We seldom see ageing as a positive thing, but there is something great about it as well (young as I may still be). The things around you seem to belong to increasingly clear compartments. Now and then, you may even feel as if you could distinguish the more important matters from the less important ones. Then you lose the thread again and you find yourself wondering whether you understand anything at all about this life.
Something important nevertheless seems to happening during those lucid moments. In my case, it involves the meaning of things. Whether it concerns work or civilian life, dedication or devotion, I’ve noticed that these moments are often all about identifying what is important to you, in particular. So, what is important to whom? It is at this point that I think the connection to all of our values is born.
Values often play a complex role in our lives. You often hear how important it is to live according to your own values, while in another context, people stress the importance of adapting to your environment. When these two collide, which is more important? This demonstrates that living according to your own values is not always that simple. When your compass at life’s crossroads are your own values, you may not be able to please everyone around you all the time. This may have to do with a conflict of values. At other times, subjectivity – in other words, those famous colour-tinted glasses – step into the picture. Tolerance and social smarts play a big role in these situations. It is also quite healthy to examine the relation of your own actions to your own values in a critical way from time to time.
In terms of businesses, I consider work related to values very important. Regarding Nodeon, the first stages of the formation of the company’s operating culture serve as a fine example. The partners had a wealth of ideas on what the company should be like, all of which were surely qualities that we wish every company would have. Little by little, however, you noticed that some of them just refused to become a fixed feature of the operations. In retrospect, I’ve found myself thinking that perhaps they were mainly wishes. I don’t think there are many of us who haven’t at some point wished that they possess a quality of some kind. Then again, the thoughts and ideas genuinely shared by the owners and the management did gradually start to shape the company’s way of working. Therefore, a company always looks very much like its owners and management. In the good and the bad.
Finally, one of my favourite quotes, which also has a strong connection to our company’s values.
“It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit!” – Harry S. Truman