Why Core Values are Essential at Work

One of the most meaningful conversations I've had happened last week while discussing Core Values with a mentee. He had always wondered if the Core Values of a company are simply just rules to put people in a box and avoid any unruly behavior.

Contrary to that notion, I shared my thoughts on Core Values- these are more than a set of rules, these are the building blocks of what each of us believe in. Moving away from the set of corporate guidelines, Core Values to me translate to a sequence of actions that we do everyday: Principles we grew up with and believe in, which helps us discern the right things to do, and then eventually lead us to the action we decide to take. I believe we unconsciously go through these steps every day, be it within and outside work.

My mentee was sort of disgruntled about his role as a middle manager, as he has always found different values amongst his peers and direct or indirect reports. I listened to all his rantings to further understand where the angst is coming from.

Being managers of teams will never be an easy task because you will really deal with different characters, mindsets due to the different upbringing all of us have experienced. This is where the litmus test of your leadership skills can now be seen-- are you doing it right or what are the things you need to focus and improve on.

After having the emotional conversation, I decided to put into 3 buckets how I perceive Core Values in my own managerial style and shared this to my mentee. I've always been guided by these 3 C's, be it at work or outside work. It wasn't built in a day...but years of experience that molded me into a stronger person. I'm not claiming it's a perfect solution but I believe it has always resulted to a win win situation where objectivity plays a primary role in my judgement. No matter how difficult the decision may be.

Without further ado, here are the 3 C's I've always followed over the years:

1. CHARACTER - this translates to many aspects as this actually refers to a set of qualities a person may have.  You see the real character of a person when he/she is faced with adversities or difficulties and how they struggle to get out of the situation. For me, this involves Integrity and Honesty-- the former explicitly states "Doing the right thing", while the latter, "facing and accepting Truth no matter how hard it will be." By experience, in situations where I felt the first hint of doubt in taking an action, I usually take a step back to decipher why I doubted in the first place.  Defining whether an action is Right or Wrong depends on the judgement we have in mind based on how we were taught upon growing up; or maybe in the first few experiences at work that caused us to learn it the hard way.  And if we do make the wrong choice, we should be ready for the consequences. This is where Honesty comes hand in hand with Integrity- the ability to admit that we indeed made a mistake and ready to be accountable for it; or to change it for the better.   Character defines a leader and how he/she will be perceived by the people around him-- that is why consistency is also important where character is involved. 
2. COMPASSION - the first C I shared focused on Self-awareness; the next
   C is now being aware of how we impact or affect people around us. The importance of being considerate as well is to strike the right balance of being objective and being attuned to how others feel. Since becoming too attached to emotions will lead to subjectivity and this will compromise your decision to do the right thing. I have experienced a situation wherein I had to decide what was best for the company vs how the individual would feel. I sought to further explain and be honest as to how decisions are made. As leaders, it is very important we know if the message comes across clearly. Reaching out should be natural as you are leading people. Another aspect of Compassion is being helpful to the people around us. If you feel that there will be times you cannot help them, at least do not hurt them. Being sensitive to how others would feel is a good factor in leadership--there is the need to collaborate and be able to understand how the different characters in the workplace receive the message that you want to convey.
3. COMMITMENT - With the 2 C's I have expounded on, Commitment glues all these values together. The ability to say you would always Do the Right Thing, Be Honest not only with yourself, but also with everyone around you, this spells out the commitment to be the good leader that everyone aspires for. The strong conviction that you are always open to changing for the better, and being open to learning from the adversities and difficulties you may face. Again, commitment is a strong enough word that we must all take extra effort on to be able to uphold the values we believe in - no matter how hard making decisions and taking actions may be. 

Quoting Roy Disney- It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are - Indeed, knowing what you believe in will guide you towards the actions you are to take. I encourage you to sit down and take note of what are the core values you have inside you--what guides you and what drives you towards your goals in life? What is important for you to achieve?