Until now, most assessment systems have provided feedback based on a person's subjective ideas about what they like or dislike or how they say they would respond in various situations. While this approach offers some valuable information, the reality is that most of our moment to moment decisions are based on our own internal (almost unconscious) programming.

Some of this programming seems to be "hard wired", that is, we were born with certain traits and tendencies. Think about the great differences in infants within the same family. Parents talk about how one child was "always" so affectionate and another "never" liked to be held. Or how one loved to take things apart to see how they worked, while another just loved to entertain everyone.

Many of these traits seem to be inherent. However, life experiences also play a crucial role in shaping our values, thinking and decisions. When the child's natural tendencies are encouraged they will generally develop these tendencies into talents, but if they are stifled by parents or teachers, they can be lost or at least buried. We find that many people grew up in an environment where their curiosity or spontaneity were discouraged in favor of more "practical thinking".

The result of such influences can cause confusing or conflicting ideas between what an inner part of us values and what other people's programming tells us we should think or how we ought to behave. Getting clear on our own inner values and learning how they may be affected by outside demands can be a liberating step toward becoming more in touch with who we really are, or can be.

It's not at all unusual to find very successful people who aren't able to really enjoy their success because of the many conflicting ideas they have about what they should expect of or for themselves. Gaining insights about our own internal value programming opens the doors to better self understanding and acceptance, and enables us to explore strategies for making better use of our talents.

When I first began working with Axiology over ten years ago, I found that many people just didn't appreciate the value of "learning" why people did what they did. They seemed to be satisfied with the "Polaroid" snapshot of surface behavior. In the past two years, I've experienced a major shift. Client after client tells of the investments they've made in Strategic Planning, O.D. initiatives and costly training programs that usually resulted in only minor or temporary changes. Many are now ready to take a deeper look into the values and beliefs that seem to undermine their efforts. There is a new and positive desire to understand the human issues so more realistic plans can be developed to make better use of potential talents and overcome obstacles to success.

Because of the increasing demand for more in-depth consulting and coaching, I've developed a two day certification training program to teach internal and external consultants how to use the Value Profile in their own business. I'd be happy to send info on certification to anyone you know who might be interested in learning how to use this extraordinary system.

Please E-mail me with your comments and suggestions regarding this newsletter and let me know if there are value topics you'd like me to address. If you are a new subscriber and would like back issues of this Newsletter, let me know.

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