Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) has introduced a new set of organisational values developed through a staff-led consultation process involving more than 100 employees across its campuses and sites.
The five values, identified through workshops and a staff survey, are Respect, Excellence, Collaboration, Communication and Manaakitanga (care and respect).
Former international rugby referee and leadership facilitator Paddy O'Brien, who led the process, said the success of the exercise came from staff defining the values themselves.
"You can't just tell people, 'These are our values and you've got to live them'. They've got to be their values," Mr O'Brien said.
"The whole process at SIT was about staff identifying what matters to them and what should guide the organisation going forward. Because they created them, they own them."
The consultation process included workshops with staff from across SIT, followed by a survey that attracted 106 responses. Despite participants coming from a wide range of roles and disciplines, Mr O'Brien said there was strong alignment in the final results.
"We all have a moral compass. We have expectations of behaviour at home, in our communities and in our workplaces. This process is really about bringing that together and agreeing on what matters most."
Respect was identified as the most important value by SIT staff.
SIT Council Chair Rex Chapman said establishing the values was an important milestone in SIT's journey as a standalone institution.
"I'm a very big believer in organisational culture. Unless you know what you stand for, identify your values and are true to them, as an organisation you'll never be able to achieve your mission," Mr Chapman said.
He said the strong staff participation in the process demonstrated a collective commitment to shaping the future culture and direction of the organisation.
SIT Events and Marketing Support Officer Grace Doherty participated in the values meetings and appreciated the process. “I enjoyed speaking with colleagues across SIT and gaining a common ground of what SIT would like to include as its values."
“By allowing employees to have their say in the companies' values, SIT is creating a workplace culture that is open to feedback and learnings from its staff - a necessity for a tertiary institute,” she said.
SIT Chief Executive Bharat Guha said the values would provide an important foundation as the institute continued to evolve.
"The values reflect the collective voice of our people. They were developed by staff, for staff, and that gives them credibility and meaning," Mr Guha said.
"This year we've created a strong base for the future. We have our strategic plan, and we've now determined the values that will guide the organisation and help us hold each other accountable."
Mr Guha said the values would help strengthen SIT as it continued to build on its return to independence and position itself for future success.
"Our challenge now is to embed them throughout the organisation, so they become part of our everyday actions and contribute to a stronger, more successful SIT."
The values will now be incorporated into organisational development initiatives and future performance measures as SIT works to embed them across the institute.