The Quiet Shift: What ANZ Removing “Respect” Really Signals

So you’ve probably seen the headlines about ANZ removing “Respect” as a corporate value.

And naturally, the reaction is:

“Wait… what?”

It feels bold. Maybe even a little concerning.

But before jumping to conclusions, it’s worth unpacking what’s really going on, because this isn’t as simple as a company deciding respect no longer matters.

Let’s Be Real... It’s Not About Removing Respect

ANZ hasn’t said respect is irrelevant. They haven’t told employees to stop valuing each other.

What they’ve done is stop calling it out explicitly.

Instead, they’ve simplified their values to focus on things like:

• Delivering outcomes

• Taking ownership

• Working together

• Putting customers first

In other words:

👉 Less about what sounds right, more about what drives results.

Why Make This Move?

Because words like “respect”, while important, are also:

• Broad

• Subjective

• Hard to measure

And right now, a lot of organisations are shifting toward clearer, more performance-based expectations.

It’s easier to assess:

• Did you deliver?

• Did you take ownership?

• Did you contribute to the team?

Than it is to measure something like “respect,” which can mean different things to different people.

But Here’s Where It Gets Interesting

When something is no longer explicitly stated… it can quietly become less visible.

That’s the part people are reacting to.

Because even if respect is assumed, it’s no longer:

• A headline expectation

• A clearly reinforced behaviour

• A defined standard

And in workplaces, what isn’t clearly defined often becomes inconsistent.

What This Signals About Workplace Culture

This move from ANZ reflects a bigger shift happening across companies right now:

➡️ Moving away from “feel-good” value statements

➡️ Moving toward accountability, clarity, and output

It’s not about being less human.

It’s about being more direct.

But there’s a balance.

Because high performance without clear behavioural standards?

That’s where culture can start to slip.

What This Means for You

If you’re an employee, here’s the real takeaway:

Don’t just pay attention to what companies say they value.

Pay attention to what they choose to remove.

Because that tells you:

• What gets measured

• What gets prioritised

• And what might get overlooked

“Respect” shouldn’t need to be written down to exist.

But in reality?

The things that are written down are the things that get reinforced.

So the question isn’t:

“Does respect still matter?”

It’s:

👉 Who’s responsible for defining it now?

Because culture isn’t built on words.

It’s built on what’s expected and what’s enforced, every single day.