Reconciling Value Systems

Hey it’s me Seth!

I’ve been a little sporadic about writing here. More than a little. I do send a weekly email to people who subscribe on my website and that is honestly the priority.?

And if I don’t have anything of value to share, then I don’t want to share anything at all.?

This week I recorded a new podcast episode where we talked about value systems. That episode will go live Next Monday June 17.?

You can catch all of our episodes here (including the one that just went live today):

Nerd’s Guide to the Galaxy Podcast

The value systems conversation was a really interesting one. It offers a whole new perspective and access to “language” that enables us to have difficult conversations with people in ways that are productive and collectively beneficial.?

Let’s say you have an employee who doesn’t seem to want to work? You might assume that it’s because they are lazy. That would be a normal reaction - most of us would think so.?

But this conversation opened my eyes to other possibilities. What’s important to me is not as important to someone else. We all have the same list of about 24 values, but for each of us the order is different.?

This is based on what comes easy or naturally to us. The top 5 or so values are basically in our DNA, we don’t think about it, we just act accordingly.?

When you consider that someone else has a different “top 5” you suddenly find yourself removing judgment and you realize that it’s a different set of values you are dealing with in each person.?

Next you learn to find out what another person’s value system is and now you have a blueprint for how to connect and communicate with them in a way that inspires and motivates them, instead of putting them off.

When I worked at my last couple of jobs, I had the kind of bosses who would berate you for making mistakes. That didn’t motivate me, nor did it make me want to do a better job.?

It pissed me off and made me want to leave, and eventually I did.?

The value of mine that was being stepped on here was my extreme love of and desire to learn. Had they taken time out to teach me how to do the job better, not only would I not have wanted to leave, but they would also have had a die-hard raving insanely loyal fan.?

That’s the difference. This is what you can accomplish when you learn to command the language of compassion and understand how to appeal to someone by showing up with an understanding of their value system.?

It was on this basis that I knew back then, when I eventually started my own business, I would (a) never treat an employee like this and (b) make my work environment one that is based on everyone teaching one another. Nobody manages, not even me.?

If someone made a mistake, step 1 was to show them the mistake so there is no doubt about what happened. Then we go right into training to demonstrate what to do to fix it and mitigate against this kind of thing happening again - whatever it is.

If you want fiercely loyal employees, then you help them and teach them and empower them to learn more.?

Berating people for making mistakes is what small minded people do.

Boosting people’s confidence by teaching them is what big minded people do.?

Learning to reconcile your value system with those of others you work with is a superpower!

Once our upcoming podcast episode goes live, you can listen and take notes. This has opened up my eyes to a whole new language and way of thinking about relationships.?You will also get a link to where you can take a test to find out what your top 5 values are!