Dave Greasley has been part of the Sheffield creative scene for nearly 20 years, previously as one half of design agency Side by Side, and more recently as founder of improvement studio 3800, who blend strategy, behaviour change and creativity to help companies improve from the ground up.
We sat down with Dave to find out more about 3800 and Integrity Etc., a new book he’s written about company values, and how they can transform your business.
Tell us a bit about 3800.
3800 fills a gap between traditional creative agencies and consultancies. I’d worked in the brand world for 15 years and had become tired of making companies look great on the outside, when it was often only ever skin deep. I kept seeing a disconnect, where internal teams were experiencing something very different to external customers.
So our approach is rooted in foundational work, helping companies define and communicate why they exist, where they’re going and how they are going to get there.
What made you want to write a book about company values?
One of the foundational pieces of work that we offer is to help companies with their values. When done well, they can align people, inspire good work and drive businesses forward. But most don’t. Most company values are vague words hidden in a PDF somewhere, which is a missed opportunity for leaders.
The people I look up to are open in sharing their knowledge, so I wanted to turn what we know about company values into a resource, both for us and others. The book helps us show potential clients how we think, while also acting as a tool to help people improve their organisation.
What makes a ‘bad’ company value, and how can people do better?
Most one-word values are too open to interpretation to make any real impact. A classic is to be ‘human’ — but there are over eight billion humans, who do you want me to be?
Another is when they’re disingenuous. Everyone in the organisation should be willing to live by them, and as soon as someone doesn’t, then the idea falls apart.
What works is clarity and memorability. As an employee, where can I see how these values ladder up to where the business is going? What’s required of me, what actions and behaviours are needed? A company’s values should spell this out.
Once a company has good values, what’s next?
The most important thing for leaders to understand is that company values are a living part of the organisation — they’re not ‘done’ just because you’ve spent time creating them. They will be as good or as forgotten as you allow them. The grass is always greener where you water it, so you need to make time to come back to them in new and creative ways.
Why should employees care about company values?
We all want safety, and in work that’s created through a sense of belonging and knowing what’s expected of us. For new people, values should act as a guide, so they know exactly what kind of company they’ll be working for. For existing employees, they should empower employees to make decisions that align with where the company’s heading, in turn helping them to develop in their own role and career.
What did you personally get out of writing this book?
Firstly, it solved a problem that I wanted to uncover. I knew company values were ultimately ineffective, and when I set up 3800 I wanted to understand why, so that we didn’t fall into the same trap.
Through uncovering the pitfalls and the right way to approach values, we realised we could write a book on the subject. It felt worthwhile to share this knowledge so that more people could benefit.
Integrity Etc. is out now. You can buy a copy for £20 directly from 3800.co.uk/integrity-etc.
