Values at Work: why are they important?

Why are Values important?

It is how we choose what we do, and how we approach it, that will determine whether the sum of our days adds up to a formless blur, or to something resembling a work of art. ― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Nobody wakes up in the morning wishing to live a mediocre or bad life or build a mediocre or bad organization. Yet, some are a true work of art and others just that. It is how we take our daily decisions that make up that difference, or as Theory U of the Presencing Institute puts it, “the way in which we attend to a situation determines how a situation unfolds”.

So, how do we take decisions?
According to Richard Barrett of the Barrett Values Centre, “humans have developed six ways of making decisions—instincts, subconscious beliefs, conscious beliefs, values, intuition, and inspiration“.
The difference between the first three and the second three is vast. The shift to value-based decision making marks the shift from belief-based decision-making to value-based decision, which requires individuation. “Prior to individuation we make meaning of our world through our beliefs and most of these beliefs have to do with our personal and cultural upbringing“, or in other words, our past. Individuation involves examining these beliefs and letting go of the ones that don’t serve us— something that becomes more and more important with the fast pace of changes we experience in our world. As we let go of these beliefs, we have the opportunity to develop a new guidance system based on our deeply held values that allows us to create a future that resonates deeply with who we really are, and the world we want to live in.

 

How Can We Co-Create a Better Future?

“Your very thoughts and actions are contributing directly to the forms or structure of tomorrow – you are a genuine co-creator of a reality that every human henceforth will pass through”.― Ken Wilber

On October 20, 2016, individuals, organizations and communities from around the world will unite to honor the first ever World Values Day. The emergence of such celebration indicates the rising desire of humanity to co-create a better tomorrow that sustains and improves the quality of life on Earth, and fosters wellbeing and prosperity for all. It is a sign of the ever-deepening awareness of the importance of values for building the future we want.

World Values Day is an opportunity for us to think about our most deeply held values- both personal and organizational, speak them up, act on them, share them, and pass them on. If we are aware of our values and put them into action each and every day, we can change our lives and change the world we live in.

 

How to Join in?

“Energy follows attention. Wherever you place your attention, that is where the energy of the system will go. “Energy follows attention” means that we need to shift our attention from what we are trying to avoid to what we want to bring into reality.”― Otto Scharmer

Impact Hub Zürich partnered with Eudaimonia Solutions- an official partner of the World Values Day and a leadership and organizational development company started by Natalia Blagoeva, a member of Impact Hub Zürich.

Members of Impact Hub Zürich have the opportunity to take part in a Survey that takes about 5 to 10 min to complete. At World Values Day, Eudaimonia Solutions will publish a Value Word Cloud showing the top common values that members of Impact Hub Zürich share as individuals. Additionally, those that choose will receive a written Personal Value Assessment from the Barrett Values Centre. This assessment furthers your Self Knowledge and helps your Self Development. It also introduces you to a methodology that can assist your development as a leader, and support you in measuring and managing the culture of your organization.

We also encourage you to design activities in your organization that invite people to act upon a chosen organizational value. Then you can share either your genuine story (either from the above activity) or your regular corporate activities, which is an incarnation of an act, led by one of the core values of your organization or community, or your creative photo, which somehow represents one or several of your organizational values.

 

Send your stories and photos to values@eudaimonia.solutions and we will promote, publish and reward the most remarkable ones – the more active and creative you are, the bigger the chance to win a free coaching session (for individuals) or a consultation about organizational culture (for organizations and communities).

 

Newsletter abonnieren

Unser Newsletter erscheint alle 3-4 Wochen und stellt sicher, dass ihr nichts aus der Community verpasst.