Our values are visible in nearly everything we do.
They help define our actions and our beliefs both personally and
professionally. Our values also assist in guiding the decisions we make. Hansen
(n.d.) developed the Core Workplace Value Assessment Exercise as a guide to
help individuals determine the values that are most important to them and
compare it to their current or potential place of employment. This week I had
the pleasure of completing the assessment in an effort to define my five core
values.
I determined that my five core values were (a) the
opportunity for balance between work life and family, (b) integrity and truth,
(c) autonomy, (d) stability and security, and (e) friendship and a warm working
environment. Each of these values is extremely important to me and most are
visible at my workplace.
During my first day at my current job, I was asked
to attend a luncheon. The first day is usually full of orientation activities,
but I happened to start on a day when the Executive lunch was taking place. One
of the attendees was the former president of the college. He made his rounds
introducing himself to the approximately five new employees. We began talking
and he asked about my personal and professional background. As the conversation
was coming to a close, he said something that has stuck with me for nearly ten
years. He said to remember that this job is not our lives. He said he had a
life outside of his work and her name is Linda.
Though we have changed presidents a couple of times
since then, his words still radiate with me. He was hinting to me that
work/life balance must remain a goal to limit the stress of our jobs. According
to Blanding (2015), workplace stress causes nearly 200 billion dollars in
health care cost each year. My department is good about attempting to limit our
stress. In my opinion, a balance between work and family is not only beneficial
to the employee but also the employer.
According to Bunting (2016), a survey of over
100,000 individuals showed that honesty was the most valued leadership quality.
I believe strongly in integrity and honesty. Integrity and honesty are the
building blocks of trust and I find trust crucial in both personal and
professional relationships. Everything is simpler when the truth is involved. I
would rather go through the difficulty of having a truthful and honest
conversation with someone than I would to be dishonest with them. Lies become
difficult to keep up with. I have worked for individuals that have a different
thought process and found it unappetizing. My supervisor now is honest and
truthful with her followers and those actions create a great working
environment and a trusting relationship.
I have the belief that a follower should be allowed
autonomy in their work. If an individual has a track record of getting the job
done and beating deadlines then they should be allowed to work in a manner that
best suits their style. I have worked
with individuals who allow their followers empowerment and autonomy and I have
worked with people who felt the need to micromanage and watch their followers
like a hawk. I felt more productive and free when I was allowed a bit of
autonomy. As Whetten and Cameron (2016) stated, “Empowered people have a sense
that when they act, they can produce a result” (p. 370).
Stability and security are other values that I hold
dear to my heart. The preparer in me wants to make sure everything is steady
and safe before it can be trusted. Both my dad and my stepmom are in the car
business. When I was growing up they made a great living, but there were those
months where business was slower than normal so their income was reduced. This
is the sole reason I did not venture into a sales career. I did not want the
stress that comes with an inconsistent monthly wage. My current job offers
consistent pay, health benefits, and is in the stable field of education.
We spend more time interacting with our co-workers
during any typical week than we do at home with our families. So, why wouldn’t
we want to build friendships and a warm working environment with our co-workers?
I find it important to work in an environment that allows for friendships and
strong rapports to be developed. I have worked in environments that seemed to
be cold and unfriendly and I did not find myself very productive. According to
Mossman (2013), a happy employee tends to be more productive. Luckily, I work
in a department that allows for friendship and comradery. We have a monthly
breakfast meeting and the Vice President urges friendship among the department
as she sees us as more of a family.
According to Denning (2011), four types of values
exist in organizations today including (a) the values of the robber barons, (b)
the values of the hardball strategist, (c) the values of the pragmatists, and
(d) genuinely ethical values. I began to think about which set of values would
best describe my organization. If I were to label my department, I would say
that the genuinely ethical values exist. First, we are in the accounting and
finance department so if we are not ethical then we could get in a lot of
trouble! Also, the current VP has developed a culture that cares about the
employees. “They imply treating their stakeholders as ends in themselves, not
merely means to make money” (Denning, 2011, p. 131). This statement describes
the culture that my VP has attempted to create in our department. The
department consists of upward communication, trust, autonomy, and loyalty.
Unfortunately, my organization as a whole does not
hold the same values as my department. If I were to rate the organization’s
values, I would say that they would fall into the values of the pragmatists.
The organization does not do all it can to win with no regards for culture like
a hardball strategists or robber barons. The organization does hold values that
instrumental in the business strategy (Denning, 2011). The organization values
the students and therefore most decisions are made with the students in mind.
According to Denning (2011), values are a key to long-term survival. I believe
that the students are the number one priority but the employees must also be
heard and appreciated.
In a previous assignment, we discussed the rumor
mill in an organization. I have heard individuals say that the college does not
care about their about their opinions. They say they have suggested actions
that would be helpful to both the students and employees and their suggestions
have fallen on deaf ears. When people begin to talk in a negative manner about
the organization, then rumors begin to start. Maybe the college as a whole
could also focus on organizational wide communication. The value of being
listened to and appreciated goes a long way in creating productive and trusting
employees.
References
Balnding, M. (2015). Workplace stress responsible
for up to $190B in annual U.S. healthcare costs. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2015/01/26/workplace-stress-responsible-for-up-to-190-billion-in-annual-u-s-heathcare-costs/#6586db30235a
Denning,
S. (2011). The leader’s guide to storytelling; Mastering the art and
discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass.
Bunting, M. (2016). Honesty: The single most important leadership value.
Retrieved from http://www.theceomagazine.com/business/honesty-the-single-most-important-leadership-value/
Hansen, R.S. (n.d.). Core workplace values
assessment exercise
Mossman, J. (2013). Employee-friendly workplace
culture a key to company success. Retrieved from http://www.denverpost.com/2013/04/06/employee-friendly-workplace-culture-a-key-to-company-success/
Whetten, D. & Cameron, K. (2016). Developing management skills (9th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson
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