There’s a new Thinker in Residence over at KnowledgeBlocks – Irial OFarrell. Awhile back, Ms. OFarrell sent us a copy of her book Values: Not Just For the Office Wall Plaque and it struck multiple people here. On the surface, values might seem like something used to position oneself against another, or an overall vision. But, that’s not necessarily the case, and this lesson can help us understand how values can work for the greater good of all. Here’s a sampling:

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? On a personal level, there is no right or wrong, just differing sets of values. However, not being aware of and understanding the impact of this basic assumption can cause emotional distress and conflict within an employee and spill over into the wider organizational context. In turn, this diverts people’s energy away from what they should be focused on, i.e., the company’s objectives and purpose. This ultimately leads to lower performance than the company is capable of.

And this sets the tone for OFarrell’s objective. The book provides tactical, “how-to” advice on developing a sense of one’s values, and aligning them with an organization. For more about her ideas and insights, visit her KnowledgeBlocks Thinker in Residence page.