LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: PERSONAL & ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: PERSONAL & ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES

IMPORTANT: Refer to the Leadership Development Assignment Guidelines in the Getting Started Module for expectations and grading.

Part A. Personal Values

The first practice, Model the Way, is built on two components:

· Find your own voice by clarifying your own values

· Set the example by aligning actions with shared values

This activity will help you clarify your values. You will start by thinking about your personal values and use a website to help each of us do so.

CLARIFYING YOUR CORE PERSONAL VALUES

Step 1: Go to https://www.think2perform.com/our-approach/values .

· Select “Values card exercise” to be taken to a screen that looks like this:

Step 2: Review possible values to select values that are “VERY IMPORTANT to YOU” and add them to your online value card deck.

There are 49 values included in this exercise. You use the arrows to go forward and backwards through the cards. When you see a value that IS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU in your everyday life, click the Add + to save this value to your online deck. You must select at least 5 values. Be more inclusive at first, and then you’ll go back through them, to get to only 5 values that are the most important to you personally – in your everyday life.

I also invite you to look over the following list of values that are contained in the “Leadership Values Cards” found in this module. Identify any of these values that are VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU and add these VERY IMPORTANT VALUES that, as custom values at the website. Click “Add” to place these in your online values deck if they are not added automatically.

Step 3: Go back through your online deck of VERY IMPORTANT VALUES to get to the FIVE most important values to you.

Step 4: Write your FIVE CORE Personal Values on the Personal Values worksheet that follows. Also, define what each value means to you.

My CORE Personal Values

The following five values are the most important to me. Give a brief description of what that value means to you.

VALUE	DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE VALUE MEANS TO ME

Part B. Values IN ACTION

You have just identified five values of greatest personal importance to you.

Others should be able to view our actions and see our values in those actions. How we spend our time should reflect what we say we value. The stories we tell should also be about the things we say we value. The behavior we reward in others should be consistent with our values.

1) Select ONE of your five identified values: ____________________________________

2) Now, examine whether your actions are consistent with what you say you value most in the workplace:

Action	How consistent is this action with our stated value? Explain.
TIME: How do you spend your time? Look at your calendar or recall what you have done for the last 7 days at work.
TOPIC OF CONVERSATION: Recall what you have communicated about at work over the past 7 days. How often does your communication reinforce what you value in the workplace?
REWARDS: Do you recognize and reward behavior in the workplace that is consistent with what you say you value?
FINANCIAL RESOURCES: If you have control over finances or a budget, where do you spend the organization’s money? Does it support what you say you value most?

3) Do your actions support what you value most? Explain.

4) If there is consistency, how does that impact your ability to perform your job? To lead others? Explain.

If there is not consistency, then how does the lack of consistency impact your ability to perform your job? To lead others? Explain.

Part C. ORGANIZATIONAL Values

Many organizations have written values that the organization states is important to it. For example,

Zappos values include “do more with less”, “create fun and a little weirdness”, and “be humble.”

Bridgestone values “integrity and teamwork”, “creative pioneering”, “informed decision making”, and “thorough planning and decisive action.”

BP values “safety”, “excellence”, “respect”, “courage”, and “one team.”

Southwest Airlines is committed to the “customer experience.”

Verizon values “integrity”, “respect”, “accountability”, and “performance excellence.”

These are stated values which may or may not match the actions of the company.

1) Think about a company that you believe is not very ethical, honest or does not treat you well as a customer.

Write the name of this company here: __________________________________________

2) Now, conduct a quick internet search to find the stated values for this company. What are the stated values of the company? If the company you selected does not have stated values, please pick another company.

3) Compare the actions you have experienced from this company and the stated values. Are the company’s actions consistent with the stated values?

4) If the values are not consistent, then revise the stated values for the company to better reflect what you see. List no more than three organizational values you believe should apply to this company. Explain what you mean by each one.