10 Tips about Winning, Losing, and Values in the Workplace

Values matter in the workplace because they determine the framework through which people make sense of their place in an organization.

By Bonny Chu

This premise was at the heart of the discussion between UT professors Art Markman and Bob Duke, hosts of KUT radio’s “Two Guys on Your Head,” and the show’s producer, Rebecca McInroy, at a recent Texas McCombs event.

From creating an environment that aligns with your values to keeping away from prevention-focused ways of planning, here are 10 of their top strategies for how to authentically bring your values to life at work.

1. Be an astute noticer.

Be more aware of what you notice and why you notice it. By doing so, you become more independent and perceptive. Experts are considered skillful because they are able to notice what others don’t.

2. Be explicit about your values.

People often say one thing and do another without intention, because they’re often not explicit with their values. We’re not in a society that often talks about our values, so we don’t notice internal contradictions because our daily behavior is driven by our environment.

3. Create an environment that aligns with your values.

If you take the time mindfully to create a work environment that aligns with your values, this can go a long way in allowing you to focus on what matters, and not be driven by extraneous externalities.

4. You can’t easily change someone’s way of thinking.

You can’t force someone to think differently unless you can apply value to it. For example, the idea behind teaching children to say “thank you” is gratitude. But unless parents model what gratitude really means, they aren’t applying value to a requested task, and the child will only learn to parrot a rote response.

5. Don’t make a value system based off a list of what not to do.

It is ineffective to make a system that is prevention focused. Because there’s so much uncertainty in the world, you can’t add every possible negative outcome to your list of what not to do.

6. Don’t let avoidance of consequences be the main driver in your work.

If you work only to avoid punishment or unwanted results, the best feeling you will achieve is one of relief. You won’t be able reach your true potential by relying on this kind of system.

7. Make a value system that is focused on desired goals.

A value system that is focused on creating an image of your ideal self will promote aspiration. You can’t truly fail here because this value system accepts obstacles. However, if you fail a system that is prevention focused, the consequences are definite and huge.

8. Start noticing the positive aspects in life instead of the negative ones.

People are better at knowing what they shouldn’t do than what they should do. This is because we constantly notice negative outcomes more than positive ones, even if the good outcomes far outweigh the bad.

9. Don’t punish someone for doing something wrong.

Attention is a commodity. If you punish someone, they still earn your attention. However, they can learn better if you catch them doing good things and praise them for it. In a work environment, it is best to encourage people to admit their mistakes. When you create fear in a work environment, it encourages people to hide their mistakes for fear of punishment.

10. Adapt to failures.

It is impossible to avoid bad results from happening. These outcomes are inevitable. However, successful people are successful not because they never experience failure but because they figure out how to adapt to their failures, incorporating them into a lifelong learning process.