Certification             Accreditation             Training             Conferences             Quality Measures 2005^®

Shared Values

Organizational values drive organizational behavior. They influence management decisions, organizational priorities and the character of the workforce. Just as individual behaviors are driven by our internal belief system or values, our collective values guide our organizational behavior and shape our organizational culture.

Organizational leaders articulate values. The collective action of formal and informal leaders embeds values within the culture of the organization. Values, then, become important criteria in making organizational decisions. Most organizational decisions related to budget, human resource or regulatory matters are ultimately decisions about values – what people and organizations believe are important.

SHARED VALUES FACTORS

Shared Values Around People - Values and beliefs about people shape expectations. Our values, beliefs and expectations about people determine the way we provide services, supports and resources. Individual and focus group meetings with people reveal the basic importance of dignity and worth, legal and human rights, and self-determination and choice. Services and supports that incorporate these values support the attainment of personal outcomes and individual quality of life.

Factor One - Dignity and Worth

Factor Two - Legal and Human Rights

Factor Three  - Self-Determination and Choice

Shared Values in the Community - Community refers to the places where people interact. Communities can be physical areas such as our neighborhoods. In addition, spiritual, ethnic or cultural groups can form a community of interest. These communities of interest are becoming more important than physical communities (local neighborhoods).

Factor Four - Community Settings

Factor Five - Social Capital

Shared Values of the Organization - Our service and support organizations are evolving and changing. The centralized community social service organizations are breaking down into smaller, decentralized, and very often, less formal units. Networks of families, friends and community volunteers are coordinating supports for people. CQL refers to these organized collective efforts as “organizations,” whether large or small, public or private, formal or informal.

Factor Six - Community Partnerships

Factor Seven - Shared Leadership

Factor Eight - Continuous Learning

Factor Nine - Open Communication

Factor Ten - Continuous Improvement

PUBLICATIONS

You can learn more from the Shared Values manual which includes a Self-Assessment CD.

TRAINING

CQL Canada offers a three-day Guided Self-Assessment Workshop for Basic Assurances^® and Shared Values.

This three-day workshop is designed to support organizations to prepare for successful quality enhancement and planning activities by:

• Assessing the organization's adherence to CQL Canada's Quality Measures^® - Basic Assurances^® and Shared Values,

• Involving staff in the exploration and information gathering process for greater awareness of the organization's quality system; and to,

• Support the organization in the development of a Quality Enhancement Plan that designates responsibility and accountability for performance improvement.