If you work for a company–small, mid-sized, corporate behemoth, whatever–chances are pretty good that you’ve been provided with a company values statement. Chances are also good that it’s laminated in a convenient wallet-sized card that does not, funnily enough, reside in your wallet. Readers of The Radical Leap will know that I’m dubious at best about the value of values statements. I think there’s a major problem with almost all of them, but it’s not, you may be surprised to hear, in the way they’re written. It’s in the way we read them.
The problem is in the pronouns.
Allow me to demonstrate with this excerpt from Home Depot’s corporate values statement. (This isn’t a commentary on Home Depot, per se; they just came out near the top when I Googled “values statement” corporate). Here’s how it’s written:
Doing the right thing: We exercise good judgment by “doing the right thing” instead of just “doing things right.” We strive to understand the impact of our decisions, and we accept responsibility for our actions.
The problem is that many people will interpret the pronoun “we” as “other people around here; a group that doesn’t necessarily include me.”
Now try reading it this way:
Doing the right thing: I exercise good judgment by “doing the right thing” instead of just “doing things right.” I strive to understand the impact of my decisions, and I accept responsibility for my actions.
Feels different, doesn’t it? That’s the power of the first-person singular pronoun. That’s the power of “I”: nothing’s going to happen around here unless I do something about it.
So, back to your company’s statement. Go find it, dust it off, and read it again with a new set of first-person singulars–change the “we’s” to “I’s” and the “ours” to “my’s”. How do you feel when you read it that way?
Guilty, perhaps?
Good.
Maybe we should do something about that.
Wow – this is where the rubber meets the road, isn’t it!? It really points out the need to own personal responsibility and accountability. It just doesn’t work the same way to say “personal accountability starts with you,” does it? Of course, this points out the need to find the answers to the two most important questions I took from The Radical Leap: “Who are you?” and “What do you want?” I can’t get too far into the dialogue with others until I’ve fashioned the part I’m willing to bring to and share with the other party.
Thanks for another thought-provoking post, Steve!
Wow – this is where the rubber meets the road, isn’t it!? It really points out the need to own personal responsibility and accountability. It just doesn’t work the same way to say “personal accountability starts with you,” does it? Of course, this points out the need to find the answers to the two most important questions I took from The Radical Leap: “Who are you?” and “What do you want?” I can’t get too far into the dialogue with others until I’ve fashioned the part I’m willing to bring to and share with the other party.
Thanks for another thought-provoking post, Steve!
Morning Farber..We read your blog…wait I mean I read your blog, and think it makes sense. Just helped a client with their statement and I (we?) must admit, used we instead of I. But had it printed and signed by every member of the org….We enjoy your blog. I do too.
🙂
best steve…..mike
Morning Farber..We read your blog…wait I mean I read your blog, and think it makes sense. Just helped a client with their statement and I (we?) must admit, used we instead of I. But had it printed and signed by every member of the org….We enjoy your blog. I do too.
🙂
best steve…..mike
For God so loved the world that He did NOT send a committee. There’s something to be said for personal accountability, Steve. How often do we hear the phrase “well, as they say” or “we think that” at work?
Great post! Want to hear more from you Steve. I’ve missed your postings.
For God so loved the world that He did NOT send a committee. There’s something to be said for personal accountability, Steve. How often do we hear the phrase “well, as they say” or “we think that” at work?
Great post! Want to hear more from you Steve. I’ve missed your postings.
I, We, you, they. “At work we…” means “At work I…” for me/we currently as I am work (self employed) and “Do you like…” means “Do they like…” because if my test subject likes or dislikes something chances are the market segment will too. So for me/we just currently the singular and group blur constantly. However making it personal each morning “Today I will…” means that “Today the company…”
On another topic what is your reasoning for marking your blog comment links nofollow (personal information gathering on blogger habits).
I, We, you, they. “At work we…” means “At work I…” for me/we currently as I am work (self employed) and “Do you like…” means “Do they like…” because if my test subject likes or dislikes something chances are the market segment will too. So for me/we just currently the singular and group blur constantly. However making it personal each morning “Today I will…” means that “Today the company…”
On another topic what is your reasoning for marking your blog comment links nofollow (personal information gathering on blogger habits).
Great reminder of that old saw … If it’s everybody’s responsibility, it’s nobody’s responsibility. No matter who “we” are, each of us has an opportunity every day to “comment” on the corporate value statement by our actions and attitudes. Are we confirming it’s applicability, or denying it?
Great reminder of that old saw … If it’s everybody’s responsibility, it’s nobody’s responsibility. No matter who “we” are, each of us has an opportunity every day to “comment” on the corporate value statement by our actions and attitudes. Are we confirming it’s applicability, or denying it?