The Invisible Advantage · Guide III
The Values Guide
The principles your organisation truly protects, especially under pressure or when it is inconvenient.
00
Start here
Your reading showed Values as the condition where your team can grow most. Your team learns what you value from your decisions, not from your tagline or value statement.
When Values are spoken but not lived:
How to use this guide
Work through the three practices over about four weeks, one at a time. Run the huddle each week, and use the Tuesday check to see what is changing. Tick off the checklist as you go.
Haven't taken the assessment yet? Take it here.
01
What you need
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Time | 20 minutes a week for the huddle, and 3 minutes at the start of each shift |
| One owner | One person who keeps the practice going when you are away |
| A notebook | Paper or shared notes, for what people say and what you change |
| Honesty | You go first. Every practice here depends on the leader modelling it |
02 · Practice 1 of 3
What we protect on a busy day
A value that has never been tested under pressure is a wish. Write down what it means when it costs something.
- Choose no more than three values your organisation truly means.
- For each, complete: "On a busy day, this means we will ___, even when ___."
- Read the three sentences to the team and ask: "Where did we not do this last month?"
- Keep the sentences where people work, not only in the handbook.
03 · Practice 2 of 3
Decision stories
Your team learns your values from your decisions. Tell them about the decisions.
- Once a week, share one decision you made that cost you something.
- Name the value that led it, and what it cost.
- Invite one team member to share a decision of their own.
- When you make a decision that went against a value, say so.
04 · Practice 3 of 3
The same experience on every shift
Guests do not see your values. They see whether the experience changes with who is on shift.
- Choose one guest moment, such as arrival, a request or a complaint.
- Watch it on three different shifts, or ask a trusted guest about it.
- Compare what happened. Agree with the team what the standard is.
- Check the same moment again in two weeks.
05
The huddle
Run this once a week with your team. Read it as written the first time, then make it your own.
Which of our values was hardest to keep this week, and when? I'll start. On Saturday I chose speed over care with one guest. I'd choose differently now. [Everyone answers. No judgement.] What would help us keep it next time?
06
The Tuesday check
Once a week, on an ordinary day, ask these four questions with your leaders. Twenty minutes is enough.
- Which practice did we actually run this week?
- What did we see change, in guests or in the team?
- Where did it slip, and why?
- What one thing will we do differently next week?
07
When it slips
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Values are quoted but not used | They are not tied to real situations | Rewrite them as busy-day sentences |
| Some people seem to be exempt | Favourites or rank decide, not values | Apply the same standard visibly, starting with senior people |
| The experience still varies by shift | The standard lives in one leader's head | Write the standard down with the team and check it |
08
Questions
Do we need a training budget?
No. Every practice here costs time and attention, not money.
How long should we spend on one condition?
About four weeks. Long enough for a practice to become a habit, short enough to keep energy.
What if I am not the one who decides on team development?
Run the practices with your own team. Results are the best argument to the person who decides.
Can we do all four conditions at once?
We suggest not. Start where your reading points, and let the others follow.
How do we know it is working?
Take the assessment again after twelve weeks and compare your reading.
09
Your checklist
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