Are Your Personal Core Values getting in the Way of Business?
What are Your Personal Core Values ?
Have you ever stopped to think about them ?
Our core values are what makes us tick and gives us character, and whether you know it or not, you have them. They are our moral compass !
Our values have been instilled in us from way back.. maybe even genetic, but certainly your parents, friends, schools, religions, environment etc have played a part in formulating your core values.
Your Moral Compass. The things that make you You.
These are the beliefs that you live by - things you wont compromise on easily. They are not necessarily religious beliefs - in fact the majority are not based on religion at all - they are things like your personal Integrity, security, ambitions, wealth, athleticism, adventure, interactivity etc
I hadn't until recently. My wife and I are looking for a new house to buy and we were having a huge amount of trouble agreeing on where and what to even look at.
My wife has just been doing a module of training at her work based on 'change management'. The exercise they have been doing is about personal values and how that can affect your work and personal lives.
We decided to do this exercise last night and compare our top 36 values (using a university matrix) and see how they lined up.
What an Eye Opener!
We were a little bit staggered at how we differed and how this would certainly be affecting our ability to agree and compromise on our home search criteria.
We found that our core values were, obviously, dictating what we wanted in a new property. And because we had different personal values that shaped our ideas on what type of house we wanted we had difficulty compromising these values to suit each other.
Good news is that we have workshopped our ideas and now have a common ideal - with minimal compromise to each party. (crikey, I'm glad we like each other - a divorce would be a nightmare ! ) Trust me, our lives are by no means this regimental and opposing.
Your Values and Your Business
So this got me thinking about the way we conduct our online business.
Is it possible that our core values are interfering with the way our business runs? Or are they actually what will make us succeed ?
On my personal values pyramid ( oh no, not a pyramid scheme ?! ) - Ok .. lets call it an iceberg - my top 6 values (in no particular order) are Freedom, Integrity, Pleasure, Wealth, Achievement, and Affection.
These are all the things that I will not compromise in business as well as in my personal life.
I started online affiliate marketing to gain wealth and freedom and pleasure. And I do it without compromising my integrity whilst achieving and gaining affection ... tick.
Good to go I think...
Try it Yourself
Have a look at your personal core values. What are YOUR personal core values ? There is no right or wrong with this either .. it just is what it is.
You can change your values, and over time, they probably will change.
But for now, what are your personal core values and how do they influence your business as well as your life right here and now?
I just found this neat website with the exact 36 values ... try listing your top 6, then mid 15 then bottom 15 .. its a great exercise. http://thecharactercomma.com/2016/05/08/core-value...
Enjoy.
James
Recent Comments
13
YES! and when you find a product and service that resonates with these. You are in marketing heaven!
Well, I know that my core values get in the way with doing business and having success. Mainly
1.Transparency
2.Truth (no hidden agendas, and addressing also the negative aspects)
3. Ethical behaviour
4. Evolution of consciousness, enhancing the good and the beautiful and truth
5.
6.
and so on.
All aspects which don't seem to fit when trying to get people hooked to what you offer....
I haven't read the article yet, these were just my own thought for this topic
Heidi
It's crazy how your post would come along just when this very subject has been on my mind. Great post, I'm headed to the website now
Richard
Great topic. I used to work in the fine arts community and business values were considered crass. But as the best of fine artists continue to starve, I'm sure that viewpointn has changed for many.
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James, I commend you for bringing this matter into focus. It is my view that there is no exercise more important than identifying the core values that define who you are. I regard this as one of the essential requirements for navigating through life. It should be the true North Star used to make decisions about every aspect of life's complicated journey. It is worth taking a great deal of time to ponder this and then to write down your decisions, refer to them often, and make the tough choices that allows you to rank them from 1 to no less than 5.