I think it’s important for anyone to be clear about what drives them, both for themselves and for others. I’ll sometimes ask about these if I am interviewing prospective employees. However, we spend too little time in education or beyond in helping individuals articulate their own values.
In my opinion, Core Values are crucial, especially to guide us when there are tough decisions to be made or in resolving difficult situations with others (I’m also thinking of the use of social media here). No one is perfect, and we cannot always live up to our values completely, but they should serve to guide our behaviours and aspirations.
They are also as important corporately as they are for individuals, but that’s a whole other topic.
Here are my Core Values – can you articulate yours?
World Class
If something is worth doing, do it at the level of the best. For me, this is also about harnessing technology for beneficial outcomes on a global scale.
Integrity
This is about honesty, reliability and doing what has been promised.
Innovation
I love taking problems and looking at new ways to solve them. This is also about self-renewal and continually challenging oneself to think differently and learn from others.
Pragmatism
I like to apply what I do to in the ‘real world’. This means I am focused on applying technique, hardware, software and theory for a practical, realisable outcome – and normally with a strong sense of urgency.
Care
There are lots of dimensions to this! I care for those I work with, for my clients and business partners. I care about the quality of the work that I do and the products I create. I care deeply about social and global issues.
Mike Isted 