Operationalizing our values (Part 2 of "Values - Avoiding the B.S."

The reason we roll our eyes when people start talking about values is that everyone talks a big values game but very few people actually practice one. …If you’re not going to take the time to translate values from ideals to behavior – it’s better not to profess any values at tall. They become a joke. A cat poster. Total BS. 

​Brené Brown, Dare to Lead

​Harsh words. And yet we know they are true. As I mentioned in my previous post on the importance of identifying our core values, every day and all around us we see the evidence of people and organizations espousing high-sounding values and then, ostensibly in the name of those same values, behaving abominably. Consciously living by and holding ourselves accountable to our values, rather than just professing them - that's a whole different thing. It takes heap of commitment and courage to actually practice our values. 
 
So how in fact, does one do that.
 
The answer is deceptively simple to describe. Much, much, much harder to actually work through.
 
In this week’s resilience tool, I describe the process to get clear on how to actually put your values into practice, identify when you are most likely to be challenged to show-up and behave in accordance with your values, and how to identify and put in place the support systems that will help you to stay true to your values – as we are human and we will be tempted to put down our values from time to time.
 
In next week’s entry I’ll share my own results of applying this process to my two core values: compassion and play.  

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