Much has been written about core values. William Bennett's groundbreaking book, Book of Virtues, talks about the absence of "politeness" in the body politic. Bill O'Reilly's cable news program "The O'Reilly Factor" is syndicated internationally. He talks about "factors" that are really core values that have changed since the quiet 1950s (our parents' generation which Tom Brokaw describes as the "The Greatest Generation."). What do individual core values have to do with corporate America, you ask? The short answer is "plenty." One has only to look at the Enron, WorldCom, Fannie Mae scandals to know that greed is alive and well in corporate America. Talk to your neighbor who was laid off because his or her job was "outsourced" to another country to boost profits; talk to those disabled individuals who are still discriminated against in the workplace, in spite of the American Disabilities Act (which does not apply to companies with fewer than 100 employees). Look at our consumer spending and rising individual bankruptcies because we choose to purchase on credit using money we don't have (corporations do the same thing). Look beyond the "mission statement" of large corporations to see who gets promoted, who survives, and who wins. MBA programs may give you one ethics course in their programs, but it's more lip service than trying to infuse ethics into a corporate culture. Despite all the teambuilding efforts to make people work together in the workplace, "individualism" is alive and well because competition remains the group dynamic most admired in corporate America. In contrast, Pacific Rim countries value "consensus" and CEO salaries are not 300 times an entry-level worker's salary.

So what does this all mean to those of us who work to enhance the bottom line for our bosses? Social psychologists in the 40s coined a term called "cognitive dissonance" which simply means: when your beliefs are disparate from group norms, you are either co-opted by the system or you remain dissatisfied in your job. The people whom I coach fall into both categories and call me because they are "stressed out" at work. After looking at their personal goals and doing a balanced life and values clarification exercise, it is apparent why we are stressed out. We simply are not adhering to our core basic beliefs in the workplace and either "work to live" or "live to work" depending on our level of job security.

Another factor influencing our decisions to work for ourselves or others has to do with our "risk-taking" behaviors. My father was a career naval officer and served his country dutifully during WW II, until he retired in 1965. His job assignments (orders) were prepared for him by his superiors and he never questioned his fateit had been decided for him and he was comfortable with this. He didn't buy his first home until I was 12, because base housing was always provided to him and his family. His jobs were well-defined, structured, and low-risk, while offering great job security. He retired after 23 years and began a second career with a private personnel headhunting firm. Despite a difficult transition to a base salary plus commission, he thrived in his "civilian" job because he was willing to take charge of his life. Those of you who work in federal, state, or county jobs know how important job security and benefits are. I'm not knocking public service. I worked in this environment for eleven years before "striking out on my own." My experience in state government was invaluable but there's a big difference between OPM (other people's money) and MM (my money). I learned this the hard way when applying for corporate hospital jobs after a successful administrative career in state government. My resume was impressive except for one area: P and L (profit and loss). It took two stints at running my own business to convince myself and others that "calculated risk-taking" can pay off if one works smarter and harder. The biggest advantage to working for yourself is that it's easier to merge individual and work values. I enjoy helping others and coaching is a way to blur the lines between work and play.

Next month I want to talk about small business environments that might be a good compromise for those who wish to leave corporate America but are not yet ready to take the plunge into sole proprietorship.

4. Helpful Hints

"Helpful Hints" is a monthly feature of The Executive Connection. In this section of our Newsletter, we will discuss accountability structures necessary to stay focused on your business plan and objectives.

"This Month's Helpful Hints"

1. COREMAP is a useful tool to look at individual and organizational values to see how well you fit within the values espoused and practiced by your company.
2. Take out a sheet of paper and make two columns marked "my values" and "company values." What did you discover?
3. Put together a five-year plan for transitioning to a smaller company or working for yourself. You can minimize the financial risk by spending some extra time each week reading and taking small business classes at your local community college.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION