Turning concepts into success: workshop stresses importance, benefits of company values.

Mexico's future competitiveness hinges on a wide variety of factors and businesses must be prepared to undertake long-term strategic planning. A recent AMERICAN CHAMBER/MEXICO workshop demonstrated that embracing an organizational culture--the interaction of values, attitudes and behaviors within a company--allows for more effective peformance.

In modern business, companies define themselves and seek common ground among employees by modifying their own philosophy and developing concepts to redirect efforts toward shared objectives. These concepts are gaining acceptance among managers in establishing internal and external policy, defining long-term plans and determining how they will reach their goals. It also helps solidify contacts with clients and suppliers who share the same values, ideals and institutional strategies.

The workshop "Defining and Implementing a Value Culture in your Organization" attracted top companies who explained how they turned concepts such as "mission, vision and values" into institutional behavior. Lyn Juarez, co-director of Consulri Human Performance Consultants, and Horacio Andrade, co-director at Sinapsis, chaired the event that drew more than 120 executives.

Emphasis was placed on the idea that organizational congruence is the result of the synergy of personal congruences. To make this notion work, companies must define themselves to clearly establish a culture of preferred values that can be adopted by all employees.

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Avaya Communications shared its experience in establishing a value culture that helps it fufill its mission of offering the best global communications solutions. Fernando Perez Gavilan, Avaya's human resources director, said the company's mission statement defines its objectives clearly. The policy especially targets management, enabling them to answer the following questions: "Who am I? What do I do? Why and for whom am I doing it? and How do I do it?"

Grupo Nacional Provincial shared its vision of becoming the nation's top insurance, pension and health services company. Director general Clemente Cabello and human resources director Miguel Garza told those in attendance it is important to include their employees in the process. Such inclusion gives the employee a stake in the company's performance and a sense of belonging.

Another concept discussed at the workshop was the impact this culture of values has on developing business relationships and the long-term business strategies. These values affect all management procedures and become an integral part of internal and external relationships.

Rodolfo Gallegos, corporate director of human resources at Holcim Apasco, said the values his company adopted have become a competitive advantage. They also have become a key element in facilitating integration, function as parameters for decision-making and serve as clear guidelines for each and every employee.

Gallegos said these values are reinforced by follow-up programs and repetition and they are integrated into company projects, policies and committee regulations. For Pierre A. Froidevaux, general director at Holcim Apasco, quality, service, innovation, effectiveness and integrity are the five main values that guide the efforts of the company at all levels. He also emphasized that Holcim Apasco's values and performance criteria are the foundation upon which talent, capability and partnership commitment are able to flourish.

Motorola offered details of their strategy to incorporate such a culture of values into their company. Omar Villarreal, Motorola's corporate vice president, and Juan Luis Toscano, its regional human resources director, outlined some of the important steps taken. The corporate directors first defined the desired company values, then defined measures of evaluation, recognition and a rewards system to promote acceptance of these values. After this was established, company policies and procedures were established as were the organizational structures. Within this structure, they sought to include other elements to reinforce the importance of the company values.

Another participant was GE International Mexico. General manager Edmundo Vallejo and Monica Medina, the human resources director for Mexico and Latin America, stressed the benefits of creating a sense of shared responsibility. They insisted passion, accountability, teamwork and energy are among some of their company's most prized values.

Finally, Mario Sanmiguel, president and general director of American Express Mexico, and human resources director Claudia Maya shared their ideas on mechanisms for value measurements. Once a year, their company conducts a confidential survey to measure employee satisfaction. The results are analyzed and employee action teams are formed to propose and define new action plans to improve employee satisfaction. Follow-up procedures and continual monitoring of the new plans are managed by the action teams.

Workshop participants were able to draw their own conclusions from the individual experiences of each company. With the assistance of the facilitators, they were also given the opportunity to craft their own definitions of a culture of values that would fit their company.

Edgar del Castillo and Claudia Yanez are business research analysts at AMERICAN CHAMBER/MEXICO.