Rodrigo Tajonar
Chief People Officer
Boston Globe Media
Episode 321
Culture Is Built, Not Declared: The Collaborative Approach to Values That Stick.
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleJanuary 31, 2025 · 14:12
Thesis
“Successful company culture and value integration stem from collaborative creation, consistent leadership embodiment, continuous communication, and data-driven measurement, rather than relying solely on top-down declarations.”
Show notes
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, host Dave D'Angelo engages with Rodrigo, an HR leader at Boston Globe Media. Rodrigo shares his career journey from working in various HR roles at DuPont and Axalta Coating Systems in Mexico to transitioning to the U.S. and ultimately joining the media industry. The discussion delves into strategies for effectively integrating a company's mission, vision, and values (MVVs) into its culture, emphasizing the importance of senior leaders demonstrating these values daily. Rodrigo highlights practical examples and methods such as consistent communication, leadership engagement, and involving employees in the process. He also underlines the significance of constantly revisiting and reinforcing MVVs through various platforms and the role of data in measuring alignment between company culture and stated values. Rodrigo concludes with actionable advice for leaders to foster an inclusive, value-driven workplace. 00:16 Sponsorship Message from Previ 00:44 Meet Rodrigo: Career Journey and Background 02:28 Integrating Mission, Vision, and Values into Company Culture 03:53 Senior Leaders Demonstrating Company Values 06:26 Strategies for Leaders to Communicate and Embody Values 08:50 Measuring Alignment and Addressing Gaps 12:15 Advice for HR Leaders and Final Thoughts
What you'll take away
- 1Mission, Vision, and Values (MVVs) should be developed through a collaborative process involving senior leadership and diverse employees to ensure broad resonance and meaningful connection.
- 2Leaders must actively and consistently embody the company's MVVs through their daily actions and behaviors, making these principles a tangible part of the organizational culture, not just statements.
- 3Effective communication of MVVs is a continuous, multi-channel process that requires frequent reinforcement (e.g., town halls, visual displays, internal communications) to ensure internalization by all employees.
- 4Utilize data-driven methods, such as regular employee surveys and informal leadership discussions (e.g., 'Let's Connect' lunches), to measure alignment between stated MVVs and actual company culture, and act on identified gaps.
- 5Cultivating a strong, values-driven culture begins with the CEO and permeates every organizational level, requiring clear behavioral boundaries and fostering an environment of open, two-way communication.
What most organizations get wrong
- •It sounds straightforward, but asking leaders to consistently embody MVVs in their daily, stressful roles is 'far from easy' and requires continuous effort beyond just declaring values.
- •All the communication in the world 'would not make a difference' if leaders do not actively live and embody the MVVs, emphasizing action over mere verbal reinforcement.
In Rodrigo's words
“If the MVVs and are merely a document that are handed down from top with no engagement or involvement from employees, there's really a risk that they will not connect meaningfully with the team.”
This highlights the common pitfall of top-down value declarations without employee involvement, leading to disengagement.
“The clearer and more memorable the statements are, the more likely that they are to be embraced and lived by the organization.”
It stresses the importance of simplicity and clarity in defining values for better organizational adoption.
“The key difference is that while employees may not see this shirt, they should still feel its presence in the actions and behaviors of their leaders.”
This vivid analogy underscores that leadership actions, not just words, are what truly communicate values to employees.
“to truly understand, remember, and acknowledge internalize something, it needs to be communicated about 7 times or more. So that means that communication is really never enough. It's a constant process.”
This provides a concrete metric and philosophy for the relentless effort required in value communication.
“if leaders do not actively live and embody the MVVs, all the communication in the world will, would not make a difference.”
A powerful statement emphasizing that leadership behavior is paramount over any communication strategy alone.
“I'm a big believer in the power of data, and one of the most straightforward ways that I would recommend to gather it is through surveys.”
This grounds the abstract concept of culture alignment in measurable, actionable data, advocating for employee feedback.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employees disconnect from company values when MVVs are handed down without collaborative input or engagement.
- •MVVs remain mere 'statements on paper' if senior leaders fail to consistently model and embody them in their daily actions.
- •Difficulty in ensuring MVVs are consistently communicated, understood, and internalized across diverse employee groups, especially remote teams.
- •Lack of clear, data-driven methods to measure the actual alignment between company culture and stated values, leading to unaddressed gaps.
- •Challenges in fostering a sense of ownership among employees at all levels for building and maintaining the desired company culture.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
I started working for DuPont and then Axalta Coatings Systems
In the Elevator With Alistair Gray
Rodrigo: Creating mission, vision, and values should be collaborative process
Rodrigo: Mission, Vision, and Values
Rodrigo: Senior leaders are asked to consistently embody company values
Examples of How Leaders Consistently Demonstrate Values
What strategies do you use to help leaders communicate and embody company mission and values
How to Communicate the Company's Mission, Vision, and Values
How do you measure alignment between company culture and your stated mission, vision
How The Boston Globe Media Measures Company Culture
Start conversations with employees about what makes your workplace this distinct
How to Build a Company Culture
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
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