WOW Word-Of-the-Week #393: Values

February 14, 2012 by · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #393: Values 

Values – your system for guiding your conscience.

Do you have a clear picture of what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable? Do you work for a company that has a strong sense of values?

This is the fourth in the series of WOW’s from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your customers feel good about spending their money!” The V in SERVice stands for Values. It means that a person believes in the basic simple truths about human behavior. Things like being truthful, conducting your affairs honestly, following through, being there for someone, and being reliable. Doing what is morally and ethically right.

And that includes putting in a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. It sort of goes back to the idea of respect: if you respect people, you won’t try to cheat them. If you respect your job, you won’t try to shortcut it. And most important if you respect yourself, you’ll conduct yourself with dignity.

In my study of behavior and why people do what they do, I learned that your belief system determines your values, your values determine your attitudes, and your attitudes get played out in your behavior.

Have you found that as you have grown and matured some of the values your parents instilled in you are no longer your values? Or have your values changed based on your experiences or environment?

This week focus on your values. Do you always let your conscience be your guide? Are you proud of the company that you work for because they are true to their values? Have you ever stopped seeing someone because they didn’t share the same values?

Readers Responses

“I liked what you said about values, attitude and behavior, and how our belief system affected all three. As I thought about it, I believe you are correct. Not only is my conscience my guide, but I find that the values inculcated by my parents are stronger today than when I was growing up. My wife and I have inculcated these same values in our daughters. My 10-year-old’s grade school has a slogan on its marquee: “Character counts.” And everyone in the school from the principal on down through the kindergarten teachers epitomize this in their work with the students.  Values flow from the top-down. And that goes for any workplace. If the executives at the top are exhibiting solid values, then it will flow down to the workers. This is an important word in these tough times. Thanks, Susan.” – “Warrior” Joe