We tend to marginalise the importance of embracing values. Because everyday we're confronted with examples of people or organisations expressing them, and then acting or behaving in ways which clearly contradict.
So what's the point? Is it just for philosophers and armchair discussion?
You start a book-club and a friend although they continually say how excited they are to attend misses three out of four.
The company you work for claims to value team work and cooperation, but continually rewards individuals. Or claims the client is important, but cuts services to cut costs. Or claims you are important and consistently cuts staff increasing your workload.
A religious acquaintance talks about 'love thy neighbour', but at almost every corner offers either generalised, ignorant or derogatory comments about other groups or nationalities.
(Think adverts and advertising)
And so we conclude that there is little point to developing values. But we are misreading the situation.
It's not that values don't drive our actions, they do. Your friend who misses the book-club has other more valuable priorities. The business values individual talent over team work and profit over client or staff. The religious acquaintance values scorn over love.
Forget what they say. Their actions and behaviours are telling you everything you need to know about what it is that they truly believe. As yours is.
It's a big leap in maturity when we begin to intentionally align what we really believe with what we're actually doing. Of course we become more authentically impactful and influential.
And don't expect others to thank you for saying... 'Well I can't attend the book-club meeting tonight because I value watching TV over attending, but thanks anyway'. And good luck drawing peoples and organisations attention to their contradictory values, without an invitation. You'll get a slap in the face.
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