The Impact of Values

Values are critical to guiding your business, leaders and team. Zest for Life is no different. I strive to lead by example and follow a set of three Values which guide us to deliver exceptional business results.

The three simple words that have real depth of meaning for me are:

Health, Respect, Integrity

Recently, I’ve taken a step back to look at what’s happening and how I can use our Values to guide my decisions.

What our Values mean to me

In my last post, I looked at how Values can create a positive business culture. Let’s take a deeper look at how I interpret them in my own business and how they guide our work.

Health

This encompasses my own health and the health of others and the environment. 

Health always comes first. You can’t achieve anything without a good level of personal health. I strive to maintain my own health and I’m big fan of prevention over cure. To be the best version of me I know I need sufficient sleep, a helpful diet and clarity of thought.

I know that even with a spot of flu I won’t be on my ‘A’ game, which then impacts the other Values and outcomes for others. I want the people I work with and spend time with to always get the best version of me.  

Other people’s health is equally important - family, friends and clients. These relationships are dear to me. I always look out for the wellbeing of others. For example, if now is not the right time for that person to meet, I’ll suggest we wait until the time is right. I accept that sometimes life gets in the way. The people I work with know I’ll understand if they need to take a step back. 

If someone asks me for additional support, of course I’m happy to assist in a personal or professional capacity. However, I do believe it’s not my place to always be the rescuer. People are very capable of making good use of their own resources.

When it comes to the environment, we all need to do our bit to look after this amazing planet of ours. David Attenborough and others are doing an outstanding job in educating us on what harms our environment. I recycle and choose recycled materials at every opportunity, and keep as many plants as we can squeeze in our office and home. I travel by train wherever possible, I buy from local suppliers and farmer’s markets, and I’m excited to invest in an electric or hybrid car in the near future. Every little thing we can do to protect our environment makes a difference. This knowledge guides my business decisions around purchasing, travel and using resources.  

Respect

This is about respecting myself, others and animals, and it supports Health in terms of respect for the environment.

Respect is a value that was instilled in me by my family. As a young girl I was taught that no matter who or what a person is or does, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Being conscious of the feelings, wishes and rights of others is a simple way of living. 

I enjoy this Value. To me, it means respecting other people’s perspectives and listening to their thoughts and beliefs. It expands my knowledge and teaches me new things. It’s great when others treat me in the same way. Generally, I don’t have the urge to share my perspectives unless people ask and want to know.  

Integrity

There are many ways to interpret Integrity. To me, it means always doing as you say you will.

Confidentiality is an integral part of being a coach. I’ve never had to apologise for not breaking the confidence someone entrusts me with. I also strive to keep my promises. It’s part of building a reputation based on trust and credibility. I feel awful if I can’t keep my promises but if it happens, I’m comfortable with making a heartfelt apology. 

Putting our Values into action

All of Zest for Life’s Values are interlinked and align with my own values. When you have a personal connection, they are easier to live. I check in with myself to ensure I’m bringing them to life. 

I’ll finish with an example of when living the Values helped me to make a business decision.

During a busy period, a new client approached me about a piece of work with a short deadline. It was an exciting and different kind of work. I committed to send a proposal over to them and kept my word (integrity). With all the other work I’d already agreed to, I soon realised that I’d need to work every day that month to complete the project, leaving me virtually no time off. 

The initial feeling of joy melted into stress. I know what I’m like under pressure and it’s not good for my health or producing my best work. I decided to be honest with the client and explained I would need more time and would respect their opportunity to work with someone else if their deadline wasn’t flexible. The client decided to go with an alternative supplier. 

This was a good outcome for me. I’d been realistic and honest with the client, and respected their needs and my own. 

How do you bring your Values to life? I’d love to hear your stories.