Each individual on earth is made up of their own unique formula or DNA and this is complex indeed. Yet in human resource development and learning we generalise at times given different groups of people.

These same groups are given common results or outcomes to achieve. These outcomes vary from vision and mission statements to group performance management.

Since each person has their own make up and history, they have at least one thing in common values. This is where we become different again as these values can vary vastly in type and order.

This variance in values will have direct impact on the attainment of outcomes, like mission statement or sales results as they influence an individual's behaviour.

Vales are descriptive words or feelings for which new words can be made as they have their own subjective meaning. Sometimes they are buried deep within the unconscious mind and sometimes they are very clear, but they form the foundation to people's action or behaviour.

These values can range from freedom to love to competence to recognition etc. etc.

When people know better they do better and this can be a very powerful formula when they understand their values.

If people's values affect behaviour then it's this behaviour, which will impact capabilities and outcomes.

Vision statements or even organisational standards, verbal or written, are a part of where an organisation is heading.

All parts are achievable when collective individuals buy into results and own them. In other words they attach individualised meaning for the purpose.

When this meaning is attached to their vales it creates personal motivation for each person to achieve the organisational outcomes.

Step One is to individualise or identify values and give meaning to each person's purpose. This purpose is at a high level personal purpose and is used to identify what it is that each individual values.

There are many ways to do this and asking is a good start. This can be effective where people consciously know their values.

Yet values are often stored at an unconscious level. So it is very effective to use tools to explore values at an unconscious level. Ways to do this include physiological testing like Myers Briggs (MBTI or Neuro-linguistic Programming. Whichever method you choose the individuals may need the opportunity to refine them until they are satisfied that their values are true to them.

Step Two is integration or giving these subjective values meaning in the organisational context. It is a process of using people's values and applying them to required organisational outcomes. The meaning of each value can vary from person to person. For example, if you have been in a relationship which has ended you may realise that the word love can have a very different meaning between people. Therefore it is critical at this stage that no assumptions or judgements are made about other peoples meaning of the words they use. When each person has listed their values and chosen their top four, they need to put together an action plan. This action plan will describe specific behaviours, which demonstrate their values and have

direct impact on attaining the organisational outcomes. For example, when happiness is a specific behaviour it will be written down to demonstrate this with direct relationship to a vision statement.

Whatever way you try this, it is critical that you take into account that each person has their own values different from yours and no value is ever wrong.

As a general rule of thumb the integration or action plan is best completed one-on-one with a facilitator who is trusted by the participant. Often this is someone externally as participants can feel more open working through this personally 'revealing' process with someone they don't 'know'. The action plan each individual makes must be reviewed each week for four weeks and then once a month on going. These sessions or debriefing can take around 10 to 30 minutes or more depending on depth.

The purpose of this process is to achieve results and results you will have. In this space I have focused on the process. I understand that each organisation's content can be variable but the process can work and individuals will buy into the organisational outcomes.

"When people know better, they do better." In my experience when they know more about themselves the bi-products of aligning values to organisational outcomes includes less conflict, more behaviourally flexible people who are motivated and committed.

Samuel Day
Managing Director
Happening People