An encouraging message from my daughter caused me to think seriously. She exhorted me to be determined, focused, and patient. The latter being one of those things I have never wanted to ask for or learn more about. Mostly because learning patience has always alluded to trouble and who in their right mind would ask for trouble.
Her message helped me see that the things I struggle most to gain are a result of the combination of who I am and what I believe I can do – a result of operating fully from my value system. Who am I? What does that cause me to do? What outcome do I gain? My point is that in order to accomplish the most important things in our lives, there are some things we must do – and in order to do these things, we must know who we are.
The challenge is to know the values that drive you, to understand your proactive values of action, and celebrate the outcomes you value most. Take accountability for your story. If you take this accountability, what does it look like for you to take action? What does it look like for you to take action now?
Identifying and defining your values answers “your” question of accountability. Your values are the system by which you make all your decisions and choices. As a leadership coach, I meet very few people who can readily identify their values and I meet almost no one who can define them. When I’m coaching an individual in assembling their personal development strategy, I help them build it on their value system. We identify and define their personal values and sort them as follows:
- Driving Values – the values from which we operate – from the core of who we are – our deepest motivation
- Leverage Values – values of action that we use to leverage the drivers – to make them real to self and others
- Outcomes Values – values that fuel our vision, mission and purpose – that let us know we are doing the right
things
You have total accountability for allowing your values to show through in your plans, actions, and decisions. Doing so is, all at once, authenticity, assurance and confidence. In this society, we are in-between what we have known and what is developing right before us. How do we explain this economy? Where is it going? I am no economist and I’m not trying to be one. One thing I know is that whatever we allow to be normal drives our decisions. This is how normal and economy relate. Normal is not always good. It is just what it is – normal.
From the feature article in May 2003 FASTCOMPANY, entitled “The New Normal,” Polly LaBarre writes; “Forget about the next big thing – the next thing has started. It’s called the New Normal, and 2003 will be the first full year of it. The new normal isn’t where you wait for the next boom. It’s about the rest of your life.
“Most of my work as a coach and consultant is focused on building up the individual. I believe that a focus on the individual is what drives long-term organizational success. Our young generations are not willing to accept the things their parents and grandparents did. We have been focused on work/life balance. They are focused on life/work balance. They are not willing to work in the same manner in the same type environments. Interestingly enough, neither are their parents. As the baby boomers age, they are coming out of mid-life more self-actualized and confident than ever before. They are no longer willing to accept the status quo for their lives. Quality of life (harmony) is key for all the working generations.
I believe this new economy/normal will be one of higher consciousness – people want to make a difference. As typical structures continue to fade in their effectiveness, leaders must learn to lead in a network – a collaborative, partnership mindset. It is dangerous to take the easy way and focus only on the trailing side of indicators and ignore the proactive, leading side. Doing so can destroy our very potential as individuals and organizations. With all the right partners, we must leave our differences behind and focus on a common good.
Organizational values and success must mirror individual values and success. The yet to be found new economy will largely be of heart and spirit. What does that mean? Are we ready for what this may mean? How do organizations prepare?
I plan on being ready when organizations are found standing at the door – through a sudden realization. It doesn’t have to be a surprise. How will you prepare?
Listen.
In every office
you hear the threads
of love and joy and fear and guilt,
the cries for celebration and reassurance,
and somehow you know that connecting those threads
is what you are supposed to do
and business takes care of itself.
~From a poem entitled “Threads” by David Whyte
