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Value Insights Monthly
"A 'Value' Driven Future"

A 'Value' Driven Future

It's been interesting to experience the many changes that have taken place in organizations over the last several years. When I first learned about Axiology ten years ago, it was like an answer to a prayer. I'd worked for years with company leaders doing management training, organizational development, management by objectives and strategic planning. I got great reviews with 9's and 10's on evaluation feedback, but usually ended up feeling frustrated because lasting positive change seemed so infrequent.

With the Value Profile I knew I was able to help people take a realistic look at their current situation and identify their greatest strengths and also recognize the issues that were undermining their success. I couldn't wait to tell everyone that now there's a way to figure out "why" people do what they so we can help them learn more effective ways to deal with recurring problems and challenges.

However, much to my surprise and frustration, most of the people I talked with couldn't understand why they would want to know that. After all, they already knew who the winners and losers were. Managers just didn't think there was any reason to get into all that "stuff".

Even when people agreed that turnover usually resulted from issues of "fit" or beliefs or attitudes that didn't show up until someone was on the job awhile, most HR folks just weren't ready or willing to take a deeper look.

However, little by little, changes both in the market place and in the workforce, have forced companies to look for approaches to personal and organizational development that enable them to get answers to the hard questions like:

"What and who really helps make us successful ?"

"What and who is actually interfering with the accomplishment of our goals ?" "What can we do and who should we hire to help us be the kind of company we say we want to be ?"

"Do we treat our people like they're our most important product ?"

"Is there really a relationship between our Mission Statement and our 'values' ?"

I find it heartening and exciting to see the growing enthusiasm that is showing up in more and more companies. And the payoff is that these companies are finding it easier to get and keep good people, to win employee commitment instead of compliance and to gain the talents that were so often with held by people who felt undervalued.

What I'm seeing happening tells me that there is a great deal to look forward to as business leaders are growing toward a "values driven" approach to success.