This letter is in response to Pique editor Braden Dupuis’ Opening Remarks in the June 30 issue (“It’s time to talk about efficiency at the Resort Municipality of Whistler”).
The best organizations establish and operate according to core values. Also referred to as guiding principles, core values establish the way the people in an organization conduct their day-to-day business.
Core values deal with personal ethics or ideals that guide all employees when making decisions, building relationships, and solving problems. They are the start point for establishing an organization’s culture.
Some examples of core values are integrity, service, accountability, collaboration, loyalty, leadership, honesty, reliability, fairness, teamwork, and transparency.
Once established, core values apply to everyone throughout the organization. They form part of all planning efforts and drive the organization’s day-to-day operations and culture. They drive the hiring and retention policies, and where they are re-enforced, lead to a very strong and functional organization that makes decisions and easily interacts with its stakeholders.
Imagine for a moment if the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) had a core value such as “service.” If this was so, then perhaps the lack of efficiency that Mr. Dupuis speaks of would cease to be an everyday occurrence?
Perhaps the core value of “transparency” would resolve the issues of obfuscation with the RMOW communications department? Perhaps this value would make it more difficult for the elected body or its designated committees to sequester behind closed-door meetings?
The RMOW vision and mission are not complemented by a statement of core values. Therefore, RMOW staff, as well as mayor and council, have no guiding principles to help them work through the processes to achieve the vision and mission and create value. So, we often see disjointed planning and activities, questionable decisions, delays, and sometime even a lack of accountability.
Mr. Dupuis ponders, “who will tighten up this massive and ever-growing ship?” If “leadership” was a stated core value, then the person accountable for RMOW planning and day-to-day conduct of the RMOW team would have defined and laid out core values a long time ago. It seems obvious who this person should be.
