Give your values more value

Give your values more value

I just had my mind blown a little during a coaching call with a client. I've been working with them to revamp their company values. Well, this founder took it to a whole new level and I'm excited to share what I learned with you.

When I help teams articulate their values, I like to provide a few simple guidelines:

1. Make them observable behaviors

2. Use descriptive language (so people know what they mean)

3. Use regular words that mean something to you

4. Have 5 or fewer

Of course, these are just guidelines. The goal is to have values that people buy into and that drive behavior and decision-making.?

This client added an element of storytelling, which I thought was brilliant. Here's the evolution he and his team went through with one of their values - Relentless.

Version 1 - Relentless:?

This is the word they were using before I began working with them. As with most values, there's a lot behind that word. To this scrappy start up team of innovators it means they don't allow obstacles to deter them from their objectives. They will figure out a way.

Version 2 - A winner is someone who wins:?

This was an attempt at taking a pretty generic word (relentless) and putting some meaning around it, but it fell flat with much of the team.?

Version 3 - Pay no mind to the fire ants:?

This points to an incredible story of a military sniper that saved the lives of hundreds of US Marines during the Vietnam war by completing a grueling mission that involved army crawling through a field of fire ants. For this team, this story of grit and determination immediately encapsulates the feeling behind the word "relentless."?

Stories help us connect with what we stand for and what we care about. Now, they can also?give life, specificity and meaning to the values that help us to get there.

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