What Do You Value?

My last post ended with the question “So, what does value mean to you?”.

What you value is important, because, well, it has to do with you. Think about simple words that you value, and list them out. Here are some examples:

  • Intelligence
  • Spirituality
  • Integrity
  • Involvement
  • Health
  • Family
  • Peace
  • Loyalty

You may find this is difficult to do, as this is not something that one proactively sits in a quiet room and ponders “What do I value? Why do I value these things?”, yet, it is a valuable exercise.

To help, let’s define value.

value?

The Meriam-Webster dictionary defines value as:

val·​ue ˈval-yü

  1. the monetary worth of something : market price
  2. a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged
  3. relative worth, utility, or importance
    • a good value at the price
    • the value of base stealing in baseball
    • had nothing of value to say
  4. something (such as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable
    • sought material values instead of human values —W. H. Jones

I am focusing more on the 3rd and 4th definitions above, whereas you may think FinOps would typically look at the 1st or 2nd because these align closely with money. But…

valuemorethanmoney

Value is much more than just money, or saving money. Value is often times very subjective and elusive, but you can (hopefully) identify it when you see it.

  • I saved 15% on my car insurance!
  • I gained a new benefit for the same cost as before.
  • I learned a new skill and can now do something I could not have done before.
  • I made someone smile today.
  • I lost 50lbs and I can fit comfortably in an airplane seat.
  • I slept in on my day off.
  • I removed the snow from my elderly neighbor’s driveway.
  • I spent quality time with my significant other last night.
  • I took a drive to visit a friend.

Value can come across in nearly everything we do and it is important to zero in on what is valuable vs. what is not.

I value learning. I learn a lot through reading books and then directly applying and/or teaching their lessons. I strongly recommend the following books for discovering value:

  • Bury my Heart at Conference Room B by Stan Slap
    • A book for managers to drive impact, but also for everyone. It helps to zero in and identify one’s top 3 values along with a whole lot of additional details to help identify other’s values.
  • Steal the Show by Michael Port
    • Practical guidance on communication and marketing one’s self to show up successfully in everything you do. Bring your value to the table and get others to believe in you.
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
    • This book has been around for a while and it remains a solid recommendation for many reasons, but, is extremely useful for value.
  • The Lighthouse Effect by Steve Pemberton
    • I recently came across this book and identified my son Isaac as my lighthouse. Isaac passed away 3 1/2 years ago after battling cancer for 10 years. I learned a heck of a lot from Isaac, as did those who knew him.
  • The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
    • This is a great personal relationship book, helps one understand love, priorities, and what kind of love others value.

So, what do you value? Why do you value what you value?

Discuss this on the linkedin article