A Reputation for Serving, Based on Our Values

Make no mistake, there’s a huge difference between touting how amazing we are and in explaining how or why our actions tie back to our values. We’ve all been around folks who have a title that carries some level of authority, and seen them pound their chest about how important they are or why everyone around needs to follow all their commands. If that’s our underlying objective when talking about our values, you can bet anyone listening will see right through it - sooner or later. But if the explanation we provide is from a genuine place of detailing why we’re willing to do everything in our power to exceed our clients’ expectations, it’s a whole different ball game.

At this risk of alienating some folks, including a few who may even share my faith, let’s consider this from a Christian perspective. I have two close friends who are very open about being atheists. Both are men of principle and some of the most morally sound people I’ve ever known. Over the decades we’ve been friends, I’ve seen numerous people all but attack for not aligning with a stereotypical Christian worldview. If that were me in their shoes, being scolded over differing views, that would only push me farther away - be it a certain faith or anything else. And quite honestly, both of the men I’m referring to have demonstrated far more character in the time I’ve known them than many of the loudest I’ve ever been around in any denomination. All said, I’ve never been apologetic with them about my own faith; I’ve just never attempted to shove it down their throats. But each time I’ve been able to serve them in some way, I try to emphasize that I’m doing it not just because they’re my friend, but also because that’s the example Jesus provided in Mark 10:42-45 (NIV):

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

I realize that inserting that reasoning into any conversation with either of them opens up every bit of less-than-perfect behavior they ever see from me for scrutiny. So be it, I’m judged by people I respect less than those two friends every single day… I share that with them because I care about them, not in an attempt to tell them they’re wrong and I’m right.

As we explain how our behaviors connect with our values, the same thing holds true. If we can detail why we’re willing to go above and beyond in providing our products or services, it’s no longer about why we’re great - but more about why we believe everyone we interact with deserves that level of service. The difference between a manager demanding that everyone is complicit in catering to them and a leader who is actively looking for ways to benefit the members of their team is similar. Modeling our core values should increase the level of service we provide to everyone we interact with. Explaining it just helps connect the dots. All said, we’ll need to make sure we’re consistent every step of the way so we’ll wrap up with that next time.