Today I am sharing another hint on how to behave in a way that is more aligned with your values. A previous blog, ‘Walk your talk!’, challenged you to question whether your behaviour is congruent with your declared values.
What are your values? What is important to you? What do you aspire to be?
Identifying your values is important. And, because our values can change over time, re-assessing your values is equally important.
My values have developed from a combination of:
- What I have read in books that resonated deeply. For example, Stephen Covey’s book ‘Principle Centred Leadership’ was what initially encouraged me to assess what my values are. My values became the basis for my behaviour when I owned my dental practice. This avoided being reactive in the heat or stress of the moment. Instead, my reactions came from a deeper, more mindful place.
- Positive experiences. For example, one of my previous employers was an excellent trainer. He would tell me how he wanted me to perform in a manner that avoided direct instruction (which can result in a negative reaction if not done thoughtfully). He used the method of story-telling, allowed me to ‘discover’ what he wanted for myself. The story included the all-important ‘why’ behind the behaviour he wanted. It also broadened my understanding of the topic, allowing me to think for myself and choose my own actions. The positive impact on me has developed the value of training others through empowerment.
- Negative experiences. I have shared in the past, an experience with another previous employer. Despite being a great person, he was a micro-manager who could not trust his team to work independently. This constant scrutiny over my performance damaged my self-confidence and abilities profoundly. Now one of my core values is to encourage autonomy in others.
- What I have observed in others. There have been several people I have known and read about that espoused the virtue of performing at your best no matter what the situation. That there is never an excuse good enough to deliver less than your best performance. This value of ‘no excuses’ is empowering to me. An ‘excuses mindset’ only encourages you to be successful when your environment is ideal. Realistically, your environment is rarely ideal. A ‘no excuses mindset’ develops your resilience and ambition to be stronger than what is going on around you.
I encourage you to consider what your values are. If you need help with this process, email me and I will be happy to forward you my ‘Developing Your Personal Vision, & Creating Your Practice Vision’ guide.
My next blog will have another hint to help you shift your behaviour to reflect your values. Identify what your values are over the coming days so you will be able to apply the next hint immediately!