Integrity, Change, and Organizational Commitment

Choosing a Value-Based Leader Debriefing

1) What is your opinion on Amy's Questions & Answers to the questions below?

AMY's QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

• What are the primary values of your organization? How do you know?

Primary values of my organization are duty, integrity, ethics, honor, courage, and loyalty. The values of the organization are relayed to each employee before joining the organization and also by the actions instilled in our managers.

• Does your firm's culture match its professed values? What examples can you provide?

Yes, my firm's culture does match its professed values. Although the civilian workforce has undergone many changes in the recent years, the values have consistently upheld.

• Does a firm's leader always have values that match those of his or her firm?

No, I do not believe that a firm's leader always have values that match the firm. Even though that would be ideal, it would be very difficult to align each and every person with a firm that perfectly fit the individual. Though over time, an individual may change his/her values in order to better fit the firm.

• Do your own personal values align with your organization's values? Is this important? Why or why not?

The values of the organization I work for are integrity, service, and excellence. My values align with my organizations values with integrity being one of my top values. Excellence is also very important to me as I strive to do the best I can in all I set out for. Service, even though I am not an active duty member of the Air Force, I have been a spouse for 18 years and a Department of Defense employee for an extended period so service is also a very important value to me.

• If you are interviewing for a job at a new company, what can you do to find out about the values and culture of this organization?

Before interviewing with a company, I would do research online and through present and past employees with who I could get in contact with. I would try to find out as much as I could about the values of the company prior to interviewing.

• What happens to values during organizational change? Are they maintained during change? Why or why not?

I do believe that the values could possibly change during organizational change. The organizational values may not change dramatically, but I have seen with the change of leadership that many values do change.

• What changes and/or challenges in your own life have caused you to reassess your values? What has changed? What has stayed the same?

Many changes and challenges in my life have caused me to reassess my values. My family has been lucky enough to live all over the world, but this also comes at a cost. I have always valued my family, but after living away from them and raising my children at a huge distance I see more everyday that our family values are extremely different than my extended families. The challenges that military families and especially our children face daily are hard to explain and yet understand. For some families, time is taken for granted, but thanks to our lifestyle, I realize how important that value is.

QUESTIONS??????????Discuss the match between a company and its leadership by addressing the following questions:

• What are the primary values of your organization? How do you know? (e.g., mission statement, actions by managers)

• Does your firm's culture match its professed values? What examples can you provide? (e.g., actions in crisis, "walking the talk")

• Does a firm's leader always have values that match those of his or her firm?

Any examples?

• Do your own personal values align with your organization's values? Is this important? Why or why not?

• If you are interviewing for a job at a new company, what can you do to find out about the values and culture of this organization? (e.g., observe employee behavior, ask questions of the interviewer)

• What happens to values during organizational change? Are they maintained during change? Why or why not?

• What changes and/or challenges in your own life have caused you to reassess your values? What has changed? What has stayed the same?

2) What your opinion on Michelle's Answers to the Questions above?

MICHELLE's ANSWERS

Values

The company values of integrity is one that I have identified in previous assignments. I believe that it is important to align your personal values with those of your employer to provide the best possible fit and success for both sides.
Interview

When I am preparing to interview for a new company, I do as much research as I can. I look over their website, read employee reviews, search for public reviews and compare their services to the competitors. I want to know if the employees are happy, if the company is financially stable, and if the mission statement and values coincide with my personal views. During an interview, I hope to get a feel for the culture and get a temperature reading from the current employees.

Organizational Change

During changes in the company, values should remain the focus. If values need to be revisited, then hopefully they are throughly discussed. Maintaining the values during a critical time of change can help the employees to feel comforted, because values should be the cornerstone in which the company can focus every business decision.

Challenges

When I lost my job, I was forced to reassess my values. I realized that my job is simply .... a job, and although I loved what I did, it does not define me. I had to learn that hard work and dedication may not be the only way to a successful management position, but the process and the people along the way. My values of strict dedication to the company needed to be replaced with a dedication to myself and those around me.