My 10 year old son got into trouble at school a while ago and got disciplined (at home) for it. As I reflected on the incident, I realized that I had never taken time to define our family values to the kids. So after some thought, I shared five core values with them. I will share four of them here.
- We tell the truth all the time
- We are always respectful of others
- We look for ways to help people
- We are very hardworking
Now before and after school we discuss the values and, sometimes, talk about how we’ve demonstrated our family values at school. My eight year old daughter ended up using the values in a speech she gave to her class when she was campaigning for a seat on the School Council (which she won).
As I think about the incident with my son, I wonder how many companies have taken time to clarify their values with their employees, and, make it real for them. Are your organizational values lived out? Or are they beautiful words enshrined on the lobby of your company building and, only spoken of when the CEO is giving a speech. Teach, practice and reward your values!