4 A values-based approach to engagement (2/2): practice

What I understand by the term values-based engagement is really trying to understand and identify the values from the client that you're working with and how you can adapt your approach, language, and maybe the tools and the journey you're offering to them accordingly.

I think values-based engagement is to do with communicating with somebody in a manner that relates to how they tick, perhaps how they identify as an individual, and perhaps the kind of groups that they would see themselves as falling into.

To me, I think values-based engagement really plays on the fact of like really valuing values. And that's like an interesting play on words there. But to me, what that really means is that, I mean, everyone, every person, every business has a core series of values that they aspire to achieve or either hold. And I think values-based engagement means like the client and consultant relationship that we might share through the work we do would be really understanding that, connecting with it, empathising with it, and then playing on those values to really have a fruitful conversation about how can we, in our case, maybe reduce your energy consumption, make things more efficient, whether it be production processes or general work culture, corporate culture.

What I understand about values-based engagement is a process by which you're evaluating an individual or, indeed, a company-based, a company level, and what their focus is, what their priorities are, what makes them tick, and making sure that the work that you do focuses on those, and tries to steer any work that you're doing to focus on those values, rather than necessarily those of your own agenda and your own ideas.

When I've been working with businesses, a really wide variety of those types of values have cropped up, have come into play. And they can be anything from the traditional cost saving and resource saving aspects to those wanting to grow their business, and they've got strong personal values about how they want to retain power, control, or growth, or achievement within their businesses. Then there may be others who are focused on very much on the greener side and the environmental impacts, the aspects of that. And there are some somewhere between the two that are very much looking for security. They want to cost save, and they don't want to change. They're resistant to change. But they want to save money.

To me, value-based engagement is all around heartfelt things. And it's the point at which real change is possible. Head-based thoughts don't actually create cultural change or change in business.

In my experience, SMEs can start their journey, sustainability journey, from a different point. But what's most important is the goal and having support to get them there. And values play a really important role in helping move them, step them along in the right direction.