This message was sent to me last night. A certain account exec, let's call him V1, has asked me to review my core values with his new Regional Director (or is that VP, I'll find out soon.) To prepare for this review V1 asked me to consider his assessment of my core values. So, here's the message:

Jim, as we discussed, I wanted to write down a synopsis of what I believe your core values are:

Options - Try to always provide yourself with options.

Continuous Learning - if you stop learning and growing you are dying. Continuously strive for additional understanding in all areas of your life.

Open Communications - Maintain honest candid communications with your vendors, subordinates, and superiors. As best you can minimize the potential for lack of understanding.

Simplicity - Try to simplify everything. Relationships, network, work environments can become too complex. Seek to simplify through design, communication, and planning

Management can be counter intuitive. Don't always do what you think is natural.

Don't take yourself too seriously.

Give your subordinates responsibility and let them do their job.

Fairness - give vendors a fair shot

Push the envelop - Don't ever accept status quo - Be innovative - Look beyond how everyone has done it.

It's interesting to have a (hopefully) candid assessment of how an outsider sees me. What he observes. I'll need to give this message some in depth thought. I need to have a good response.

This idea of core values is more than just a glib academic exercise. The main point of the book "Built to Last" is that core values are essential. The author sets out to answer the question of what quality enables one company to be more successful than another. He compares many different companies. And these aren't comparisons between a good company and a clear loser. It is a comparison of the best and second best companies in well known industries. What conclusion does he draw? That the good companies become great companies as the leaders and staff share core values.

So, core values matter. A lot........
3:00:14 PM    comment []