I recently helped Cambridge Community Services define it's vision. As part of the exercise, the Board did a full-day offsite. To kick-off the offsite, the meeting leader asked us to think for a few minutes and then write down our individual core values.
I'm a huge proponent of core values. At Teach For America, I saw core values guide decisions and settle debates. At TalkTo, core values of exceptional service, team, integrity and improvement are the fabric of our work. Core values, simply put, are guideposts for any challenge and every opportunity.
Despite my deep appreciation for shared values within organizations, I never thought about my own personal core values. Thus, I found this exercise very helpful. Below is the notecard that I penned in 5 minutes; but the words will last a lifetime.
Grab a pen, a piece of paper and write down your Core Values. And next time you are working with someone and they are struggling with a decision, ask them "What are you core values?" The answer to that question will guide the decision.
I'm a huge proponent of core values. At Teach For America, I saw core values guide decisions and settle debates. At TalkTo, core values of exceptional service, team, integrity and improvement are the fabric of our work. Core values, simply put, are guideposts for any challenge and every opportunity.
Despite my deep appreciation for shared values within organizations, I never thought about my own personal core values. Thus, I found this exercise very helpful. Below is the notecard that I penned in 5 minutes; but the words will last a lifetime.
Grab a pen, a piece of paper and write down your Core Values. And next time you are working with someone and they are struggling with a decision, ask them "What are you core values?" The answer to that question will guide the decision.
