Living Into Values

We all have core values. They are the framework we live by. They shape our belief system and our way of doing things. Some of these values are more sacred than others. We would be hard pressed to waiver on the ones we hold the most dear. The most common stated values are integrity, honesty, kindness, spiritual faith and hard work.

Making this list is relatively easy. Acting it out, day by day, especially under pressure or when no one is looking, is the challenging part. These moments are the traps which bring out our true values, and perhaps not those we wish represented us. Our deepest values, the ones we're most committed to, are habitual. They show up in everything we do, whether we state them or not. They are the non-fiction version of ourselves. And, we don't need to think about them. We've practiced them so much, they merely happen.

Our values don't happen just because we believe in them. They happen because we practice them...we live into them. We aren't kind just because we want to be kind. We're kind because we act kindly. And the more we do so, the more we become the kind person other people see.

Our values are not static. They change as we change, through our experiences, our trials and through learning. Values are part of the growth process. They're an integral part of our journey, serving as the guideposts for who we are seeking to become. And, as we change, as our beliefs change, we need to develop new habits to support our evolving values. This takes intention and practice. If we hold punctuality dear (because we value another person's time), we can get better at it if we practice. Over time, if we form the habit of being punctual, we'll be seen more as a selfless person, and one who doesn't waste other people's time.

The key to living into your values is to make them habitual, so they happen without much thought. We need to turn pro at acting out our values. Like any other profession, start small, practice a lot, be honest with ourselves about progress, make adjustments, rinse and repeat. For instance, if we want to be seen as generous, we can start by making one person smile each day. Not two, three or four. Just one. If we do this well, one always turns into two.

All values are a possibility if we decide to live into them. Choose wisely.

Alignment

Think of the last ten separations, voluntary or involuntary, between your company and an employee. What was the cause of the failed relationship? Was it the lack of hard skills, i.e., competence? Was it not showing up? Was it a poor attitude? Or, was it failed company leadership, coaching and nurturing? Perhaps it was more than what's seen on the surface.

Most separations between an employer and an employee have little to do with the hard skills and competence. More often, just like a failed personal relationship, the root cause of these break-ups runs deeper, into the values and beliefs of both parties.

When someone regularly doesn't show up with their best self, it's rooted in the lack of care and commitment to growth. They don't care about the same things as much as we do. And, they don't value personal growth as much as we would like them to. They're not committed to forward motion, first on a personal level, which in turn fuels the organization they're plugged into.

The time to understand someone's values and cultural alignment is at the beginning of the journey together, or even better before the ship sets sail. The primary purpose of any interview then is for both sides to understand what makes the other tick, and how much alignment or misalignment there may be on a cultural level. More specifically, it should help us determine where we're going and why, who we will become, what we can contribute and what change we seek to make? The rest, the technical parts, experience and eduction are subordinate to the culture. They're important for sure. But, not the most critical. It's more important to understand dreams, passions, goals and why we're at the table...because that's what we get excited about. And what we get excited about is what gets us to show up fully everyday, even when we don't feel like it.

Alignment matters...a lot.