Why are so few companies values-driven? Even when they start down that path, why do they wind up dead-ended?

A 2012 study shows “employees want their organizations to display honesty and integrity in business activities,” and “when leaders behave consistently with the core values, they earn employees’ trust and confidence.”

More so, it makes good business sense—research shows that highly trusted companies significantly outperform their less-trusted peers in the marketplace.

So why do so many companies fail in their efforts? Here’s a true story and the five common errors they made that will derail any effort, including yours.

A true and typical story

This is a true story, but the name has been withheld to protect… well, frankly, me. It is an organization I am involved with. But it really doesn’t matter who the company is because, sadly, it’s a pretty common story.

Someone on the leadership team suggested it would be a good idea to identify company values. The task was assigned to a small group to bring back to the team.

 …