You’ve probably noticed that people don’t usually speak in terms of their values. What we usually do is reflect our values in how we talk about our vision for the business. Take Nicole and Carol’s views for example and the values that they stem from. The important thing to note is that both parties have a vision for the business based on their personal values, and doing what they believe is right. Values have the power to either strengthen or split an ownership group, which is why it’s so important to be aware of them and work on developing shared values.
Nicole
Views
The business is my family’s legacy. We need to be patient and wait for returns. It’s essential that we endure over time.
Values
Loyalty
Longevity
Stewardship
Virtue
Vision
Philanthropy
Carol
Views
We need to aim for growth, and if we don’t get good returns, we need to exit. It’s essential that we remain objective in our decision-making.
Values
Growth
Success
Effectiveness
Wealth
Practicality
Pragmatism
Tips on Managing Conflict around Views
The key to managing conflict around views is to understand the underlying values that are driving them. This will make it easier for you to understand the other persons perspective and vice versa. In order to do this, you can:
- Reflect on your own views, and determine the underlying value. Your views are your perspective, how you see the business, and where you want it to go. You may want to compare your views with the values you identified in the ‘hierarchy of values’ exercise. Can you see which values your views are based on?
- Engage in dialogue with other person, to understand their views. Ideally, both parties will have done the reflection. However, if this is not the case, ask questions of the other person to help them determine which values their views are based on.
- Discuss values, not views. Find out where your values are similar, and where they differ. Do they align with the business values? Why or why not?
This information will be very useful to you in the next section in regard to aligning your business values and practices!
