"What we value influences what we do", asserts the late Robert S. Hartman Ph.D., a Nobel Prize nominee. Hartman created a scientific system to measure personal values. Called "Axiology", this science offers us an objective way to assess, understand and influence how the "values" of a company's managers and employees impact their performance. Hartman taught that there are three levels of value that influence our lives: systemic, extrinsic and intrinsic.

The "systemic" perspective demands that employees first loyalty is to their jobs and a paycheck should be sufficient reward; the "extrinsic" value is evidenced by the employees focus on gaining a "return on investment" for their willingness to go the extra mile, and "intrinsic" value is emerges when people decide they want to be treated with respect and be valued for their unique worth as individuals.

VALUES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The value clashes that result from having people holding all three of these value perspectives in your workplace at the same time can cause serious problems. The differing values of executives, managers and employees can affect both working relationships and your company's performance.

A few decades ago employees were glad to get a job and when they got one, they tried to keep it. They valued security and believed that if they worked hard they could provide for their families. Their children, the "Baby Boomers", watched this and saw that their parents gave too much and got too little in return. When these "BBs" entered the work force, they came in better educated and with much higher expectations for themselves.

The "BBs" believed in the adage that "up is better" and expected opportunities for promotion along with benefit packages for their efforts. And their children, "Generation X", also watched. They saw parents who were so focused on success, that they had little time for themselves or for their families. Getting ahead was the priority in their parents lives. And just before this "Gen X" entered the workforce, they saw their parents, family members and neighbors being laid off in the name of mergers, downsizing or "flattening" of the company pyramid.

Consequently, today's new workers no longer believe that concepts like loyalty and commitment have any payoff. They value living life now. They are more concerned with the quality than the quantity of life and more interested in what's happening now than in retirement plans. Most expect a job to provide them the freedom to pursue their professional and personal goals.

Gaining objective insights into what people value can go a long way towards bridging existing gaps, can help you make better decisions on hires, assignments and promotions and can give you the information necessary to creating a synergistic work environment.

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