Values: Finding your Meta-Strategy

ValuesSomik Raha Jul 29, 2014

Values as measures: Value functions, utility functions Value-focused thinking: Distinguishing between means and ends Values as norms: Cultural norms that are upheld in society and organizations !Something else?

When you hear the term values, what are you hearing?

There is a fourth kind of listening

Values as “meta-strategy”

What can brushing our teeth teach us about values?

Systemic Value: Count of # times we’ve brushed Practical Value: Dental Hygiene Intrinsic Value: Personal well-being

Let’s try it. Can you come up with anything you’ve counted that you think represents what you were really after?

What can be counted does not really count. !

What counts cannot really be counted.

The great poets of the world speak of this

The one who confuses the label water for water is

naïve indeed. Repeating “water, water,” such a

one is destined to die of thirst.Sufi poet, Zaheen Shah Taji

Note: He is criticizing the conflation of the label with the experience,

not the use of labels themselves

The great poets of the world speak of this

Repeating “fire, fire” produces not a scratch on the lip !An ember on your lip will immediately burn it.

Sufi poet, Zaheen Shah Taji

Note: He is criticizing the conflation of the label with the experience, not the use of labels themselves

Intrinsic values are about finding your deepest values, and there are signs to

recognize them

Shake Emotional

Silence

The small truth has words that are clear. The great truth has great silence.

..Rabindranath Tagore

Intrinsic values have a quality of uniqueness

Test: Are most people likely to say “me too” for your intrinsic value? If yes, we need to keep looking. !The focus here is on those values that stir you in an odd and unique way

What’s your music?

Under the sky studded with the sun and myriad stars, In a universe throbbing with life, I've received my little space. In sheer wonder, music springs from the depths of my soul.

!…Rabindranath Tagore

We got stuck while doing a traditional DA consulting workshop

Our remit: Help us double our revenues from $500M to $1B

Three slides that went to the board

Meta-strategy (purpose)

M&A Strategy

Check opportunity for fit with packaging “traits” Only if there is fit, let’s look at the numbers

Quote from hard-nosed M&A expert: “I have never seen a soft tool work this well”

Observation

• Human mind shuts down when faced with numbers e.g. goals like double market share, revenues, etc.

• Creativity springs forth with inspiration e.g. Indian branch story, going from $2M to $30M

Value MappingFinding your meta-strategy

Values of SmartOrg

Having fun making

organizations Smarter

People co-creating Magic

Prudential Intrinsic

Systemic

Making a Difference

that Matters Amazing

Capabilities

Awesome Software:

That inspires, enables and empowers

Professional Experience:

Practical knowledgeable staff who can do and coach

Thought Leadership: Show the way to solve real

problems Improve:

Build Customer’s Capability

Service: Proactively

and responsively

serve the real need

Excellence: High quality

practical rigor

Great Relationships: Among ourselves, with

vendors, with clients

Whole Person: SmartOrg is where personal passion

meets the productive world

Situational Leadership:

Follow & lead, with responsibility

and accountability

VALUES as NORMS e.g. SmartOrg

Complete Integrity:

Honesty, openness, trust and

trustworthiness.

Ongoing Learning:

Ongoing Personal, Professional and

Team Development

Impact: Empowering

customers to achieve their most important

objectives

Financial Stewardship:

Sustain the business and the

people in it

Prosperity

Performance: Accomplishing

what we set out to do

Enjoyment: Work enlivens

Mapping your values (as meta-strategy)

? ?

?

YOU

Head Heart

Habit

Finance-Business

Partnership

Restoring Dignity to Economic

Evalautions

Agile Decision Support Systems

Head Heart

Habit

The professional

field you count yourself in

You show up and this shows

up

A goal that is deeply inspiring and an end-in-

itself for you

Find your purpose (meta-strategy) is an act of deep listening

Things that have worked for me !!

You can be a friend to someone Look for silence, emotion, shuddering

!Test the values – if any one is missing, is something big

missing? !

Look for uniqueness, not universality

The professional

field you count yourself in

!Intellectual

Energy

Let’s try it

? ?

?

YOU

Head Heart

HabitYou show up

and this shows up !

Unstoppable Energy

A goal that is deeply inspiring and an end-in-

itself for you !

Emotional Energy

Couple’s Meta-StrategyHospitality Welcoming

Spaces

Celebration

Head Heart

Habit

John

M&A —> ? Healing

Detachment

Head Heart

Habit

MaryBefore: Mary wondered about

helping John in his hotel business.

After: Mary is working on a transition to becoming a

therapist

CEO’s Meta-Strategy

Energy Efficiency

Ecosystem Solutions

Visionary Change

Head Heart

Habit

Doug/ Retrofit Company

Shin-gi-tai

Thanks to Kentaro Nakamichi

In Summary• Values as Meta-Strategy is upstream of all practical

considerations

• This is about the mountain you want to climb (distinct from how you want to walk on the road)

• The highest given in a decision e.g. We commit to strategic fit (safe, natural, etc.)

• All DA value calculations are Systemic values

Given

Current

Future

Systematizing to get to the value is essential, but it is not the value

Systems drive action. (police story)

Public Safety Education

Dignity of Client

Head Heart

Habit

SUDPS

Somik’s lens on SUDPS

SYSTEM: Hire highly educated people who resonate with “dignity of client”

Systematizing to get to the value is essential, but it is not the value

Systems drive action. (police story)

Criteria for fit is one example of a system. It can get us to realize the values, but is not equal to the value.

Making multi-attribute models to trade-off these intrinsic values kind of misses the point (oil and gas story)

Analysis is good when we are confused (Amazon story)

Affects how we view decision quality

Head and Heart in Decision Quality

Decision Quality is largely head-focused in its articulation

Head

Frame Appropriate

Alternatives Feasible

Information Relevant, Material

Preferences Trade-offs, Metrics

Logic Clear

Commitment to Action!

High-quality commitments

Decision Quality is largely head-focused in its articulation

Head Heart

Frame Appropriate Meaningful

Alternatives Feasible Inspiring

Information Relevant, Material Decisive

Preferences Trade-offs, Metrics Noble Purpose

Integration Clear Narrative



Leadership, Followership, Laddership

Meta-strategy perspective on Heart

Pkg Story

Pkg Story

Oil & Gas

Head Heart









helps individuals, families, and communities struggling with alcohol abuse, substance abuse, and drug addiction transform their lives

Capital investment projects had been carefully selected to improve facilities. This caused a backlash, with employees asking why funds weren’t used to give pay raises.

e.g. redesign spaces to be welcoming, comfortable chairs for clients to feel at home. It takes a lot for people in that position to trust and reach out for help.

When the decision was explained in the context of their core value of bringing respect and dignity to the lives of those who have suffered from substance abuse and addiction problems, employees understood and supported it.

Decision Analysts: Never a time when we didn’t need a narrative

Meta-strategy perspective on Heart

Pkg Story

Pkg Story

Oil & Gas

Hazelden

Head Heart









Guardian of Apple’s core value of beautiful design “Insanely Great Products”Steve Jobs

Think Different

Insanely Great

Products

Zen Minimalism

Head Heart

Habit

Followership

Mahatma Gandhi

SatyagrahaUpliftment

of all

Ahimsa

Head Heart

Habit

Sarvodaya

DaanUpliftment

of all

Love

Head Heart

Habit

Sarvodaya

Vinoba Bhave

Bhoodan

Leader. Follower. Ladder.

Leaders are best when people barely know they exist. When their work is done, their aim fulfilled, people say, “we did it ourselves” .. Lao Tzu in Tao Te Ching

In business, ladders have been called “Level 5 leaders” (Jim Collins)

Reflections. Stories.

What does laddership mean to you?