Catapulted by Dave Jennings

Author:Dave Jennings [Jennings, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60037-813-3
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2009-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

The smiles of my family and friends stream across my mind as I contemplate my values. I think of playing and laughing with my family, but those aren’t my only thoughts. I also think about work and my desire to make a difference. My values affect all areas of my life.

“So, when was the last time you really took time to reflect on what you stand for?” Alfred interrupts my thoughts. I didn’t even know he had come back into the room.

“It has been awhile, but everyone knows I am basically a good guy,” I respond a bit startled.

“That is not the question. The question has to do with what you say you value and what actions prove your declaration. You see, my good man, you and I tend to dismiss the outcomes of our behaviors because we know deep down inside what we meant to do. We can become offended because other people take things so personally. Yet, other people naturally take our actions personally because from their point of view the impact is personal. You see, we tend to discount our own behaviors and put a premium on others’ behaviors.

“Let me ask you a question. If I offered you a job for a million dollars a year, would you take it?”

“Well, it depends.”

“On what?”

“Well, lots of things. Where it is? What do I have to do? Who do I have to work with? What risks do I have to take? What skills would I get to develop? Is it legal? What impact will it have? How much time would I have with my family? How much travel? How secure is the job?”

“Why won’t you just take the money?”

“Well, it may require me to do something I don’t like or don’t believe in.”

“Precisely! Values drive your decisions and affect the path to your destination. You wouldn’t consider making the decision without consulting your values, yet too many managers just proceed through their job without a clear foundation.”

“Value setting involves making a sincere choice about who you are today and who you will become tomorrow. Not only must you be clear on your values, but just as important, you must choose specific behaviors that represent your values. You can do this for your organization as well as for yourself.”

“But I don’t want to impose my values on others.”

“You already are. People already feel the impact of your values through your everyday behaviors. Having a conversation with your team about what matters most to you—and to them—does not impose but rather clarifies. And, just as you need to be clear on your values, the team needs to be clear on what they will stand for as individuals and as a team.”

“So, how do I get started?”

“I recommend three things:

Make a list of your top values. What are the factors that really drive your actions?

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.