Bill Nelson

As we continue to take the blog in many different directions it never ceases to amaze me how diverse the questions can be. They are all great, and I hope that my responses have some ability to shed some clarity and provided insight so that you can answer the questions for yourself.

So with that said let's get into what we are here for.

This months question is:

There seems to be this ongoing push by businesses and the like to tie their employees together through a set of values. Why do you think that sometimes individuals don't uphold these values and in the process bring the team to it's knees.

I have been known to announce on numerous occasions that it is important what you stand for but not as important as what you are prepared to stand up against.


Why?

Because I believe talk is cheap. It is what you are prepared to do to make sure your talk is not just that.

And there will be no greater test of you, who you are and what you are about, as to when you are put in that   position, that will demand you represent your values.

Now these values can either be personal, team or organisational.

I have sat in on and run so many meetings, discussions, workshops and conferences where people and or teams are working towards creating, understanding, and developing their values. Questions, comments differing opinions, debate all of it and a whole lot more, an important part of the journey of discovering and finalising the values. And as challenging as this journey maybe, it is the easiest part.

Now I didn't say easy, I said easiest. Because the reality is developing your values isn't easy, if it is done properly. To be done properly the concept of developing values will require a lot. It will become a search of individual discovery and understanding. It will require a high level of soul searching and understanding of thinking, beliefs and standards.

But even with a huge level of commitment to outline the right values, the statements that represent you, your team or your organisation, creating the values is still the easiest part.

So if creating a set of values is the easiest part, then what is the hard part?

The hard part is actually living them.



Living the values, the standards, the beliefs that represent you, your team or your organisation. The desire, belief and commitment to make sure your values are not compromised for any reason.

This is the hard part.

The preparedness not to compromise your values, no matter what, is a standard that has to be understood and be understood really well. It has to be understood as much as when you are creating your values, and when you are living them.

You see once these values are put out on public display, they become an insight to you and what you are about. They are reflection of the standards, the beliefs and the worth of those they represent.

So there are some very careful considerations that need to be realised when you are in the creation phase and that is, there is no sense creating a set of life principles that when adversity or opportunity arises that you have no hope or preparedness to uphold your values.

Simply, if you put your values out on public display and in the process, say this is who we are, this is what I am about, this is what we stand for and then, the first time the values are put to the test you, for whatever reason, go missing in action you will soon be known as an individual, a team or an organisation that doesn't really stand for anything.

The true worth of values is not what you say they are, it is how they make you think, act and behave.

Values are designed to shape attitudes, actions and behaviors. They are there to hold you accountable and responsible to the standards that are you.

So what things could put these values to the test. What aspects of life could cause you to compromise your personal, team or organisational values?

There may be many there maybe few, But in my experience there are two.

1. Personal Cost
2. Personal Benefit

These are the two aspects of everyday life that have an ability to put the greatest amount of pressure on you to walk away from the statements that represent how you operate.

1. Personal Cost



To what degree, will you lose out before you start to contemplate the notion of compromising your values?

• If you are asked to do something or you will lose your job what would you do?

• If you though a relationship might end if you don't behave in a certain way what would you do?

• If your values cause you to be put in a difficult situation what would you do?

Now as you can see, there are numerous situations that could cause you to lose out if you stick to your values. But this is the true test of you and how important these values are.

I would hope that the reasons you would walk away from your values should be very few and far between, if at all. Obviously there is a need for common sense to prevail, whilst you are sticking to your values. In that it doesn't cause you physical harm or it doesn't cause major problems for others.

But other than these rare exceptions, there is nothing that should cause you to compromise your values and beliefs.

As I said earlier it is never going to be easy, but it always going to be important that you remain true to yourself and those values.

2. Personal Benefit



Financial
Professional
Relationship
Opportunity

Are just a sample of the type of benefits that could come your way and as they do, will they also cause you to decide advantage or values?

Hopefully regardless of the size of the windfall the values will hold you to the standard. They are important to you, that important that you will take the values over the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, every single time.

In the end there are many different benefits and loses that could cause you to contemplate compromising your values. What will they be?   Only time will tell.

But to be honest, does it really matter?

Isn't the comfort and confidence of knowing that no matter what or when the smoke settles, there you will be standing tall and proud because of the values that you have upheld.

The values that show the world this is who you are, this is what we are about, this is what we stand for, but above all else, this is what we will stand up against to represent our values.

The Journey Continues!