[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/1-7.jpeg” custom_padding=”0|0px|0|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”|auto|19px|auto||” custom_padding=”467px|0px|0|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ text_font=”PT Sans||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” text_font_size=”72″ text_line_height=”1.1em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”785px” custom_margin=”-98px||0px|||” custom_padding=”||168px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”52″ text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Values and Leadership<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”149px|0px|1px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”0px|auto|0px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”20px||20px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/david-ivers.png” show_bottom_space=”off” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin=”-45px|||||” animation=”off” sticky=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#02b875″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.2em” header_text_color=”#000000″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”]DAVID IVERS<\/span><\/a>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|” _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Serif||on||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”16″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” max_width=”140px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||20px||true|” global_colors_info=”{}”]David Ivers is from Sydney, Australia. He is a qualified Primary and Secondary School Teacher. In total, he has served on school leadership teams for 16 years in senior leadership roles.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.5em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”720px” custom_margin=”-22px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”28px||16px||false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the quality of one’s convictions that determines success,<\/p>\n not the number of followers.\u201d<\/p>\n Prof. Remus Lupin. (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part II – 2011<\/a>)<\/p>\n When we talk about or use the term \u2018values\u2019, what are we really talking about? Sure, in disciplines such as Anthropology and in Sociology, terms like intrinsic values and extrinsic values are talked about. Keeping things simple though, our values are those things that we hold to or believe to be important to the self and may influence our interactions with others. They may be regarded as being \u2018sacrosanct\u2019 and so at its most basic, our values are our reason for why we do or don\u2019t do things. They are in many ways, our reason for action. Some values such as love, are universal. In some corners of Anthropology, particularly Cultural Anthropology, ethnographic work will often lead to an encounter with values and beliefs that pertain to that particular cultural grouping. Understanding what we as individuals rate as being important, to the point of being sacrosanct, our values, beliefs, guide posts, is critical to our understanding of self. The reason for mentioning this is simple. Organizations, whether they be government agencies, companies, not-for-profits, etc, often have \u2018values statements\u2019 in their published reports and documents. The values they espouse should therefore be their reason for action. Like it or not, you, the individual, bring into the workplace your personal values, and at some point, they will intersect with the corporate values of the organization. Where they are not in harmony, the outcomes can be both dramatic and for the individual, potentially dire for their future with that organization. Two good examples of values statements in government organizations would be: Boston Public Schools and the Los Angeles County Public Works Department.<\/p>\n Boston Public Schools:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n VALUES<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c<\/em>JUICE\u201d: Joy, Unity, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Equity<\/em><\/p>\n MISSION<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Every child in every classroom in every school gets what they need.<\/em><\/p>\n VISION<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n A nation-leading, student-centered public school district providing an equitable, and excellent, well-rounded education, that prepares every student for success in college, career, and life.<\/em><\/p>\n Boston Public Schools. (2020). Imagine BPS: Boston Public Schools 20\/25 Strategic Plan<\/a>. Roxbury. Massachusetts: Boston Public Schools. p15.<\/p>\n Los Angeles County Public Works Department:<\/strong><\/p>\n VISION<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n To become the most trusted public agency in the region.<\/em><\/p>\n MISSION<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n We deliver regional infrastructure and services improving the quality of life for more than 10 million people in Los Angeles County.<\/em><\/p>\n VALUES<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Safety, Community, Workforce Development, Transparency, Inclusivity, Innovation<\/em><\/p>\n Values are the underlying principles through which we act to achieve our Vision and fulfill our Mission. They define the fundamental ethics and behaviors that guide the actions and decisions of the Public Works team. Applying our Values in our actions will ensure a climate of unity and trust throughout the organization and in our relationships with customers and stakeholders.<\/em><\/p>\n Los Angeles County Public Works Department (2020) Los Angeles County Public Works Strategic Plan<\/a>. <\/em>Alhambra<\/em>. California: Los Angeles County Public Works. p5<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n It is interesting to note that a government agency such as the Los Angeles County Public Works Department explains, that their understanding of values is what leads them to act in fulfillment of their vision and mission. Equally interesting is that as a government agency, they connect the importance of values to achievement of the vision and mission of the organization. Likewise, Boston Public Schools\u2019 values are located alongside their statement of vision and mission. From a recruitment perspective, panels are wanting to see that the candidate they are looking to hire is a \u2018best fit\u2019 for the organization. This means they are looking to ascertain the extent to which the individual candidate will actively work towards achieving the vision and mission of the organization and be supportive of its values. Once that\u2019s determined in the positive, the rest comes down to experience, qualifications, and other essential and desirable criteria. Hence, having a deep understanding of yourself, the values that you live by and the vision and mission you see for yourself is critical in understanding whether you are best suited for a particular employer. John Maxwell highlights why this is so important.<\/p>\n \u201cNow begin looking for people who share your values. When you find them, connect with them. Start building your relationships with them so that you\u2019re ready to take the next step, which is to look for ways to work together to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Maxwell. John. C. (2017).\u00a0 The Power of Your Leadership: Making a Difference with Others (eBook<\/a>). New York: Hachette Book Group, Inc. p71.<\/p>\n If values are the reason for acting, then they must also be the reason upon which leadership is undertaken and delivered. After all, if leadership is a verb, then in and of itself, it is, therefore, an action. Leadership should also seek to make a difference, for the better. As Maxwell observed in the above quote, working collectively and collaboratively with people who share the same values, is critical to making a difference and achieving mission success.<\/p>\n In a time, when many people across the globe have experienced lockdowns due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, where separation from loved ones has been a reality, where the threat of serious illness has increased stress loads on people, and where the ability to continue to work but from home has been commonplace, it should be of little surprise to an employer, that many people would prefer to keep working from home. The pandemic has not come to an end, we are simply learning to live with the virus. One thing is quite certain. For many people, the lockdowns were an opportunity for self-reflection, self-realignment, and a stock take of individual and collective value sets. It should come as no surprise that people\u2019s values have most likely shifted during the pandemic. In truth, the pandemic most likely has brought to light an issue that has been hiding beneath the surface of the organizational landscape for some time. In 2011, Mark Crowley in his excellent book \u2018Lead from the Heart\u2019 observed that a shift in people\u2019s values was afoot at that time, in response to the \u2018Great Recession. It may well be that this has collided through the pages of history into the pandemic or that the memory of the \u2018Great Recession\u2019 has surfaced in the pandemic, to give rise to the \u2018Great Resignation<\/a>\u2019.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIn a direct response to how their lives were shaken and even unmoored by the <\/em>\u201c<\/em>Great Recession,\u201d people across America are deep into the process of reassessing their values and re-ranking what<\/em>\u2019<\/em>s most important in life. Consequently, people now are looking at work very differently.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Crowley, Mark. C. (2011). Lead From the Heart (eBook).<\/a> Bloomington, Indiana: Balboa Press. p19.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#f7f7f4″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” column_padding_mobile=”on” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” min_height=”594px” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” make_fullwidth=”on” custom_width_px=”680px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/3-7.jpeg” title_text=”Closeup,Hand,Arrange,Wood,Letters,As,Core,Values,Word” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ custom_padding=”||0px|||” animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#efefe9″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-6.jpeg” title_text=”Building,Column,On,A,Government,Building,With,A,Beautiful,Blue” show_bottom_space=”off” force_fullwidth=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ animation=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#818178″ text_font_size=”24″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”1.2%|10%||10%||” custom_margin_tablet=”|10%||10%” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px|||||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Like it or not, you, the individual, bring into the workplace your personal values and at some point, they will intersect with the corporate values of the organization.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”PT Sans|on|||” text_text_color=”#888888″ text_font_size=”12″ text_letter_spacing=”2px” text_line_height=”1.2em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px||11.4%|||” custom_margin_tablet=”20px|||” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]DAVID IVERS[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”4″ column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”0||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px|||” custom_padding_phone=”” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”1200px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ text_font=”PT Serif||||” text_text_color=”#363636″ text_font_size=”20″ text_line_height=”1.4em” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” min_height=”2200px” custom_margin=”-73px||11px|||” custom_margin_tablet=”40px||0px|” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_padding=”84px||1px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Where job security and money might have been highly prized pre-pandemic, the focus may now be on a better work-life balance, a better sense of connectedness to the family and the broader community, and a desire to have a more holistic view of health. Simply, work has traditionally been one avenue in which people seek to find meaning. With so much introspection though, many will have found that the search for meaning starts from within. According to a McKinsey report (April 2021), there are three things they could and should be doing to retain staff in these uncertain times.<\/p>\n One action you can take today is to start spending time with your team reflecting on the impact the company has on the world.\u2026You want dialogue, not monologue. Still, when authentic and handled well, reflections on the bigger picture can inspire a sense of purpose. Our survey found that employees are five times more likely to be excited to work at a company that spends time reflecting on the impact it makes in the world.<\/em><\/p>\n When employees have a chance to reflect on their own sense of purpose, and how it connects to the company<\/em>\u2019<\/em>s purpose, good things happen. Survey respondents who have such opportunities are nearly three times more likely than others to feel their purpose is fulfilled at work. Make this a habit in your company.<\/em><\/p>\n Sixty-three percent of people we surveyed said they want their employer to provide more opportunities for purpose in their day-to-day work. You need to find ways to deliver.<\/em><\/p>\n Dhingra, Naina ., Samo, Andrew., Schaninger, Bill., Matt Schrimper, Matt. (2021). Help your employees find purpose\u2014or watch them leave (April 2021).<\/a><\/p>\n Where personal values and personal philosophy has changed, the individual may well see themselves in a juxtaposition to their employer. For employers that think these employees are bluffing, who think that giving the ultimatum to return to the office or leave the company is an incentive, the employer should not be surprised when the reply is, \u201cfine, I\u2019m gone, finished!\u201d The reality is that employers that venture down that path, are not exhibiting agility, and that stated values of trust, collaboration, joy or well-being, are merely words in a pretty document, rather than a lived reality in the organization. Employees with an extensive skillset will have very few problems pivoting in another direction from such an organization. Stephen. R. Covey noted in 2009, the importance of organizational leaders living the stated values of the organization daily, adding real value to the organization\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when individual values are harmonized with those of the organization, people work together for common purposes that are deeply felt. They contribute more as a team than they would individually. Productivity doesn\u2019t just get a little better, it gets dramatically better.\u201d<\/p>\n Covey. Stephen. R. (2009). Principle-Centered Leadership (eBook).<\/a> New York: RosettaBooks LLC.\u00a0p264.<\/p>\n The question that remains here is simple. If individual employees have been re-evaluating their lives, their outlook, and their values, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it makes sense that organizations must do the same. This means revisiting the values, the mission, the vision and in doing so, bringing staff in on the ground floor. The critical values here, trust and belonging, are at the heart of all attempts of organizational improvement and the most likely way to gain buy-in from staff across the whole of the organization. Anecdotally, the leadership that has created a high trust organization, who invested time and energy in their people, most likely found negotiating the pandemic, including the \u2018working from home\u2019 question, a bit easier. This was recently highlighted by the Harvard Business Review.<\/p>\n \u201cIn today<\/em>\u2019<\/em>s disruptive marketplace, every organization needs to attract, develop, and retain talent with diverse skills and perspectives. The difference between success and failure will not be in the formulation of job descriptions and compensation packages, but in the ability to articulate a higher purpose. That begins with a clear sense of shared mission and values. Managers must clearly communicate their organization<\/em>\u2019<\/em>s shared mission and hire people who will be inspired to dedicate their talents to it. The art of leadership is no longer merely to plan and direct action, but to inspire and empower belief.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Satell, Greg and Windschitl, Cathy. (2021). High-Performing Teams Start with a Culture of Shared Values (11 May 2021) in Harvard Business Review<\/a>. Cambridge. Massachusetts: Harvard Business Publishing.<\/p>\n\n
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