Values: How to stay focused on what really matters, regardless of what comes next

Here is a quick exercise you can do to help define or renew your team’s collective values

(Let’s face it, you and your team members need an excuse to connect with each other about something positive right now, anyway, right?).

1. Have each team member review this great list of core values and select their top 5.
2. Meet via your preferred web conference tool and ask each team member to share which values they selected and why.
3. Have a candid conversation about what the team excels at doing, and where it tends to struggle. Keep this purely focused on observable actions and facts. Celebrate what the team does well but avoid assigning blame or trying to fix the issues immediately.
4. Review the list of values that the team members chose and narrow it down to the top 5 that everyone believes will bolster what the team does well and/or reduce its challenge areas.
5. Make the final list visible in your workspace (Canva.com makes it easy for anyone to create a nice-looking document). Review the list together at least annually, both as a reminder of what’s important and as an opportunity to update the list if needed.

Challenge 2: Remote Work Productivity

I have been working from home full-time for more than 10 years, but I am not used to having my whole family home 24/7 while I try to get work done. I know countless others are dealing with this challenge as well, many of whom aren’t even used to working from home, let alone with children knocking on—and sliding notes under—the door.

It can be difficult to keep in good spirits and have a good attitude towards your loved ones when you are also under increased stress from work. Being in close quarters, even with those you love, for such a long time can be vexing to say the least.

There are a million work-from-home tips out there, so I won’t add to that pile. Instead I will share how my family is keeping our relationships strong during this time. For my family—me, my wife, Dawn, my two children, Owen (7) and Weston (4)—the answer to this challenge was once again, values. Allow me to share ours:

The way we use our values is not all that different than how we can all use them in the workplace.

We sat together around the dinner table and gave everyone an opportunity to voice what made them feel happy, safe, loved, and appreciated. The adults then distilled these thoughts into 6 specific values. Once we had assigned names to these values, we talked about what the words mean.

Ultimately it came down to one thing: Values are like rules, except they take priority over the rules. To the kids’ credit, they understood this intuitively, and these 6 values have become the new guideposts for our home life. I’m sure it will continue after we return to our normal routines too, and that is a gift.

I hope these ideas can serve as helpful for you as well, as you navigate the unknown future. Here’s to staying focused on what really matters, regardless of what comes next.