The reality of conflicting values
Several years ago, I was on a discussion panel at the University where I was a faculty member. The panelists reflected a variety of positions and viewpoints, and we discussed several hot topics over the course of the evening. As the evening progressed, I had a few interesting observations:
Everyone on the panel had a similar list of personal core values, such as justice, peace, value of life, and loving others.
When those values conflicted, we ordered those values in different ways.
Prioritizing those values in different ways led to different conclusions about what was right or best in those situations.
This was an eye-opening experience for me and for the other panelists. It became clear we had a lot in common, including a common set of values. Our differing positions may have tempted us to draw conclusions about one another: “you don’t love people”, “don’t you care about justice?”, or “you are indifferent about that person’s life.” However, those conclusions would be false. Everyone loved, everyone cared about justice, everyone pursued peace, and everyone valued the lives of others.
We likely have more in common with those who have differing views than we may think; however, realizing that requires a conversation where each person is respectful, honest, and willing to listen.
Sometimes those conflicting values are in us.
For example, I value excellence and timeliness. There are no procrastination bones in my body; I enjoy working when I have time to devote to an excellent outcome, and a looming deadline is not when I produce my best work. (Big shout out to those procrastinators who can pull that off! It’s just not me!) Let’s say I have a deadline for work, and I want to complete the project with excellence and on time, but I get sick or an unexpected “wrench” is tossed into the project context, and I am not able to produce the level of excellence I desire within the defined time frame. In this situation, I am more comfortable extending the deadline and making sure the outcome meets the level of excellence.
According to the “How to Resolve a Values Conflict” article, it’s important to rank your values, so that when you choose a top value, you are able to accept the sacrifice of a secondary value.
“This is called a values trade-off and confirms the importance of rank-ordering your top values. By prioritizing your values, it helps you make better decisions, and minimizes that unpleasant experience when one value must be sacrificed over another. The same is true in organizations. And no matter what the core values are, or their priority order, there will be conflict.” (“How to Resolve a Values Conflict,” para. 5-6)
Value conflicts will happen in our individual lives, within our relationships, and within our organizations. Thus, in an organizational context, it is important to define core values and have a clear rationale for a values trade-off when it occurs. The Ferguson Values blog goes on to suggest methods for resolving a conflict: ignore, address, negotiate around, and mediate through. To utilize any of these methods, leaders must define values, prioritize values, and effectively communicate to stakeholders regarding a values trade-off. Communication should be clear, as well as demonstrating understanding and empathy.
I once worked with an organization that valued people and financial stability (as well as other core values). Consistent with financial stability is expecting bills to be paid on time and incurring financing fees when unpaid bills reached a certain point. Some customers claimed that if the organization valued people (as the organization claimed), then they would allow bills to be paid when the customer was able to pay without a finance fee. Is this a values conflict?
This situation requires leaders to consider questions such as:
Is charging a finance fee inconsistent with caring for people?
If this is a values conflict, which is the priority value?
Some may say that to have the continued opportunity to care for people, the company had to continue to exist financially. How can that be communicated with understanding and empathy?
Values conflicts will happen. It is important to devote time to defining our personal core values, as well as understanding the core values of our organizations (or defining those as the organizational leader). Let ABL Wise Consulting assist you in your next step of your organizational or leadership development.
[Source: https://www.fergusonvalues.com/2016/12/how-to-resolve-a-values-conflict/]
