Have you ever seen someone and said to yourself “Wow they are the picture of X”? Now that X might be physical fitness, or it might be calm or it might be geekiness or one of a million other attributes. Think about one of your core values, what would it look like for someone to be a picture of that core value? They would have the essence and hold themselves in a way that you could instantly tell they held that value dearly. And while that attribute is admirable and essential it’s not exactly the same as modeling the value.


In the alignment method and in my coaching practice in general values take center stage as many of you know. And when it comes to working with clients I actually only have one requirement from the owner or principal and that is that they model the values that they define as their core values. This simple step on its own can be transformational for an organization.

While this is a fairly simple concept the modeling of values is actually fairly complex, comprehensive, and challenging to live consistently.

For me in the work we do in the alignment method modeling is a verb. In that definition is the difference between the picture of the value and the modeling of the value. I want you to take a second and imagine what you think of when I say someone is a fashion model. When they are modeling what are they doing? I’m guessing you imagined something along the lines of them posing for a photo shoot or strutting down a runway engaging with the crowd and being dynamic. That is different then the cover of a magazine or a billboard which doesn’t interact with you in the same way.

When we are modeling our values we are using them in our conversation, our language, we are using them to cheer people on, to remind them of what the company and we all stand for. It is about doing acts within the business and Community that remind us of the value that is at our core. It is not static but dynamic, it is involved, and I will be honest sometimes it’s clumsy, and dirty, and not perfect but it is authentic and honest and in alignment with what we are striving to be.
 
I think it is important to be a picture of your values but remember as much as we strive for it none of us are a perfect picture of our values all the time.

The real gold is in the action, in the striving to make that value come alive and live in our organizations and be part of our every day and be seen not just by the words on our walls but in our deeds and actions that we share with every customer, patient, employee, vendor, or even member of the community. This is Our Calling that we wake up for every day.
 
Make it a GREAT week,
 
Brad