Mind the (Values) Gap!

Let's imagine, if you will, that I just called your customer service rep, and when she picked up the phone, I posed a question.

“Good day! Could you please tell me: What are your company’s core
values?”

- Do you know how she would have answered that question?
- Do you feel good about what she would have told me?
- How about if I asked you the same question, out of the blue?

If your company is a values-based business, you will answer with confidence, “Yes, I know exactly what my customer service rep said!” And you would happily share those values with me without skipping a beat, because they are in line with your personal values.

It is a joy to interact with values-based businesses. Here's why:

- They have lower staff turnover.
- They continually improve.
- They communicate effectively, and...
- They are full of creative, motivating energy.

Is there a company that you love doing business with? Not just one you tolerate; not one you go to because they are the cheapest; but a company you look forward to dealing with? Whether it’s a corporate giant like Southwest Airlines, who famously tout their values at every turn, or a small vendor who cleans your office welcome mats, values-based companies are easy to spot.

Is your company among them?

Let’s find out by looking at two aspects of a company that is values-based:

1. A clear set of values is the foundation of its existence.
2. These expressed values (what you have in writing) fuse seamlessly with your lived values (how you operate day to day).

When your values are truly the basis of the company, it is clear in every transaction.

When you have a gap between your expressed values and lived values, things can feel vaguely uneasy, leading to tension, and very possibly a lot of energy being spent trying to make something fit that just doesn’t. This energy can work against you and against your success, even if you are brimming with talent, ideas, and good operational practices.

If you feel drained, despite working really hard toward your goals, you could be expending energy just stretching to fill this gap!

In other words, your company can go through the motions, and do what you feel a company should do, and still be limited in success unless you and the business know who you are and what you stand for.

On the other hand, if you have what you believe is a solid set of values, and it still doesn’t feel right, it may be time to challenge those values and what they mean to you in context.

You may doubt whether your personal values really must align with your company’s values in order to succeed. You can answer this one for yourself:

Will you be fully engaged, feel alive and energized to go into work each day, if your values are not in synch?

Ensuring that you live your values every day will do more for your happiness and your success than any other single thing you can do.

Why not embrace this values-based philosophy and witness the impact for yourself?