Culture Starts Here, Ep3: Do Mission, Vision, and Values Really Matter? [podcast video]

Trust and Shared Purpose: The Hidden Fuel of Competitive Culture

Culture can sometimes feel like a squishy, amorphous concept. But it’s a thing. And, like it or not, every organization has one.

The real question: Is it an intentional culture that drives the business, or is it a default culture that stifles (or worse, harms) employee morale and the bottom line?

Culture is a CEO’s biggest threat – and greatest opportunity. The good news is that when it’s aligned with business goals, culture becomes a competitive advantage that fuels growth, innovation, and employee engagement. So let’s start a cultural revolution, and this podcast episode is a great place to begin…

In Episode 3 of Culture Starts Here on The CultureCon Podcast, ADVISA CEO Heather Haas and leadership consultant BJ McKay unpack what it really takes to build that edge – focusing on the second driver of ADVISA’s ATLAS framework, Trust and Shared Purpose.

Culture Starts Here, Episode 3 Highlights

Heather begins Episode 3 with the metaphor behind ATLAS, inspired by her dad’s old Rand McNally road atlas. “I’ve always loved maps. They tell you where you are, where you’re going, and how to get there.”

ATLAS gives organizations that same sense of direction – a framework to move from where you are culturally to where you want to be.

• A – Activation from Above
• T – Trust and Shared Purpose
• L – Leader Effectiveness
• A – Actionable People Data
• S – Systems that Support Leaders

This conversation focused on that second driver – one that can make or break the rest: Trust and Shared Purpose.

Why trust matters more than strategy

There are three essential layers of trust every organization needs to function:

1. Character trust – “Do I believe the people I work for are good people?”
2. Competence trust – “Do I trust that leadership knows what they’re doing?”
3. Communication trust – “Are we talking openly and often about what matters most?”

Without all three, even the best strategic plan falls apart.

“If people don’t know who we are, where we’re going, or why it matters, they’ll hold back,” said Heather. Trust is what allows people to lean in emotionally and give their best.

“If people don’t know who we are, where we’re going, or why it matters, they’ll hold back.”

BJ expands with some specifics. “When trust is missing, everything slows down. Sales teams miss targets. Operations teams build backlogs.” He says, “People stop giving discretionary effort because, what’s the point?”

When trust is high, things get done faster and cheaper. When it’s low, everything drags.

Case study: Change creates a breakthrough

In this episode, BJ also shares a powerful case study from a longtime client – a 1,500-person healthcare technology organization that had been struggling with 70% annual turnover on the frontlines.

They had data, engagement surveys, and feedback, but one critical player was missing: the CEO.

“Every time we debriefed results,” BJ recalled, “the CEO wasn’t in the room. That was my first red flag.”

Without activation from above, their trust issues spread like cracks in concrete.

The executive team operated in silos. Nine C-level leaders were essentially running their own ‘mini-companies,’ instead of working toward a shared goal. The result? Widespread disengagement and stalled progress.

Then everything shifted.

A new CEO joined the organization. She showed up. She listened. She engaged.

With ADVISA’s Leadership + Culture Assessment^®, the team began vulnerable, facilitated conversations about what was really happening beneath the surface. They refreshed their mission and vision, reduced seven values down to four that mattered most, and tied them directly to behaviors and leadership competencies.

For the first time, they were rowing in the same direction.

“Trust begins when leaders say, ‘Some of this is my fault,'” Heather summarizes. “When people see humility and ownership at the top, they start to believe again.”

Vulnerability can spark alignment. In this case, the leadership team finally agreed: before pushing culture down, they had to live it themselves.

As BJ put it, “They flipped the script from fixing others to transforming themselves.”

“Trust begins when leaders say, ‘Some of this is my fault.'”

Ways you can build trust and shared purpose

You don’t need to be a Fortune 500 company to make meaningful cultural change. Start here:

1. Audit your clarity

Ask:

• Do people know your mission, vision, and values?
• Are they inspiring, action-oriented, and emotionally resonant?

If the answer isn’t a resounding “yes!” put that toward the top of your to-do list.

2. Translate values into behaviors

Words like teamwork and integrity are empty until people know what they look like in action.

Define the behaviors that bring your values to life – then coach and reward against them.

3. Ritualize your culture

Bake your values into performance reviews, team meetings, and recognition moments.

At ADVISA, we literally pass a trophy each month to teammates who best embody our core values — a small act with lasting impact.

4. Model vulnerability from the top

Executives set the cultural temperature. Admitting mistakes, asking for feedback, and connecting authentically aren’t signs of weakness — they’re prerequisites for trust.

5. Measure what matters

Take ADVISA’s free 5-minute culture check. You’ll get immediate feedback on strengths and opportunities across all five ATLAS drivers – and a place to start the next conversation.

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ATLAS framework for cultural competitive advantage

To help organizations create the culture they need to succeed, ADVISA developed the ATLAS framework – five critical drivers that, when aligned, create cultural competitive advantage:

• Activation from Above – executive ownership of culture
• Trust and Shared Purpose – clear mission, vision, and values
• Leader Effectiveness – equipping leaders to model the right mindsets and behaviors
• Actionable People Data – putting people insights in leaders’ hands
• Systems that support leaders – aligning processes, tools, and norms with the desired culture

When these five drivers work together, culture stops being abstract – it becomes the engine that propels business results.

Take the free, 5-minute culture check!

Find out where your organization stands today – in just minutes! Plus, it’s free. ADVISA’s online ATLAS Navigator tool gives you a snapshot of strengths and opportunities across the five drivers. It’s a great conversation starter for leaders, managers, and teams who want to begin the culture journey with clarity.

👉 Take the ATLAS Navigator five-minute culture check here!

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Key takeaways

• Trust is multi-dimensional. It’s built through character, competence, and communication. When leaders say one thing but do another, trust erodes fast.
• Mission, vision, and values are the spine of culture. Without clear, inspiring, and behaviorally defined anchors, people can’t align or commit emotionally.
• Leadership vulnerability is a game-changer. Cultural transformation starts when leaders own their role in creating problems and model openness and humility.
• Trust fuels performance. When trust is high, things get done faster and at lower cost; when it’s low, everything slows down.
• Culture change begins at the top. Training frontline leaders doesn’t stick if executives aren’t actively modeling shared purpose and consistent behavior.

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About Culture Starts Here

All episodes

• Watch Culture Starts Here, Ep1: Meet ATLAS
• Watch Culture Starts Here, Ep2: One thing your C-Suite absolutely can’t delegate
• Watch Culture Starts Here, Ep3: Do Mission, Vision, and Values Really Matter?

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RELATED RESOURCES

ADVISA

• Get your free 5-minute Culture Check!
• Connect with Heather on LinkedIn
• Connect with BJ on LinkedIn

CultureCon

• Learn more about Culturecon

PeopleForward Network

• Other podcasts from PeopleForward Network, the producers of The CultureCon Podcast and Culture Starts Here