What Are Your Operational Values?

Setting Yourself Up for Success in 2024

Actions speak louder than words, they say. This is true about your values. No matter what you say or believe, your actions will determine if you live your life and work in alignment with your values. If you want to be a great parent but are constantly on business trips, deep-sea fishing, or playing golf, your stated value doesn’t match your behavior.

Believe it or not, every time you make a decision, embedded in that decision is one of your operational values. For example, if you are comfortable with taking risks, you will make decisions that may have elements of risk. If you desire to gain input from others before making decisions, you value other people’s ideas and input. Your everyday decisions have aspects of your stated and unstated values woven into them.

Values guide your thoughts and actions daily. For example, if you feel compelled to answer a text or call each time your phone “dings,” that is one of your unstated values. And over time, that becomes a habit. Or, if you value hard work and want to succeed but spend most of your time watching television or playing video games, your actions don’t match your stated values.

In my counseling sessions with many aspiring senior leaders, I’ve been surprised by how many of these leaders have never sat down and reflected on their operational or core values. Some espouse values so broad they have little effect on their behavior. For example, let’s say one of your values is respect. How does this value influence your decision-making or guide you during your life’s journey?

Your values will affect your appearance, performance at work, relationships (who you want to associate with), daily routine, and life. Consequently, a clear understanding of your operational values is essential in achieving what matters to you and what you want to do in your life and work.

Businesses often state their core values along with their vision statement. You also have core values—those you deem most important in your life and work. Some people refer to these as their principles. Whatever your core values are, they serve as your compass as you journey through life.

Let’s say the following three examples are some of your espoused core values:

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Humility

You are stating that you are truthful in everything you do. That you act with integrity, doing the right thing even when no one is watching. That you are humble, that you recognize that you don’t know everything, and thus, not arrogant. For example, Eileen Rogers and Daren Blonski stress, “To act with integrity, you must first see clearly. Just as sunlight burns away the morning fog, the more light you shine on what you stand for, what you believe in, and what you care about, the more clearly you’ll see those road signs point in the direction you want to go. Clarity of values gives you the confidence to take the right turns, to make the tough decisions, to act with determination, and to take charge of your life.”

Once you determine your core values, reflect on your behavior. Are you acting in accordance with your stated values? Is there a disconnect? If so, you need to reevaluate if the value is something you genuinely embrace or consider changing your habits and behaviors to create alignment. Remember, as you proceed down the road to achieve what you want in 2024, your values help you stay on the road and not get stuck in a ditch. You will want to embrace and live them.

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Suppose you desire to be an effective leader, especially if you want to climb your organization’s leadership ladder. Dr. Browning’s recently published book, Embracing Senior Leadership , will help you master three critical factors necessary for success at any organizational level, but especially at the senior level. The Air War College selected his book as its primary leadership book for 2024.