Let’s start with the Random House Webster’s Dictionary definition of values:

"The abstract concept of what is right or worthwhile. To consider with respect to worth or importance."

This definition, although articulate, seems rather nebulous. Now consider how Arthur Burk defines values:

"A value is an abstract concept that is embraced at the expense of personal comfort."

This definition suggests that to live in harmony with their values, people are willing to sacrifice their personal comfort. If this is true, these people may even be willing to do things that others do not agree with, so they can stay aligned with their values. But does this definition also suggest that differing values between people, organizations and ethnic groups may actually cause conflict? Is this some great new discovery?

Of course not. As members of the human race, we have recognized for thousands of years that differing values can and do cause conflict. However, if we respect each other properly, differing values don’t have to cause conflict. I would like to propose the following definition of values:

"A value is an abstract concept that a person is willing to embrace at the expense of personal comfort."

Most people will sacrifice their personal comfort for their most important values and it happens often but if we, as a society, are more aware and respectful of others and their values we can reduce the rate and severity of values-based conflict. So why don’t we spend more time trying to understand each other’s values? Why don’t we try to ensure that our values are aligned with our organization’s values? And if alignment is not possible, why don’t we at least try to understand why people react the way they do? Why don’t we build a plan to deal with these differences?

These are interesting questions that each of us really need to give some deep thought. If we could spend some time listening to those around us and understanding their values and building a relationship with them that is based on mutual respect of the differing value systems there would be a lot less conflict in our world.

September 11th, 2001 I was sitting in a bid review meeting in Houston, Texas (about 3500 miles from my home in Calgary, Alberta) when the news of the World Trade center was delivered like a ton of bricks to me via a cell phone call from my wife. This event stirred up many emotions from every person all around the world. The people in the meeting reacted with shock and disbelief and most were driven by their basic, most important values which were security of self and family. Due to this commitment, many people left what they were doing and returned home to be with their families. Outside our meeting, many people across North America were driven by their faith/religious values and spent time praying for the victims and their families. Others were driven by the values of loyalty and commitment to their country and left their homes and relatives and headed for New York to do what they could to help out. Still others (New York fire and police departments) were driven by their value of courage and stepped into harms way to help others in need at the site of the tragedy itself.

Everyone has differing concepts of what they are willing to embrace at the expense of personal comfort. This difference in values is one of the things that makes us, as people, different from each other. It is also important to note that individuals in society must have different values in order for our society to function properly. Can you imagine what would have happened after the events of 9/11 if everyone in the US would have went home to be with their families and not one person went to the site of the tragedy to provide support and assistance? Or if everyone went to the site and no one went home to be with the children and other family members that needed support and comforting?

Values between individuals can be and should be different. However, it is up to us to ensure that these differences in values are viewed positively as well as used positively. Do not fall into the trap of values based conflict.

What are values in the workplace and why are they important?

To answer this we need to start with a definition of corporate values. Corporate values can be defined in much the same way as we defined individual values:

A corporate value is an abstract concept that a corporation is willing to embrace at the expense of corporate comfort.

Essentially, corporations set their values with the expectation that their leaders will model the values and their employees with buy into the value system and use the values as a vehicle to travel towards the company's mission and vision. In doing so, they must ensure that the values they pick are truly the values that will be modeled in every circumstance. Any deviation from these values by the leadership in the company can have serious short term and long term implications.

Essentially the corporation's values are its very foundation.

Companies having shared values that are consistently modeled within the organization results in:

• Employees focused on what is important to the organization


• Less stress on individuals


• Less tension between individuals and departments


• Enthusiasm in the workplace


• Pride in work


• Direction in the workplace


• Less bureaucracy


• Positive attitudes


• Positive momentum

One does not have to look too far to find examples of companies that did not have proper alignment around a value system and paid the price in the marketplace;

• WorldCom


• Enron


• Bre-X

Fortunately there are many examples of companies that have built themselves around their values;

• Disney


• Home Depot


• Walmart


• Starbucks

According to William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre in their book Mavericks at Work, companies should use values to help define a corporate purpose because "high minded values can drive cutting edge corporate performance".

They went on to say that "Great companies are built on genuine passion, plus a day to day commitment to great execution. Employees won't feel the passion, and can't maintain the operating discipline, unless they feel good about what the company sells and the values that it stands for."

I recently heard of an excellent example of this from a friend of mine. He told me that they had a client that was calling into their customer support center and was very abrasive and abusive to the staff that he was talking with. As a result there were a number of staff who refused to talk to this client when he called. On one occasion this client called for technical support and was so abusive over the phone that the customer care representative was reduced to tears.

My friend is the head of this customer support group and he told me that his company values their employees and that they state this as one of the company values. When he was made aware of this situation and the fact that it had been going on for some time, he set up a meeting with this abusive client and gave him his money back for his customer support contract and told him that he did not want him as a client any longer.

This is a great example of a company and its leadership modeling the values that they state. Many other companies would value the revenue more than the employees and would try to find ways to keep this abusive client at the expense of their employees and at the expense of their own reputation.

Employees immediately take note when positive actions of the corporation align with the stated corporate values. This provides positive energy and motivation for employees.

William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre go on to say that ...But they {great companies} understand that what it means to be great is as much about values as virtuosity, as much about what makes people tick {individual's Strength Zone} as how much they know. and that ...the most powerful way to create economic value is to embrace a set of values that goes beyond just amassing power, and that business, at its best, is too exciting, too important, and too much fun to be left to the dead hand of business as usual. (Bracketed text is my insertion.)

John C. Maxwell takes this concept one step further and indicates that in today's high paced, high stress, high stakes world, ONLY companies that are firmly founded on a value system that is properly modeled and adhered to can be successful. He stated;

The only way you can increase speed and stay on course, is everyone knowing and living the company's values. John C. Maxwell

So we can see that it is extremely important for leadership in an organization to always model the values that they state. Failure to do this will results in the employees losing confidence in the organization and its leadership. As Ralph Waldo Emerson says 'Your actions are speaking so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying".

This alignment around corporate values empowers the employees and the corporation as a whole to drive forward towards the achievement of their goals using an agreed upon and consistent vehicle for their progress - this vehicle is Corporate Values.

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