hances are, your organization has a set of values or opera- ting principles. If yours are similar to those of most businesses, they include a list of items such as: Integrity, Customer Service, Quality, Respect, High Performance, Leadership, and Innovation. Often, these characteristics are followed by additional words that further define them. You can usually find all of these words in frames or on plaques hanging in peoples’ offices and the conference rooms where you work. You, yourself, may have several items – pens, posters, desk- top cubes, wallet-sized cards, etc. – as values reminders. All of this is good and well-intended. However, those plaques, cards, posters, and the like are worth next to nothing if people don’t live by the words written on them. To have true meaning, beliefs and values must be lived, not merely proclaimed. We all live our lives guided by our own set of personal values. We make decisions based on these principles every day. For example, many people place a very high value on family. These individuals sometimes turn down promotions because of mandatory reloca- tions to different cities – or because of extensive required travel. Other people place a particularly high value on personal integrity. They do things like pointing out to the cashier that he or she has given them change for a twenty dollar bill when, in fact, they paid with a ten. You get the picture. 3 LEADING WITH VALUES

Organizational values work in the same way. When organizations publish values statements – or otherwise communicate their im- portant beliefs – they are saying to their people, “These are our guiding principles ... what we stand for. If you want to be a part of this business, we expect that you will embrace them and act in a manner consistent with them.” Values “ground” an organization – providing direction for people who find themselves in ambiguous situations. They are guides for decision-making. When employees encounter situations in which they must choose one course of action from a number of different alternatives, they can turn to their organization’s values for help. Approached from the context of values, decisions often become less complicated and stress-inducing. When it comes to organizational values, your job as a leader is critically important. You have a two-fold responsibility. First, you need to make sure that everyone understands what the values are and what they mean. Then, you need to guide people in practicing those values in their day-to-day work lives. You have to own them and practice them. It’s up to you to make sure that your beliefs and principles are more than just words on pieces of paper, plaques on walls, or computer screens on desks. You can do this by asking yourself the questions found on the next page. Leaders (that’s you!) have to take personal responsibility for their organization’s values. 4

What can I do to make sure I’m thoroughly familiar with my organization’s values and understand how they apply to what we do in my department every day? What can I do to make sure I’m a good role model for my people when it comes to living our values? What can I do to teach my people how to perform their jobs according to our beliefs and guiding principles? What can I do to hold myself and my people accountable   for living our organization’s values? What obstacles might my people face as they try to live our values? What can I do to remove (or at least minimize) those obstacles? What can I do to reward and encourage team members who demonstrate a true commitment to our values? What can I do to change the behavior of the people who aren’t practicing our organization’s values? You’ll find the answers to these important questions in the pages that follow. Pay attention to what you read. More importantly, apply what you read. Everyone’s success is at stake – including your own. * * * * * * * 5