Restoring
Values
Imagine
headlines such as those written by Tristam (2015), “Grand Jury Indicts”. It is
certainly not that uncommon to see reports that explain grand jury decisions.
It is not even that uncommon to see such headlines associated with corporate
executives, or politicians, and what MacIntyre refers to as a society that “has
forgotten what ethical values really are” (as cited in Denning, 2011, p. 126). As
we read those headlines, what do we as audience members do? Do we shake our
heads and chalk it up to what McKay, Davis, and Fanning (2009) call “imposed
values”, based on generalizations from our personal models (p. 114)? Would such
behavior ever lead any of us to evaluate values we hold dear in order to assess
not only a possible future job; but, to consider a political campaign in order
to achieve that post? According to Dr. Randall Hansen (2015), the answer is “Yes”;
and, “workplace values concepts and ideas” held dear have a significant impact
with job satisfaction. This is why, as he proffers, an evaluation of our own
values should be completed and then compared with the values of our employers
to see if that particular job “really suits” us (R. Hansen, 2015).
“A
Quintessential Careers Quiz”, put forth by Dr. Randall Hansen (2015), leads
participants to identify “the five core values you hold most sacred - - that
you can’t live without”. According to the test results, my top five include:
1.
Integrity and truth
2.
Order and structure
3.
Positive impact on others and society
4.
Creativity, imagination, and innovation
5.
Teamwork and work groups
Having identified values that
have been with me for quite some time, the next step is to identify the
organization’s values. McKay, Davis, and Fanning (2009) observe when
generalizations such as “politicians are fools” are made, a judgment based on
one’s “personal model” is made (p. 114-115). Perhaps, as Denning (2011) notes,
organizations, particularly those headed by politicians, do not “appear to
reflect ethical values” (p. 127). Nonetheless, there are certain types of
values present in those organizations and Denning (2011) offers a way to
identify four types of values.
Let’s
return to Tristam’s (2015) headline for a moment. The complete headline reads, “Grand
Jury Indicts Ex-Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks on 12 Felony Counts Over
Secret Recordings” (Tristam, 2015). She was a twice elected Supervisor of
Elections for Flagler County. The grand jury indictment was the final
exclamation point to a string of headlines that had graced the front pages of
numerous media outlets throughout her tenure. The values she perpetuated on a
regular basis are defined by Denning (2011) as those of a “hardball strategist”
(p. 128). Their focus is winning; winning at all costs; and, it matters not
what is right (Denning, 2011). Typically, hardball strategists avoid
illegality; yet, they push the envelope to see just exactly what they can get
away with; and, if rivals are hurt along the way, that is cause for celebration
(Denning, 2011). So how do any of these traits align with an office that is
responsible for the fair and accurate recording of the community’s votes?
Of
my top five values, I would submit the first three are components that should
be required for the elected leader of the Supervisor of Elections office. The
story of the former supervisor provides a foundation from which to form a
narrative so that positive values, such as integrity and truth, can be
communicated to not only the organization; but, to the community as a whole
(Denning, 2011). Instead of plastering posters around the office, or issuing
statements that constantly remind the remaining employees of the prior
wrongdoing, actions and discusses that reinforce the Golden Rule, do unto
others… would begin to transmit integrity and truth (Denning, 2011). A mission
statement, as outlined by Dr. Katharine Hansen (2015), would not only provide a
good starting point for integrity and truth, it would pave the way for order
and structure, along with impacting others in a positive way.
Many
of the websites for Florida’s sixty-seven supervisors of elections include a
mission statement. Dr. Katharine Hansen (2015) refers to a mission statement as,
“a suggestion for the future” of an organization. The Flagler Supervisor of
Elections does not have such a statement. While it would be easy to craft such
a statement, in order to garner “buy-in” (Hansen, K., 2015) from the employees, encouraging the staff to
contribute and develop a mission statement would lay the foundation for “values
to be inner driven” (Denning, 2011, p. 149). As Dr. Katharine Hansen (2015)
notes, both a personal and corporate mission statement connect one’s “unique
purpose and the profound satisfaction” derived to the notion that one, or the
office, acts in concert with a certain, defined creed. An establishment of
shared values fosters trust, As Denning (2011) notes, trust leads to creativity
and innovation, and this leads to more open relationships both within and
beyond the walls of the organization.
For
six years, the people of Flagler County were served by a hardball strategist, one
who purposely went out of her way to inflict pain on her rivals and one who
finally pushed the envelope to the point of an indictment. Integrity and truth
were replaced by narcissism and an “antisocial behavior below the surface of
public awareness” (Denning, 2011, p. 129). Order and structure were absent as
hardball strategists disregard “leadership, corporate culture, customer care,
knowledge management, talent management, employee empowerment and the like”
(Denning, 2011, p. 128). Finally, having a positive impact on society and the
community were cast aside in favor of “being lean and mean” and an almost
gleeful desire to not only hurt others; but, to watch them address the pain
(Denning, 2011, p. 128). Dr. Katharine Hansen (2015) concludes her position by challenging
readers to imagine ones “80th birthday or 50th wedding
anniversary” and contemplate that which would be conveyed by friends at such
events. Any candidate seeking the office of Supervisor of Elections, especially
in Flagler County, would do well to begin with that image in order to re-establish
ethical values long absent from that office.
References
Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling:
Mastering the Art and Discipline of
Business Narrative. San
Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass.
Hansen, K. (2015).
Quintessential Careers: Using a Personal Mission Statement to Chart
Your
Career Course. In Quintessential Careers
– LiveCareer. Retrieved from
Hansen, R.S. (2015). Workplace
Values Assessment: Do You Know the Work Values You
Most
Want in a Job and Employer – and Does Your Current Employment Reflect
Those
Values? A Quintessential Careers Quiz. In Quintessential
Careers - LiveCareer. Retrieved
from http://www.quintcareers.com/workplace_values.html
McKay, M., Davis, M., &
Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: The
Communication Skills Book.
Oakland,
CA. New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Tristam, P. (2015, May 6). Grand
Jury Indicts Ex-Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks on
12
Felony Counts Over Secret Recordings. FlaglerLive.com.
Retrieved from
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