WHAT'S IMPORTANT
Kenton and Cheryl have presented us with a valuable gift by clarifying the process of identifying those values that influence our decisions and behavior. They have developed a model that brings safety to the reflection process and invites engagement by those who may feel excluded from this vital conversation.
–Robert N. Thomas, Professor of the Practice, Institute of Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology
VALUES MOVE THE WORLD
Simply put, values are energy. They motivate us, so that we want to move toward the people and things we feel share our values -- and away from the ones we feel do not. Our values direct attention. And what we pay attention to -- how we prioritize things in our lives, how we make decisions and what actions we take, in every moment -- together create the world as we each experience it. Some values have been with us since early in life, and may stay with us for a lifetime. Others become more important with life experience and the realization that we can choose our values. It's up to us.
Values move us, always. They filter our perceptions of the world, both consciously and unconsciously -- even at the cellular level. Our values profoundly affect our relationships, our livelihood, our health and our quality of life.
We can change our values. It is up to us to decide what is most important and give it priority.
It makes a difference what value combines with what other. Our values clusters make us unique.
What Respect means to me and what Respect means to you may be very different things. Having a values dialogue can make the difference between conflict and communication.
Thinking about values
Our Book: What’s Important
It’s About Values. What’s Important is about Values Perspectives: a different way of looking at and working with values, whether you want to really understand what drives your own life and work choices; or if you want to build a foundation of shared values energy with your team, or, align your organization behind a truly Read more about Our Book: What’s Important[…]
Managing Millennials and Engaging Values at Work
According to a recent, major research report by the Gallup organization, How Millennials Want to Work and Live, only 29% of millennials are “engaged” at work. The other 71% are either not engaged or are actively disengaged. Why does this matter? According to Gallup, “business units in the top quartile of employee engagement are 17% more Read more about Managing Millennials and Engaging Values at Work[…]
Values-Driven Leadership
“Values Driven Leadership” is an in depth look at leadership styles as they develop from the Values Perspective model. Four basic styles describe a wide variety of priorities and behaviors in a simple to understand model and discussion. This exploration into leadership is not yet another leadership prescription, offering what should be done. It is Read more about Values-Driven Leadership[…]
Change Your Story = Change Your Direction
The story you tell about yourself may be told in a subtle or forceful way, but the power it has to direct your future is unmistakable. When you take charge of your story, and decide to make changes in it, others respond. They may support or resist what they hear, but if your new story
Graduated and Scared to Death? Time to Learn and Tell Your Core Story
We conducted a recent workshop with undergraduates, new graduates and faculty at a university business school in Canada. For a lot of them, the question is “what now?” The premise we started with is: learn yourself and learn to tell your story with clarity and confidence. Getting there requires that each person gets to his Read more about Graduated and Scared to Death? Time to Learn and Tell Your Core Story[…]
Use Your Values to Prepare for That Job Interview
Looking for a job is one of the more difficult things in life. And it almost makes things more difficult when well meaning friends turn into advisors. “Don’t take it personally,” they say, particularly in regard to the inevitable rejections that one must tolerate. But being selected, or not, is personal on some level. It’s Read more about Use Your Values to Prepare for That Job Interview[…]
The Internet – A Phase Shift in the Value of Belonging
Facebook now has more than 800 million active users. Google+ just started, and already has over 100 million active users. Wikipedia names more than 200 separate social networking sites, representing a growing diversity of interests. Even though the remarkable growth of social networks has been leveling off, nearly one billion users is a lot of Read more about The Internet – A Phase Shift in the Value of Belonging[…]
Storytelling in a Civil Engineering Company
Storytelling is a powerful vehicle for persuasion. We work with a large civil engineering company, where engineers, estimators and business managers rotate from the field into an employee development advocate role. Their job is to identify development needs in their business unit. Some of these people like to say that they have come into the role with Read more about Storytelling in a Civil Engineering Company[…]