Today is June 30th. Today is THE day our AskRoxi website was meant to launch.  And yet, instead of a launch announcement newsletter, I'm writing to you about VALUES.

You see, I had a difficult choice - launch the site as is today, or wait. I could make my self-imposed and very public deadline or delay it.  The question I kept asking myself is: "Do I launch on time with good enough, or do I wait to get it right enough?"

I chose getting it right. You deserve the best, not the rest.  If I launched today, I believe your experience would be a lot like being hungry or at least interested in going to this nice new restaurant you've heard great things about and finding a half-stocked salad bar on the menu. I wouldn't like that; in fact, I might never come back for another meal.

If you feel a nagging, pinching, irritating tug that tells you, "It's just NOT right," or if you hear a whisper in your ear saying, "This IS right," LISTEN.  Your instincts are trying to get your attention. We have instincts that have served us since the dawn of time and are there for good reason. They tell us the truth, often save us from harm, and/or lead us to our best self.

That's exactly what happened to me. The website looks very nice right now; it could go live today. Tempting. You would find some cool stuff there already and perhaps wonder why I'm holding back. Well I know it's not right enough...yet. More importantly, it's not good enough for YOU. And until it's good enough for you, it's not going live.

Everything I've done as a teacher, facilitator, writer, and leader has been and is driven by my personal values.  This is true for all of us, like it or not. Deciding to brush our teeth in the morning is values driven. Deciding to get to work on time is values driven. And that's just for starters.

Stephen Covey wrote a lot about values in the workplace. What he said and how he said it will never go out of style. If you haven't read his book already, I encourage you to find a copy of, "Principle Centered Leadership."  If you'd like more,  "How to Build A Space Station," is a parable about a couple of robots and workplace values by by some gal named R.B. Hewertson!  Both are available on Amazon.  I have a LOT more to share about values...this will have to suffice for now.

At times, one of our core values may trump another. For me, delivering a quality experience trumped meeting a time line. A great litmus test is asking yourself, "What decision will make me sleep better tonight?"

As you go through your day today and tomorrow, take a moment to pay attention to which values are truly driving your life, your decisions and choices. What message is that little voice in your head or on your shoulder trying to send you? When you are leading others at work or at home, it is wise to consider which of your values you're modeling. What you do is what people will believe, not so much what you say.

And finally, here is what I promise you... the AskRoxi web site and leadership program live launch will be announced the minute it's good enough for YOU! 

Your long term BIG VISION should be overarching and answer the questions, "who do you really want to become?" and "What is your passionate dream for the future?"

Your shorter term VISION should be that which will measurably ADVANCE your big vision in a specific time period. Is it 1 year, 3, 5?

Both long and shorter term visions need to pass the good vision "test" -
Is it:

inspiring

credible

commitment?

For example, your big vision might be to become the "world's biggest and most respected Widget Company." Your shorter term vision might be:

1) We will grow by 50% market share in 5 years and

2) Our values will be lived every day by every person who works for Widgets, Inc.

From here your key and measurable STRATEGIES will become far easier to identify and increase your focus.

The second of the shorter term visions might have a strategy that says, "All our HR processes, policies, and practices must align and reinforce our values - from recruitment to hiring to performance management, benefits, etc.

Then you can apply TACTICS. For instance: Tactic #1 might be to incorporate the values into all position descriptions and performance discussions.