People Values #
People values describe what is important to you when interacting with others, and what is important to you when other’s interact with each other.
Ultimately, you will have to define your own values. You probably already have. Read through the following and see what resonates with you.
I recommend that after going through this section to define your own set of People Values for your own reference.
Enable Autonomy #
Build Trust #
Encourage Mastery #
Be Fair #
Humans have a strong preference for fairness. If you have siblings, you will know what I am talking about.
However, it is important to understand that we value fairness to different degrees in different circumstances. The more we are in competition with others over a limited pool of resources, the more active our unfairness sensors are.
Unfortunately, the workplace often provides an environment of competition over limited opportunities. There is a limited budget for pay rises. There is a limited pool of interesting projects. There is a limited amount of time a leader can spend with their reports.
Thus I believe that as a leader you are well advised to value fairness and establish fairness as an accepted value among those you lead.
If you don’t, you will quickly loose the respect of your people and they will come to dread rather than seek your judgement.
Nourish #
It is easy to see the workplace as a zero sum game. You win at the expense of others. After all, only one person can get the promotion.
Conversely it has been found that many successful leaders invest heavily into enabling the career of others.
Think about it: Who would you rather work for? A leader that always looks out for themselves or one you feel genuinely wants to support you in what is important to you.
Care #
We spend long hours of our lives at work. Most of these we share with our close colleagues in teams. Being part of a group is usually a nourishing experience for human beings. We need it and being together with others is important for our well-being.
Unfortunately, rather than nourish us, our workplace is more often than not a source of stress. This problem is so acute that it is linked to thousands of deaths a year.
As leaders, we can strive towards building an environment in which team members care for one another.
It is important to distinguish this from the usual team building activities. More often than not, these are aimed to provide better collaboration and ultimately improve the bottom line of the organisation.
However, fostering true caring relationships should be valuable in itself and is difficult to pursue with ulterior motives in mind.