Values Manage Your Career

Your work is strongly affected by how you feel about it. The more important you think it is, the more value and purpose you see. Drives us to be better.

My work is driven by these values:

1.      Make the World Better.

2.      Think (Disruptively)

3.      Productive Work

4.      Help Others

5.      Mastery, Meaning & Wisdom

#1 Make the World Better is influenced by Bill Boeing’s value “To Improve the World”.  Want leave the world a better place because of what I do. Henry Ford, Elon Musk, Thomas Edison, Rick Warren, Monet, Robert Schuler, Napoleon Hill are a few of the people we respect because of what they have done improving the world.

#2 Thinking Disruptively does not mean I want attention or to annoy people. What it means is we can always serve the customer better. Using new technologies, materials or applying old skills in different ways. There is always a better idea and way. Think about it deeper, ask tough questions, and share your insights. 

Note: disruptive thinkers often pay a high price for not appearing to be a team player. My solution is to explain the why behind questions, be very nice about it, and to execute my work for the team.

#3 Productive Work means creating and maximizing value for customers. Metrics are often used to manage work, but the wrong metric can lead to mediocre results. Focus instead on continuous improvement, reducing waste and organizing efforts.

#4 Help Others is charity and doing good for family, friends and people around the world. The small things done for others will be more rewarding and important than any payday. Serving coffee, washing dishes, picking up trash, and teaching are personal examples where the reward is not financial.

When I was broke figured we should give 10% of our time to charity. Work 40 hours a week equals give away 4 hours a week. Much better than another night watching TV shows or working unnecessary overtime.

#5 Mastery, Meaning and Wisdom means not only developing talents, but also teaching the next generations to do those skills. When involved in solving problems with people, often taught how I did it to my co-workers. It leveraged my knowledge, made the shop more productive, and freed me to tackle new problems.

What do You Value? 

Spend a little time thinking about why you do more than just enough, or where you care more. Your values guide you towards the career you will love and excel at.