Core values and behaviours framework

Introduction

The Core Values and Behaviours have been developed to enable great performance.  This document sets a standard of behaviours by describing positive and negative examples.  The context and work carried out by each service area should also be taken into account to bring this to life for employees. 

In some roles, for example, there will be a light touch when it comes to ‘Political and Commercial Focus’.  We all need to understand the environment we work in but do not all need to work with members.  Use your judgement accordingly to bring the behaviours and expectations to life.

‘What’ we do (the delivery of our work) and ‘how’ we do it (the behaviours and values we demonstrate) are equally important, especially as we are a public body and open to scrutiny.

Behaviours can be used as part of:

• recruitment selection activity
• performance and development objectives

The behaviour descriptions in this framework help to outline what is expected.

Our culture, values, vision and purpose

Our culture:

• customer driven
• politically aware
• proactive and future focussed
• change ready
• agile
• motivated
• flexible
• creative and aware of risk
• learning
• accountable
• empowered
• inclusive
• engaging
• trusting

Our values:

• professional
• respectful
• resourceful
• reflective

Our vision is ‘working for a better future’ by:

• supporting high aspirations
• enabling everyone to enjoy life to the full
• creating thriving environments
• providing good value council services

Our approach

We are committed to:

• being customer focused
• working collaboratively
• connecting our communities
• advocating for Lincolnshire
• making your money go further
• working creatively

Our values

Why are these important?

Our values define how we do things at Lincolnshire County Council. They reflect:

• the important shared attitudes, beliefs and behaviours we value in each other, regardless of our role
• the choices and decisions we make
• the qualities of how we will work together to deliver the Council’s vision and purpose

At Lincolnshire County Council the following statement is at the heart of our values and behaviour:  “We are proud to work here for the benefit of our customers and communities”

To achieve this we will be:

• professional
• resourceful
• respectful
• reflective

Professional

Let's:

• be accountable
• be honest
• consider all options

Demonstrated through:

• leading and developing people
• political and commercial astuteness
• consistently deliver results

Resourceful

Let's

• find the best solutions
• show leadership
• work across teams

Demonstrated through:

• leading and developing people
• be future focused and drive positive change
• building relationships and influencing others
• grow yourself

Respectful

Let's:

• be open-minded
• listen to each other
• consider different points of view

Demonstrated through:

• leading and developing people
• building relationships and influencing others
• grow yourself

Reflective

Let's:

• learn from our mistakes
• question ourselves
• be positive

Demonstrated through:

• leading and developing people
• grow yourself

Behaviours

The behaviours we expect of each other are described under these headings:

• Leading and developing people
• Be future focussed and drive positive change
• Political and commercial focus
• Consistently deliver results
• Building relationships and influencing others
• Grow yourself

Under each heading are behaviour descriptions.  These can be used: 

• as part of a selection process
• for an appraisal objective
• to recognise positive behaviour
• to challenge unhelpful behaviours

When designing selection activities look at the behaviours which are most important to the role and use the descriptors to help measure the responses.

When agreeing performance and development appraisal objectives, particular values or behaviours may be important for an objective or can be an objective in their own right such as developing understanding of the political environment or building relationships through partnership working. The behaviour descriptions give examples of what successful behaviour might look like.

In all cases the descriptions can be adapted to meet the needs of the particular role. 

Leading and developing people

Why is this important?

Managers have a critical role in securing the long-term future of the Council.  They are required to:

• provide strong, directional leadership to inspire, motivate and deliver our vision
• create and drive a high performance culture
• be responsible for ensuring that individuals and teams understand what is required of them and why

To achieve this at your level in the organisation you will need to demonstrate the following values and behaviours:

• know your people, inspire and empower them and invest in their growth and development
• develop a high performing culture where team members challenge and support each other to constantly perform at their best.  Actively address unsatisfactory performance and behaviour
• build trust and harness the diversity of the team
• proactively encourage all team members to develop to their full potential 
• recognise how your style of leadership impacts on:
  • the performance of those you manage
  • our culture
  • the outcomes you deliver
• create a culture of openness and honesty, even during times of ambiguity and uncertainty

Low

This could include:

• is not developing their people through ongoing coaching, support and development planning
• inconsistently provides feedback to team members; avoids presenting feedback that will not be well  received
• sets objectives for the team but does not adequately communicate those objectives to get everyone on board
• is not focussed on building team capability for the future and developing lines of progression
• lacks self awareness and adopts one style of leadership in all situations
• allows bias or personal feelings to cloud professional judgement
• lacks focus in developing team members

Expected

This could include:

• all their team members have a development plan that they support
• provides meaningful feedback to team members to keep them on track towards common goals
• sets and communicates clear objectives for the team upfront
• encourages team members to develop and progress to their potential
• is self aware and adapts own style to achieve greater impact
• is fair, consistent, open and honest in all  their actions, building trust through desired behaviours
• actively builds a high performing team that demonstrates our values

High

This could include:

• their investment in leading and developing their team is driving excellent individual and team performance
• effectively gives constructive and insightful feedback even when the message is extremely difficult to deliver
• identifies the most important priorities, creates a compelling vision of both short and long-term objectives
• has built strong progression frameworks concentrating on the short and longer term
• uses knowledge of their own style and others to influence, deliver results and engage the team
• makes decisions honestly, fairly and without bias
• is an inclusive leader that brings the best out in people

Be future focussed and drive positive change

Why is this important?

We aim to have a workforce that thinks and acts creatively regarding the future service delivery.  This is necessary to respond to different and changing demands within local government.  Flexibility, anticipating trends and seeking new opportunities is key.  To achieve this at your level in the organisation you will need to demonstrate the following values and behaviours:

• constructively challenge the status quo to seek better ways of doing things; embrace change
• flexibly adapt to changing situations, circumstances, requirements and priorities
• understand how you can be more creative and innovative in your work; spot new opportunities
• demonstrate a willingness to work in different ways and across team and organisational boundaries

In addition for managers:

• lead the development of a vision for the future and enable clear strategies to achieve it
• create a culture that encourages creativity and innovation.  Seek to develop new approaches to service delivery and new ways of working
• develop services in a way that reflects community and customer needs rather than organisational boundaries
• supporting others through ambiguity and complexity
• inspires people to feel part of the organisation's future growth

Low

This could include:

• is only comfortable with known methods of working
• does not cope well with change or new situation; is inflexible in mind-set and actions
• does not see it as their job to have ideas
• unwillingness to adopt new ideas and approaches; does not see the value of improvements

In addition for managers:

• buries head in sand, dismisses change initiatives without consideration
• resists and, or implements new approaches that are ineffective or unreasonable
• blocks new ideas from others by not being receptive, sharing information and, or exploring opportunities

Expected

This could include:

• constructively challenges the status quo by reviewing and questioning work in own area
• understands need for change; demonstrates flexibility in day to day work; adopts a flexible mind-set
• keeps up to date with new developments and suggests new ideas
• uses resources and thinks creatively to identify new solutions

In addition for managers:

• delivers change to successful outcomes, recognising obstacles to change and helping others to adapt to change
• implements new approaches that prove to be effective
• integrates input and ideas from different sources to share information and, or explore opportunities

High

This could include:

• constantly seeks opportunities for improvement to processes and procedures
• embraces change, encourages colleagues; recognises and deals with the obstacles to change
• looks ahead; sees the bigger picture; keeps self up to date with developments in own area and shares that knowledge
• consistently creates innovative approaches and new opportunities and acts on these

In addition for managers:

• creates innovation and supports new opportunities
• able to support and encourage innovative approaches
• actively encourages new ideas and motivates others to be proactive, resourceful

Political and commercial focus

Why is this important?

We aim to have a workforce that is aware and understands the political and business environment within which we operate.  It is important to understand the key issues that affect our priorities.

To achieve this at your level in the organisation you will need to demonstrate the following values and behaviours:

• have an understanding of how our political framework operates and the role of members in setting direction
• have an awareness of how our financial and budget process impacts financial decisions on services 
• understand who your customers, partners, key stakeholders are

In addition for managers:

• demonstrate a sound understanding of political drivers and central government procedures and how they relate to public services
• lead the development of workable strategies to deliver the political objectives; understands members’ roles; know who the key influencers are, both internally and externally, and how to involve them as required
• engages with integrity and impartiality 
• understands, analyses and interprets a wide range of data to inform strategic and operational decisions
• identify ways of adding value to services without increasing overheads

Low

This could include:

• is unaware of our political framework
• shares confidential information, shows a lack of integrity
• fails  to understand the impact of budgets
• does not know who customers and, or key stakeholders are; is not aware of customers’ needs

In addition for managers:

• fails to keep up to date with emerging political and Council priorities
• fails to identify and evaluate current or future risks and put in place effective mitigations; uses risk as an excuse to avoid action
• does not use numerical, financial or market data effectively to identify issues or problems and, or plan strategically

Expected

This could include:

• understands our political framework
• demonstrates integrity and complies with our policies and procedures
• understands the link between budget decisions and their work or service area priorities
• understands who customers or stakeholders are and knows what they want from the service
• understands the legal, policy and ethical frameworks for own service area
• judges and takes appropriate risk, weighing up potential benefits, downsides and implications of potential action or non action
• works confidently with data before making decisions; for example interprets trends, issues and risks

High

This could include:

• is aware of and sensitive to the internal and external political environment
• operates professionally, impartially and with political neutrality
• actively seeks out ways to better utilise resources and budgets
• anticipates customer and stakeholder needs and responds before the situation requires action; consistently exceeds customer expectations
• independently takes the lead on making decisions that have a significant impact on the Council, protecting the organisation and its values
• shows sound judgement in situations of high risk, complexity and uncertainty
• identifies trends from complex or conflicting data taking steps  to address the root causes of highly complex problems

Consistently deliver results

Why is this important?

We aim to have a workforce that effectively delivers our objectives and customer expectations by being focussed on outcomes.  This requires sustained energy and determination in the face of obstacles caused by:

• conflicting priorities
• lack of resources
• change in both the internal or external environment

To achieve this at your level in the organisation you will need to demonstrate the following values and behaviours:

• be focussed on outcomes; it’s the impact of what you deliver not the effort or input that really matters
• consistently demonstrate drive and accountability for great performance and delivery of results and customer service
• respect the involvement and input of others whilst achieving one’s own goals
• measure progress against targets and ensure decisions are sustainable – be pragmatic and avoid overthinking and bureaucracy

In addition for managers:

• intervenes quickly and consistently when performance is slipping, using the appropriate processes
• is resourceful, finding effective solutions to problems, resource issues and obstacles
• move effectively between strategy and operational detail; maximising results over the short and long term
• understands the impact of business decisions on different services, customers and other stakeholder

Low

This could include:

• stops and gives up at the first obstacle. Rarely meets agreed targets or results. Has to be chased to complete a job
• loses sight of how a task fits into the wider objectives; creates barriers to delivery
• confuses being busy with being productive; does just enough to get by; focuses on process
• fails  to deliver on time; focuses on areas which are less important or unimportant than delivery of objectives and target

In addition for managers:

• sets ambiguous or conflicting objectives
• accepts and does not challenge own and others poor performance
• is indecisive, lacks courage to  make the decision, spends too long in thinking and planning

Expected

This could include:

• meets agreed outcomes, demonstrating personal responsibility in doing so
• seeks innovative solutions to remove barriers to performance
• is focussed on outcomes; manages own workload and time to deliver on objectives
• delivers what is required to meet targets and objectives on time and to the agreed standard

In addition for managers:

• establishes clear, specific performance objectives or targets, expectations and priorities
• demonstrates strong and consistent performance and encourages others to do the same
• balances thinking and planning with the need to move to action, typically taking a longer term view in making decisions and taking action

High

This could include:

• consistently achieves and frequently exceeds targets and inspires others to do the same
• actively removes barriers to performance, tackles difficult problems and take personal responsibility for solutions
• makes an impact on the organisation, and delivers outstanding quality and, or volume of work
• delivers both, on what is required and additional tasks; encourages others to achieve high standards

In addition for managers:

• aligns objectives to long-term strategy; champions the ongoing improvements across the Council
• able to demonstrate consistently exceptional performance in self and in own team
• decides quickly and incisively, ensuring sustainable actions are always in line with strategic objectives

Building relationships and influencing others

Why is this important?

We aim to have a workforce that builds good relationships, partnerships and networks to improve productivity, effectiveness and build trust. The ability to positively influence others to create acceptance, support and co-operation involves:

• identifying key relationships
• understanding how to engage with others
• building mutually beneficial partnerships

 To achieve this at your level in the organisation you will need to demonstrate the following values and behaviours:

• adapts communication style and approach to ensure their message is understood by different audiences
• builds positive and reciprocal relationships that build trust and respect, both internally and externally, for the benefit of the Council
• accepts full responsibility for self and contribution as a team member; displays openness, honesty and integrity
• works with others to achieve common goals by sharing information and valuing the expertise and experience of others

In addition for managers:

• is aware of own impact and uses power and position positively
• negotiates with and influences external partners, stakeholders focussing on win-win solutions
• influences and changes opinions of relevant stakeholders such as colleagues, members, partners and customers; they are persuasive, convincing and able to negotiate for a win-win outcome
• leads with integrity and role models a positive attitude

Low

This could include:

• does not communicate effectively resulting in misunderstanding and confusion
• fails to treat others in a fair and consistent way; refuses to take responsibility for own actions
• not prepared to compromise when needed
• puts own agenda first and expects others to manoeuvre around them

In addition for managers:

• abuses position and power to undermine others when influencing
• fails  to overcome relationship difficulties that could impact outcomes, avoids conflict and creates barriers to solutions
• shows little interest in listening to others’ ideas; has difficulty respecting ideas different to own; tends to reach conclusions before listening to all views

Expected

This could include:

• clarifies important messages and issues using appropriate language; listens and clarifies to check understanding
• treats others fairly and equitably; accepts responsibility for own action, regardless of outcome
• looks for compromises and win-win situations
• engages with others to understand needs, aspirations and priorities

In addition for managers:

• is aware of own impact and uses own power and position positively
• addresses relationship issues through open and candid discussion and positive intent
• listens to and carefully considers others’ ideas even when different to own; ensures all sides are heard before reaching a conclusion

High

This could include:

• consistently uses appropriate language and is able to express opinion clearly
• consistently treats others with respect and dignity; openly accepts responsibility for setbacks and adjusts own actions for the future
• prepared to lose face when necessary; accepts when another argument is more compelling and beneficial to the organisation
• negotiates to balance individual competing priorities

In addition for managers:

• demonstrates effective use of power and recognises when power plays are happening and successfully diffuses them
• always addresses relationship issues to achieve a positive outcome: seeks a win-win
• actively encourages ideas from a wide variety of individuals; lets others know they are heard and valued; ensures all views are heard and considered

Grow yourself

Why is this important?

We aim to have a workforce that demonstrates:

• awareness
• accurate assessment
• control of own:
  • emotional state
  •  attitudes
  • personal impact
  • effectiveness
  • emotional stability

The workforce needs to demonstrate these qualities even in the face of:

• adversity
• ambiguity
• stress
• high workload

This involves:

• understanding your own areas of personal and professional strength
• understanding areas for development
• demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning

Understanding yourself helps you to perform more effectively in the workplace. To achieve this at your level in the organisation you will need to demonstrate the following values and behaviours:

• have humility, be open to feedback and learning from others
• demonstrate self awareness, know your strengths and weaknesses; own your development
• recognise and understand your own behaviours and feelings and those of others
• actively looks for learning opportunities; uses newly gained knowledge and skills on the job and continues to learn through their application
• commit to developing yourself against our Core Behaviours and Values to the benefit of yourself and the organisation

Low

This could include:

• lacks humility and feels they have little to learn. Fails to recognise own strengths or address development needs
• ignores feedback from others or becomes defensive; does not seek ways to address those needs
• resists opportunities for learning or development: does not value personal development
• allows professional knowledge to become out of date; does not keep up to date with trends in own field of expertise
• does not demonstrate commitment to want to develop themselves against the Core Behaviours and Values

Expected

This could include:

• accurately identifies own strengths and development needs; takes action to develop areas that can be improved
• actively uses feedback from others to enhance own performance
• seeks out learning and development opportunities
• stays current by updating professional knowledge and skills on a regular basis; applying new trends or best practice where appropriate
• commits to personal development and is actively working on their development plan

High

This could include:

• adopts a coaching approach with others to encourage opportunities to maximise strengths and effectively develop where required
• proactively seeks feedback from others to enhance personal and team performance
• explores wider opportunities to develop scope of knowledge to benefit the work area
• shares new professional knowledge with others to enhance performance
• always creates opportunities for their own and other’s learning and development and is recognised as an advocate for learning across the organisation