Your “Values” are the things that come out when you answer the question, “What’s most important to you in the context of [whatever it is]”. Our values tend to be context-sensitive in that the things most important to us at home may be a bit different to those at work, though you would expect considerable overlap in key areas.Our values underlie our beliefs and our motives, so understanding your own values often makes your more aware of your beliefs and some of the reasons you do the things you do. Understanding your team members’ values works the same, and having you and them understand each other’s values assists greatly in working together harmoniously because each can better see “where the other is coming from”. Leading everyone in a team to understand other people’s values, and to then agree on a core of common values for the team, is what a “values alignment” is all about.A spin off of any values elicitation is the ease that it provides in articulating sensible and consistent “rules of the game” for a business in the form of your Code of Conduct, Team Charter, Customer Care Charter, etc.Having said that however, knowing and respecting your values can also render “rules” almost obsolete in that working from “values as first principles” anyone in the team can work out a way of handling almost any situation in a way that is consistent with those values. Neat!
In a way, you can think of Values as forming the “boundaries of desired behaviour”. Anyone operating within those boundaries is likely to produce a result that will work in the context of that team and work towards the achievement of the team’s goals.
Clearly enunciated and agreed values form the backbone of disciplined action coordinated towards the achievement of common goals.
Four Key Concepts
Values are one of the Four Key Concepts that any business person needs to clarify relatively early in their game, the four being, in order: Vision, Mission, Values, and Goals.
Without a Vision, there is nothing to aim for.
Without a Mission, there is no path to follow.
Without Values there are no boundaries to action.
Without Goals there is no motivation or measure of progress.
Help
If you would like help in clarifying the Four Key Concepts for your business, contact Peter Rowe or Judi Reid on 1300 2 PROFIT (1 300 277 634) or email info@profitune.com
