Most of us agree that people should be free to do what they want, unless of course it goes against what we want, then it feels like an attack against us personally rather than the other person’s right.

It can be about something as simple as “should you leave the toilet seat up or down” or as complicated as your political views or religious convictions.

So how do we know what is the RIGHT thing to do, especially when we work with other people who may not share our perspective on things? What do you base your decisions on?

For example, what if we had a contract with a supplier that was written in such a way that would save us $20,000 but you know that this was not the spirit of the agreement you made with them. Should you take the discount? It’s in the contract and we would be within our rights to do it. What is the RIGHT thing to do?

• Would it make a difference if the supplier was a super wealthy company or a tiny independent sub?
• What if this supplier had become a real friend after years of working together?
• What if you had made a costly mistake that month and were $20,000 over budget?
• What if this supplier had taken advantage of us in the past. Would that change the decision?

“What I CAN do is not the same as what I SHOULD do.”

What do you stand for?

Many of our business decisions require that we come together as a team and view these decisions in the light of our stated values; our Core Values. I can see this at work with the some of our CEO Peer Group companies here in DFW. The behavior of each employee has an effect on others, and how believable their core values are. Our reputation is built on a million tiny decisions we make and every employee is a key part of the culture and brand the world sees.

In the example about the invoice, your team needs to consider how the decision would live out your values like “Serve Beyond Expectations” or “Go the extra mile,” and then get input from the team to see what they may be missing in their thinking. If you are willing to make decisions in the light of the values you profess,  you can set the bar high for others to follow. This also requires you be willing to see beyond the failures of the past and press toward a level of excellence that the world needs from you.

If you struggle to have your actions match your core values, let me help you.

Robert Hunt

I’m the Business Owner and Forum Leader of Renaissance Executive Forums Dallas. My role is to find the best members for our CEO Peer Groups, and lead each meeting so our members become Raving Fans. You can connect with me on LinkedIn,  Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also email me at RobertH@REFDallas.com