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Values, Valued, and Value

Guest post by: Ian Berry

Article Overview: Do you live your values? Are they written on your heart? Do you know and measure how your values are lived? Do you value yourself and everything uniquely remarkable that you bring to the world? We cannot truly value others until we really and honestly value the one-of-kind beings that we are. Does your organization really provide value? What would you be paid if your customers/clients could decide your value?

Values, Valued, and Value

© Ian Berry. All rights reserved

Four years ago I was privileged to present to members of the board of Oxfam Australia. While waiting in their boardroom I copied down the words of a poster on the wall by Community Aid Abroad. It was headed ‘Basic human rights for all’ and read

• enough to eat
• clean water
• a livelihood
• a home
• an education
• health care
• a safe environment
• protection from violence
• equality of opportunity
• a say in the future

Tears welled in my eyes as I read these words for they capture what I stand for and explain why I got up this morning and every morning and go out into the world to influence leaders in whatever you do to be doing it for the good of people and our planet.

Do you live your values? Are they written on your heart? Do you know and measure how your values are lived? Once upon a time I work shopped values with leaders and ended up with fancy and framed signs in boardrooms. I don’t do that anymore because signs on the wall are of no value unless they are in our hearts and we live according to our words.

Do you value yourself and everything uniquely remarkable that you bring to the world? We cannot truly value others until we really and honestly value the one-of-kind beings that we are.

Does your organization really provide value? Last year I commenced allowing my clients to determine what they pay me for my services. This decision has revolutionized my business. I am now truly getting paid for my value. Value is in the eyes of the beholder. What would you be paid if your customers/clients could choose the amount?

I have just asked you some of the toughest questions that can be asked. I feel uncomfortable sometimes when I ask them of myself for I know in my heart I can’t always give the answers I wish to.

I am asking politicians, religious, business and community leaders when I meet them, when will your rhetoric be reality? I sometimes get dismissed as an upstart but mostly I get deep knowing looks for I believe that deep down, sometimes way down, nobody really wants our world to be as it is; a place that is gripped by violence, children are hungry, the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer, everyone doesn’t have equality of opportunity or many of the other basics on the Community Aid Abroad poster.

The water crisis and global climate change in general are fundamentally our fault. The time is now for these and other truths to no longer be inconvenient.

I am on a mission to fulfill the promise I made to my grandson Hamish when he was born 5 days after 9/11 that I would do everything in my power to give him the opportunity to lead a remarkable life. What is your mission?

To fulfill my mission I live my values, value myself and seek to value others a much as I possibly can, and every day I endeavour to deliver value in the eyes of my clients. And when I fail I don’t beat myself up, rather dust myself off, learn, and move on. I trust you will too.

What part to living your values, being valued, and delivering value play in your strategy?

Be the difference you want to see in the world

Ian

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