Nortec has our company values: Excellence, Integrity, Responsiveness, Follow-up, and Flexibility. These values are guiding principles for success as an Information Technology consulting company and generally good personal values as well. Company values are important and should align with individual values. Chances are individual values will be prioritized differently and should not be compromised.
Knowing your vales is the first step in living by them. Since values change and are influenced by parents, peers, friends, media and such they may change over time. They should be periodically reflected on. It is hard to align yourself around your values if you do not take the time to reflect on what they ought to be. Since we are approaching the end of the year it is a great time to reflect on our values. What is important? What should our goals be for 2011?
What are your values is an interesting question. If you say “I value a healthy lifestyle” but live an unhealthy life style does this mean you really do not value a healthy life style? Do actions speak louder than words? I believe this is an example of misalignment with values and action. I believe this is what creates a lack of integrity within oneself and causes stress and unhappiness.
“This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!”
Polonius’ last piece of advice to his son Laertes in Hamlet by William Shaekspere
Sometimes we do not really think enough about what are values are and what is important so this makes it difficult to live by our values and results in misalignment without understanding why. The other challenge to living up to what we value is that sometimes it is hard and takes more discipline then we actually have. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live a healthy life style sometimes. You also have to define what living a healthy life style means for you.
Be clear in your values and what you want in life and then aggressively pursue the activities that will drive those results.