Principles, Parenting & Purpose

What Are Your Values?

August 16, 2011

Before we get to principles, we need to dig into values a bit further.

Inspired by my work with teams at AOL to articulate our company’s values in 2009, I defined the values for my companies, Decision Tools LLC (started on August 16, 2011) and FTLapps, Inc. (launched on December 21, 2011):

We are in the business of helping people.

We communicate and work with integrity.

We embrace change and curiosity—we think big and take chances.

We’re creative, innovative, and always working smart.

We trust and root for each other—we win as a team.

We’re out to change the world and make it a better place.

We check our egos at the door.

We listen more than we talk.

We treat everyone with respect, without exception.

We believe that by working together with each other and the world, we can do great things.

We work hard.

We have fun!

Over the next twelve years, my understanding of personal values evolved significantly. “Honesty,” at the top of the list for most of my life, is no longer my highest value.

Late in my career with AOL, I realized that “respect” was a far more fundamental value.

With attention to this question for over a decade, and an increased awareness of a number of terms that are relevant personally and professionally, I now see a new set of priorities more clearly. Today, “respect” still tops the list, but “honesty” isn’t even close to the top!

Respect

Humility

Integrity

Compassion

Cooperation

Kindness

Honesty

Joy

Balance

Discipline

This set abstracts and prioritizes the values I articulated in 2011.

Consider them in pairs: if you could keep only one, which value would you sacrifice? Will you be your best? Will you treat others well? Pick any two, and see which one you’d choose. Repeat until the one at the top of the list remains. Repeat the process over and over until the order is unchanging no matter which two values you compare.

Make your own list! There are many other values. Which ones are missing from my list? What’s important to you?

Your results may vary.

What are your highest values?