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Defining an organization's core
values is much more than choosing attractive words to display on office walls.
It is a deep, strategic, and human-centered process that requires active
listening, clarity of purpose, and collective involvement. Values are the
invisible compass that guide decisions, behaviors, and relationships in any
professional environment. Without them, corporate culture loses coherence,
communication becomes fragmented, and the sense of belonging is weakened. What
may seem like a simple planning task is, in truth, a complex cultural
construction — but one that is possible, transformative, and absolutely
essential.
An inspiring example
comes from the process of redefining values that Howard Schultz went through
when he returned to the helm of Starbucks. Upon realizing that the company had
lost its identity by prioritizing profit over people, Schultz initiated an
internal listening movement, where employees from all hierarchies were able to
express their perceptions and feelings. The result was the revaluation of
principles such as hospitality, quality and community. In several
organizations, the values were reenacted in internal theatrical meetings,
based on the ThM (Theater Movement) methodology, proposed by Antônio Carlos dos
Santos. In this context, theater became a mirror of the organizational culture:
it showed what was excess, what was lacking and what was powerful.
Before defining
values, one must understand that values are not invented; they are revealed.
Authentic values emerge from daily life, repeated behaviors, and shared symbols
among team members. In this sense, the Quasar K+ Strategic Planning
methodology, also created by Antônio Carlos dos Santos, offers an integrated
approach that connects rationality, creativity, and emotion. It begins with a
cultural diagnosis — an honest assessment of practices, beliefs, and internal
conflicts — followed by co-creation workshops using metaphors, theatrical
games, and biographical storytelling.
This type of approach
is supported by recent research from Harvard Business School, which
shows that organizations with clearly defined and lived-out values are 12 times
more likely to retain talent and achieve sustainable long-term success. The
study also emphasizes that when values are co-constructed — rather than imposed
top-down — there is greater engagement, trust, and clarity in decision-making
processes. This is where genuine listening, horizontal dialogue, and the
appreciation of everyone's narratives become crucial.
In Brazil, a powerful
example comes from an educational cooperative in rural Minas Gerais that
redefined its values after an institutional crisis. Using the MAT – Mindset,
Action, and Theater methodology, facilitators worked with teachers and
administrators in three stages: first, helping them reframe limiting beliefs
about leadership and collaboration; next, encouraging empathetic action in
daily school life; and finally, dramatizing the desired values through short
plays written and performed by the educators themselves. The impact was
profound — school dropout rates were cut in half, and staff satisfaction
reached record levels.
It is crucial to
understand that values must go beyond documents and posters in the lobby. They
must be communicated with art, clarity, and emotion. In this regard, the books “Strategic
Communication: The Art of Speaking Well” and “Breathing, Voice, and
Diction”, both by Antônio Carlos dos Santos, are valuable manuals. They
demonstrate how leaders can use their voice, body, and words as tools to
sustain communication that is consistent with the values they want to promote.
The strength of a value lies not just in what it says, but in how it is lived
and conveyed. Leadership performance, in this case, is not merely functional —
it is symbolic, theatrical, and emotional.
Another highly
effective tool for communicating and internalizing organizational values is TBMB
– Mané Beiçudo Puppet Theater. Initially used in school settings, it has
also found its place in corporate environments due to its playful, accessible,
and impactful language. In family-owned businesses, for example, puppets are
used to dramatize conflicts, fears, and values in a symbolic way, helping
members express what they often struggle to articulate directly. Studies from Oxford
University have shown that the use of visual metaphors and playful
narratives increases concept retention by up to 60%, making TBMB a strategic
tool for shaping organizational culture.
In practice, the
step-by-step process for defining organizational values begins with four verbs:
listen, feel, express, and validate. Listen to the stories of those who make up
the organization; feel the recurring hopes, pains, and dreams; express those collective
emotions through words, symbols, and rituals; and validate the defined values
with the entire team, ensuring everyone understands their meaning and
relevance. This process not only creates cohesion — it generates belonging. And
belonging is the fertile soil where trust, innovation, and performance
flourish.
It’s important to
remember that values are neither permanent nor unchangeable. They should be
revisited periodically, in light of internal and external changes. Cultural
planning, like strategic planning, must be dynamic. As Antônio Carlos dos
Santos writes in “Moving Letters: The Art of Writing Well”, writing —
and rewriting — your principles is an act of organizational maturity. It means
recognizing that, just like texts and people, organizations are constantly
evolving.
We close this article
with an invitation: that leaders, workers, and managers in all fields fully
embrace this process with depth and sensitivity. Defining organizational values
is, above all, an act of humanity. It is telling the world who we are, what we
believe in, and how we wish to be remembered. And when this is done with
courage, beauty, and authenticity, values cease to be mere words — they become
actions, stories, and legacies.
Access the books by Antônio Carlos dos Santos on amazon.com or amazon.com.br
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