Let’s explore how to transform your team culture using a practical, values-based framework that works – whether you have formal company values or not.

The Hidden Culture Gap: Why Two Cultures Exist in Most Businesses

Most businesses are unknowingly running two parallel cultures:

• The aspirational culture that leaders envision (where everyone’s proactive and communication flows seamlessly)
• The actual culture created by daily behaviors and communication patterns

This gap exists because values shape your business culture whether they’re written down or not. They show up in:

• How you treat customers
• The way you handle deadlines
• Your approach to praise and feedback
• What gets celebrated vs. what creates frustration
• The standards you hold for yourself and others

The Communication Trap: When Values Dilute Your Message

Many leaders make a critical mistake when using values in team communications: They use values as a shield rather than a foundation. This often sounds like:

“One of our core values is excellence, and I feel like we’re not living up to that right now…”

This approach actually dilutes your message and makes conversations harder, not easier. Instead, you need a structured framework that turns values into action.

The Values Action Framework: 4 Steps to Transform Your Team Culture

Here’s the practical framework I use with my clients to create lasting cultural change:

1. Get Specific

• Stay away from general statements about values
• Name exactly what you’re seeing and what needs to change
• Focus on clarity, not confrontation

2. Active Listening

• Create space for team members to share their perspective
• Ask questions before jumping to solutions
• Uncover potential process problems beneath performance issues

3. Make the Values Connection

• Use values to support conversations, not replace them
• Connect specific behaviors to broader business impact
• Help team members understand the ‘why’ behind changes

4. Define Next Steps

• Create clear, actionable steps
• Establish specific timelines and responsibilities
• Set up check-in points to monitor progress

Moving Forward: Implementing Values-Based Leadership

The key to transforming your team culture isn’t about having perfectly crafted value statements – it’s about consistently connecting daily actions to bigger purpose. Here’s how to get started:

1. Identify your existing values (written or unwritten)
2. Use the Values Action Framework in your next team conversation
3. Practice connecting daily decisions to core values
4. Create regular opportunities for values-based discussions in team meetings

Remember: Having difficult conversations may never feel completely comfortable, but having a structured framework makes them more manageable and effective.

Ready to Transform Your Team Culture?

If you’re wrestling with how to have clear, values-aligned conversations with your team, you’re not alone. I’m here to support you in building the high-performing team and culture you deserve.

Book a Dream Team Discovery Call to discuss how we can transform your team culture together. Let’s turn your values into actual team performance in 2025.

The post Transform Your Culture USING Values-Based Communication in 2025 appeared first on Paula Maidens.

>> Goals >> 

Love them or hate them, without big business AND individual goals >> you are sabotaging the success of your team

As an entrepreneur it’s likely that you have the big goals for yourself part down pat.

As a high achiever, this part comes naturally to you.

But when it comes to breaking them down into individual goals for each person working with you, if you are like most of my clients, you find this hard.

It’s tricky enough trying to crystallise your big dreams out of your head and down onto a piece of paper, let alone breaking those further into chunks to assign to each individual!

Don’t worry, lots of amazingly capable entrepreneurs find this hard

In fact, I think I’d go as far as to say MOST of my clients find this really tricky until they learn my technique

One of the 6 pillars in my coaching framework is AWESOME COMMUNICATION

And there are 2 key elements to this:

Communicating your big goals to your team (and by team I mean every single person who helps you in your business in any way, not just someone you consider an employee or subcontractor – because everyone needs to know the big picture)

AND

Setting a mini goal(s) for each person (which clearly states how they can individually contribute to making the big goal happen)

The transformation you’ll experience from your team when you do this is HUGE:

Because communicating the goal makes it real

Explaining the goal makes it practical 

Talking about the goal shifts the focus to the HOW

Focusing on the how starts to shift the brain to POSSIBILITY thinking

And then starts the process of ACTION TAKING

And all of this ↑ empowers every individual to know explicitly how they can help and contribute to your success

Sounds good right

So if you want to get started on communicating (or maybe even re-setting) goals start with answering this simple question

“On the 31st December 2021 when I’m celebrating {insert favourite way to celebrate} the huge success my business has enjoyed in the last 8 months we’ll be celebrating ____________.”

Goal setting on both a business and individual level is one of my super powers so if you want intimate support to set, communicate and motivate your team towards your big goals, reach out to me.

Because BIG DREAMS NEED GREAT TEAM right?

If you want to create an epic team, then get my free guide – 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Building Teams & What To Do Instead – in it I’ve compiled all my experience and knowledge into an easy to follow guide, to save you from making the most common mistakes I’ve seen (and cleaned up!) over the years. Click here to make it yours!

The post Without goals your team is blind appeared first on Paula Maidens.

If you feel like this, don’t worry, it’s totally normal!

This is a challenge all successful, highly capable entrepreneurs experience when managing their team.

So, let me introduce you to a simple concept that will have you all on the same page.

Ask, don’t tell.

Yep, that’s it.

Super simple, yet super effective.

But Paula, I think you misunderstood the difficulties I am having?

Trust me, I understand. I’ll walk you through the concept.

Let’s start with a very common problem I hear from entrepreneurs, all the time.

You see something done incorrectly, a mistake made, something not done quite right – and your immediate response, is to spot it and tell your team member exactly what needs to be fixed or done differently.

Sounds logical – particularly when we are coming from a place where these tasks were once managed by us – so the fix is obvious, quick, and ‘yay, it’s sorted – quick let’s move on to the next pressing task’.

Until the next time!

A new mistake or issue, or maybe even the same one!

You quickly tell your team member what to do to fix it again. (Straight into solve it mode because you’re busy and really don’t have time for this).

However, this time your frustration increases slightly, because it’s happened again. While your team member experiences another ‘this is how it should be done’ instruction.

Take a moment to think about this ONE WAY form of communicating your expectations to your team (because how we treat one team member is how we treat them all – but that’s a whole other topic for another day!).

If we are constantly talking AT someone, what happens?

The person may –

• Tune out
• Doesn’t catch all the information
• Allows their ego or emotions to take over and stops listening, through fear, shame etc.

All, whilst your frustration is rising with each occasion you spot something not done as it should have been.

There is another way.

By asking and not telling, we create a space for open communication between both parties, that allows the full picture to be seen. How and why did it happen the way it did?

So, start by asking –

“Hey, I noticed you did this, and this was the result. Can you talk me through your process?”

This open-ended questioning allows the other person to explain what their thought process was, potentially whether there were any other factors that came into play, and if the task was not fully understood by them, etc.

You are then in a position to understand their thought process and clarify any assumptions for both of you.

“Actually, what I was hoping for was more along the lines of…”

“I would prefer if we are able to do it this way, because of…”

“I may not have been as clear as I needed to be, so this is how I would like this done next time…”

By asking and not telling – you allow the space to uncover the real reason for the error.

This process allows you to get to the HEART of why it happened the way it did.

This AHA moment will then allow you to clarify your expectations and provide the solution – but one that is the right solution to prevent it happening again, because it takes into account why it happened in the first place.

Whilst asking not telling takes more time – think about the concept of time.

Time invested now, prevents time wasted fixing things again later. Or worse, replacing the person because your frustration with the mistakes has reached breaking point!

We need our team to understand what we need, how and why.

The only way to shift them from where they are, to where you want them to be…is to bring them on the journey with you.

So, don’t talk at them to solve the situation.

Talk with them. Ask, don’t tell.

This will train them to be more able to think like you from the business perspective and also to be more invested in the outcome.

So suddenly…you’ll find your time is freed up.

And I know you would all love more free time!

If you have found this tip useful for your business…join me and other successful entrepreneurs for more biz tips in my Facebook group, Savvy CEO Secrets for Entrepreneurs.

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