Welcome back to On the Rise, where we explore kinder ways to do business. This month we’re aligning our values with our work.

Building a business based on values

When this newsletter hits your inbox, I’ll be in the middle of hosting Pavilion’s Annual Kickoff (now closed).

This AKO is many things. A chance to reflect on 2021. The opportunity to hype up our membership for 2022 and all of the things we have planned. And a chance to more deeply integrate our values into every decision we make.

If you’re subscribed to this newsletter, I hope you also imagine a world where work isn’t cutthroat, but based on mutual support.

A world where responsiveness is second nature and we prioritize giving before receiving.
A world with less spamming and more opportunities for thought leadership.
A world where we’re all bound by the same values, and the same code of conduct.
A world where you can succeed personally by helping other people. By not asking for help in return, but by being a good person who doesn’t need to be transactional.

Imagine a future where nice folks can finish first. I believe it.

Pavilion is built on a series of values that are more than just vague platitudes. They truly inform every decision we make. But how do you develop a set of values that are deep rooted in your organization and actually guide you to success?

I’ll tell you how I did it.

Finding out what you stand for

When I first met Executive Coach Jim Rosen, he asked me what I stood for. Making money, I replied.

Which, of course, is a bad answer. But in the moment I panicked. What did I stand for? Everyday I struggled not to be crushed by my money insecurities and debt. It was all I could think about, and all I thought work was good for at the time.

But through my work with Jim, I was able to distill the values that eventually led to the creation of Pavilion, this newsletter, and my upcoming book.

For this exercise, we looked at various attributes and qualities of a human being, and I circled those that resonated with me.

We then ranked the circled values against three key elements: Foundation, focus, and future.

Starting with the Foundation, we reviewed values such as Honor, Respect, and Discipline, to establish the foundational values that were core to my survival.

From there, we looked at values that helped me Focus on who I was and helped me define my identity in a professional context more clearly.

Finally, we used those values to establish a vision for the Future — a vision for who I wanted to be.

From this values exercise, we wove together my personal mission statement. Something that I ultimately “stood for.”

I stand for helping people I care about and respect achieve their goals.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into what it is you stand for, I highly recommend this framework and working with Jim (I can introduce you, if you’d like). It is only when we truly understand what we stand for that we can build a business with values at its core.

Building a business based on values

Finding out what you stand for

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