this short series which I began in March has been helpful.  As I mentioned in recent posts, I am going to expand on this and develop it into a larger booklet. This will be available in the next few weeks, after the summer break. Do please get in touch if you would be interested to see this. You can contact me via the contacts page, or email me.