Your Values

We all have certain Values that underlie how we live our lives.

By defining our Values and the intentions of our Values, we then have a filter to guide our actions and behaviours.

If a business does not collectively (that is – as a group) define the Values of their organisation and collaboratively set the context of who they are – then their team and stakeholders will do it for them, with a mash of their individual values and beliefs, to make up an operating context for the business.

They will ‘fill-in’ the gaps.

This mash-up may organically work, but it also may not be the in the collective best interest of the organisation or the majority of their stakeholders.  Without conscious, collectively defined Values (and intentions) for the organisation – there is no mechanism, or guide, for the leaders and team members to actively use to redirect and positively self-correct throughout their day to day.

So, without defined operating Values, the culture of the organisation, ‘how things are done around here’, has no conscious guiding system, and because it is undirected, it may go off track. In fact, it is likely to.

The absence of defined, activated and managed operating Values, leaves a gap for the context of the organisation, it’s culture, to be commandeered by a few strong individuals. And because their conscious or unconscious operating system or beliefs on ‘how things should be done’, is based on the heart of who they are, their ‘way’ is likely to be defended as though their life depended on it.

So, when a business has gone off track and is suffering from an unhealthy culture and is experiencing negative and destructive behaviours in the workplace, there is no point examining and trying to correct the behaviours. You will never be able to unravel the labyrinth of interactions and happenings in the workplace environment that led to these systemic unhealthy behaviours – (these are not linear, nor logical).

You are better to reboot the system.

Get your team together – get buy in, input and consensus about who you are as an organisation and with what Values and intentions are going to guide your way into the future.

When you do this – you are empowering everyone in your team with the understanding to positively contribute to, activate and manage how you do things in your workplace. You are giving your team members the independence to consciously take charge, self-direct and self-determine for the good of the whole team, your stakeholders and your business. With these guidelines your team can also positively, innovatively and consistently navigate any situation, terrain or market condition.

I encourage all of my workshoppers to come up with their very own ‘values cocktail’. This helps them to express, activate and live their values.

It can also help to use your values like a ‘Hat Trick’. Here I explore Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats concept.

X Cath

Conscious Business

Integrate your truth