How Do Our Values Impact Our Business
Sep 02, 2020The things that we value, that we believe about the world, are typically set inside us at a young age. That is not to say that those values don’t change and adjust over time but the majority of them are set without thinking about them.
If we say that we value integrity but are willing to lie on our taxes to save a couple of dollars, the value we truly hold is not integrity.
If we say we value people and we regularly show up late for meetings, we are really being selfish and not valuing the people we claim to value.
Our personal values impact our business because they impact the choices that we make.
Ultimately we are true to our REAL or core VALUES and many times those values aren’t consistent with what we think they are, because we aren’t honest with ourselves about the values that are truly important to us and how they represent what we believe about the world.
Personally, I won’t sacrifice my integrity for $5, $5000 or even 5 million dollars. If you put a price on your values and you are willing to sell them to the highest bidder, your choices reveal your core values.
I also won’t sacrifice my relationships for my work. My family is more important than my work and I will cancel a meeting or rearrange my schedule to honor my family, to attend important events or to help walk alongside my kids when they are in a sticky situation. Many people sacrifice their family for business but the price is too high.
I won’t sacrifice my faith for business. I don’t expect everyone to have the same faith as me but I won’t act differently than my faith dictates for the sake of closing a deal.
Our true values will be revealed in our transactions and our relationships.
I encourage you to know what is truly important to you and never to make decisions that are contrary to those values. If you know your values, you have boundaries that you refuse to cross for any price and they guide your character and your choices.
