Let's be honest. As soon as we start talking about values in the workplace, people's eyes start to roll.
And fair enough, too.
So many organisations have values up on the wall that don't tie directly to any tangible behaviours or accountability.
So many organisations "do vision and values" at some kind of executive retreat, and then never integrate them into the rest of the business.
So many organisations encourage or reward behaviours that are counter to their stated values.
So how should we think about values in the workplace?
As with everything we do, the first place to start is with ourselves. Who we are is how we lead.
So when we think about values, we start with individuals. What are your values?
At this point, someone will inevitably ask whether we mean personal or professional values. But there can be no difference.
Think about it. How could you reconcile a personal value of family with professional values of dedication and hard work?
If you want to live a life of integrity — where who you are on the inside matches who you are on the outside — then you cannot distinguish between personal and professional values.
We have an exercise we use to help people identify and articulate their values.
We start with a huge list of possible values: love, courage, family, faith, etc.
We ask people to put a tick mark next to their top 10.
We then ask people to put a second tick mark next to their top five.
Finally, we ask people to circle their top two — at which point, we hear:
"This is so hard! How can I possibly choose two?"
So here are the five questions I use to identify core values:
What values represent me when I'm at my very best?
What are my most foundational values? If I'm trying to choose between love and family, could love be the foundational value from which my commitment to family arises?
What values would I want to bring into the arena? When I'm gearing up for a difficult conversation, what can I rely on to help me stay grounded?
Can I use these values as a filter for decision-making?
And, finally, when everything turns to custard — when the business is failing and the marriage is falling apart and things are at their darkest — if I behaved according to these values, would I be able to look myself in the mirror and be okay with what I see?
We've done this values exercise with more than 1,000 people, and I can tell you it is transformative.
It doesn't take much: all you need is the willingness to set aside cynicism and the willingness to be vulnerable.
Of course, there's a whole separate piece of work to bring these to life in your organisation, but understanding our individual values is the start.
And don't you want to know who you are when you're at your very best?
Ngā mihi mahana,
Kaila
Kaila Colbin, Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator
Co-founder, Boma Global // CEO, Boma NZ
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