Keeper of the Values

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One afternoon, my two young children were out in the front yard, playing a game of pickup soccer with a couple of neighbourhood kids.

Within a few minutes, it became clear that the game wasn’t going well. From inside the garage, I could hear them arguing about the rules and debating the score. This group of kids was not playing from the same rulebook. It wasn’t long before the others took their literal ball and went home.

This sort of scenario doesn’t just occur on the playground. As adults, we have these moments, too, although they might play out a bit more subtly (although not always). And if they are happening in your organization, it’s probably a sign that your company values aren’t clear or that there’s a misalignment between the stated values and what’s actually happening at work.