Preserving Mutual Respect, Objectivity and Trust

I am a fan of vision and values statements in business. Crafted well, they showcase a company’s aspirations as well as its expectations. Along with company culture, they set the tone and filter the air in the room that everyone breathes.

Looking over some old values statements, I came across three values that seem especially important today: Mutual Respect, Objectivity and Trust. (Excerpts below.) These are universal, nonpartisan values that apply to our social relationships as well as our business relationships.

Unfortunately, frustration, anger and political bitterness are weakening these values in our society. We have moved from working together to winning at all costs. We have shifted from engagement and healthy debate to personal attacks and vilification. We don’t just criticize views we dislike; we destroy the messenger.

As business leaders, we cannot let these caustic attitudes undermine our businesses. Successful businesses understand the importance of mutual respect, objectivity and trust. We need to be beacons for these values, not only in our business relationships but in our roles in our communities as well.

To be blunt, businesses need to help hold America together by preserving and advocating mutual respect, objectivity and trust—values that have built our businesses and our country; values that we need more than ever right now, especially as we approach the midterm elections.

Below are the words I used years ago. However you say it, make your commitment clear in your business and in your personal life. Prove you mean it and expect it, even when you don't like what the other person is saying.

Mutual Respect.?We respect the contributions and ideas each of us brings to the success of our company.?We encourage diversity in our workforce and value our personal and cultural differences.?While we encourage passionate discussion of ideas, we do our best to maintain the self-esteem of our colleagues, even when the discussions are difficult.?

Objectivity. ?We base our business decisions on facts rather than emotions. We strive to approach every decision with an open mind and a genuine interest in hearing opposing views. We encourage diverse opinions and challenging questions.

Trust. ?We appreciate the importance of trust in defining who we are, both to each other and to our customers and suppliers.??We earn trust by ensuring that our actions match our words, by sharing success when things go well, by being accountable when things go poorly, and by being there when we have the ability to help, even if no one has asked. #corporategovernance #visionandvalues #humanresources #leadership #corporatevalues