From Wall Hangings to Working Principles: How AI Can Finally Make Purpose, Vision and Values Operational
- Barry Thomas
- Jun 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 12
Most organisations have them: carefully crafted statements of Purpose, Vision and Values (PVV), often born from expensive offsites and passionate workshops. Yet despite the best intentions, these foundational principles typically end up as attractive wall hangings in reception areas rather than living guides for daily decision-making. The gap between aspiration and operation has plagued organisations for decades.
The problem isn't lack of commitment or poor intentions. It's simply that under the pressure of getting things done, stopping to consciously reference PVV in every decision is unwieldy and impractical. But what if there was a way to seamlessly weave these principles into every significant discussion and decision without adding friction to the workflow?
The PVV Implementation Challenge
Research consistently shows that while executives believe their organisation's values are well communicated and understood, only a third of employees agree[1]. This disconnect isn't surprising when we consider the practical realities of modern work. In the flow of daily operations, who has time to pause and ask, "How does this align with our purpose?" or "Which of our values should guide this decision?"
The traditional approaches to embedding PVV (posters, training sessions, performance metrics) have proven insufficient. They create awareness but don't solve the fundamental problem: PVV consideration needs to be frictionless and contextual, not an additional step in an already complex process.
Why PVV Are Your Survival Mechanism
In an increasingly volatile and fast-moving world, Purpose, Vision and Values aren't corporate luxuries. They're your navigation system through chaos. When markets shift overnight, technologies disrupt entire industries, and customer expectations evolve at digital speed, organisations need more than strategy documents. They need a clear sense of who they are and why they exist.
Consider the companies that have thrived through multiple disruptions versus those that haven't. The survivors share a common trait: a deeply embedded sense of purpose that guides decisions when the playbook no longer applies[2]. When COVID-19 upended business models overnight, organisations with clear values about customer care and employee wellbeing adapted faster and more coherently than those driven purely by quarterly targets.
Your PVV are your competitive differentiation when products can be copied, services commoditised, and business models disrupted. They're what enable rapid, aligned decision-making when there's no time for lengthy deliberations. They're why customers choose you when alternatives are functionally identical. Most critically, they're what holds your organisation together when external forces threaten to tear it apart.
AI: A New Lens for an Old Problem
The rise of AI assistants and agents in organisations presents an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine how PVV work. Unlike previous technologies, AI can understand context, process natural language, and—crucially—introduce relevant considerations at precisely the right moment.
Imagine an AI assistant that has your organisation's PVV embedded in its core context. Not as rigid rules to be mechanically applied, but as fundamental principles that inform its contributions to discussions and decision-making. This isn't about AI making values-based decisions autonomously; it's about AI serving as an intelligent prompter that naturally introduces PVV considerations where they're most relevant and valuable.
How It Would Work in Practice
Consider a product team discussing a new feature that could significantly boost revenue but might compromise user privacy. An AI assistant with the company's values embedded in its context could:
Recognise the tension between financial opportunity and stated values around customer trust
Surface relevant past decisions where similar trade-offs were navigated
Suggest frameworks for evaluating the decision through the lens of company values
Draft communications that explain the decision in terms of organisational purpose
The key is that this happens naturally within the flow of work. The AI doesn't interrupt with heavy-handed reminders about values; instead, it integrates these considerations into its analysis, suggestions, and outputs.
Beyond Generic Ethics to Organisational Identity
This approach differs fundamentally from current discussions about "responsible AI" or "ethical AI," which focus on making AI systems generically ethical. While those efforts are important, they miss the opportunity to use AI to strengthen each organisation's unique identity and decision-making culture.
Every organisation's PVV are different. A startup might value "move fast and experiment" while a healthcare provider prioritises "first, do no harm." By configuring AI assistants with these specific principles, organisations can ensure their unique culture and values are reflected in daily operations, not just annual reports.
Implementation Considerations
Making this vision reality requires thoughtful implementation:
1. Context Design: PVV must be translated into rich context that AI can effectively use. This means moving beyond simple statements to include examples, trade-offs, and decision frameworks.
2. Selective Application: AI should be sophisticated enough to know when PVV considerations are genuinely relevant versus when they would be intrusive or performative.
3. Evolution and Learning: As organisations make decisions, AI should learn from these examples, building an increasingly nuanced understanding of how PVV apply in practice.
4. Transparency: Users need to understand when and how AI is applying PVV considerations to maintain trust and accountability.
The Competitive Advantage of Aligned Operations
Organisations that successfully implement AI-supported PVV integration could gain significant advantages:
Decision Speed: Teams can move faster knowing that values considerations are built into their AI-assisted workflows
Cultural Strength: Consistent application of PVV strengthens organisational culture and identity
Risk Mitigation: Potential values conflicts are surfaced early, before they become crises
Employee Engagement: Staff feel more connected to organisational purpose when it's visibly integrated into daily work
A Call for Experimentation
While comprehensive platforms for PVV-integrated AI don't yet exist, organisations can begin experimenting today. Custom AI assistants can be configured with company-specific contexts. Teams can test how AI introductions of values considerations affect decision-making quality and speed.
The organisations that figure this out first won't just have better wall hangings. They'll have working principles that guide every significant decision. In an era where purpose-driven organisations consistently outperform their peers, that's a competitive advantage worth pursuing.
But more than competitive advantage, this is about competitive survival. In a world where disruption is constant and change is accelerating, your Purpose, Vision and Values aren't just what you stand for. They're what you stand on. Making them operational through AI isn't just an opportunity; it's an imperative for organisations that intend to thrive through whatever comes next.
The technology is ready. The need is clear. The question now is: which organisations will lead in making their purpose, vision and values truly operational through AI?
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