What Negative Value Statements Are Damaging Your Business?

A few months ago, I attended a key note by Marshall Eizenga where he explained that each of us holds value statements or value definitions in our minds. These value statements define how we think, act, react, and respond to the events around us. As such, value statements have a profound impact on our success and the success of the things (e.g., our businesses) and the people that we influence.

There is no one set of “correct” value statements. Rather, we are all products of our environments and our value statements are created throughout our life. They are a product of our experiences and our interpretations of these experiences. Each of us can experience the same thing but form completely unique value statements. These value statements can be either positive or negative.

Positive value statements can be very beneficial to us and the organizations that we lead. Negative value statements can be extremely damaging to us, our businesses, and the people that we influence.

For Example . . .

What is the Problem Your Solution is Solving?

Upon hearing about an issue of some sort, most people, myself included, jump into problem solving mode almost immediately. We hear one rendition of the issue from one source and we immediately synthesize an elegant solution and mobilize an impressive set of resources conquer it.

However, more often than not, we are attempting to solve the wrong problem.

Slow Elevator Problem

There is an interesting story of an office building owner who is dealing with an overwhelming number of complaints of slow elevator service. People are waiting so long for the elevator that they are beginning to break lease agreements and move out of the building.

The owner has many options to fix this seemingly slow elevator issue. For example, he could: