Many years ago, my (then) team and I sat down to brain-storm what we thought Lifelong Learning (me, as a person and a business) was all about. I remember it well because my very good friend and colleague Mary (who sadly died last year), was pushing me to identify what was important in terms of what I wanted the business to be and how I would behave and expect others to behave when interacting.
Mary was an ENTJ in terms of her Myers-Briggs personality type. I am an ENTP so except for the J/P scale we are the same! It would be easy to assume that we were very similar in style, but in reality we were polar opposites. The J/P dichotomy is how we like to live in the world – you can read more about the MBTI here. Those with a J preference are structured, ordered and get things done usually by creating lists and working through in a systematic way. Those with a P preference are a little more chaotic, very laid back in terms of getting things done and tend to leave tasks and chores right to the last minute. Ps however, do their best work at the last minute whereas Js need time to achieve their best. So the way we approach achieving outcomes would see Mary push me for answers and try to steer me to a conclusion and me having to get up from the table and walk off the immense pressure I felt; the structure and need to reach conclusion was too stifling for me. Mary and I spoke of our different approaches to situations in life many times as I still do today, when unpacking people, situations and relationships through the lens of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)®
I could bang on forever about the MBTI, it is a great tool for understanding Self. If it interests you I run workshops and high teas that you can participate in.
But we are discussing values; those core ‘things’ that fundamentally make you who you are; the line that you would never cross in any dealings you have in life.
It was these that I wanted to identify all those years ago and chose Mary to assist me because I knew she would drive me to conclusion even though I also knew she would drive me mad. I am eternally grateful to her as these core set of values are definitely what Lifelong Learning and me are all about and they have certainly stood the test of time!
I had my values turned into a painting. That’s the picture you see above. It hangs in my entrance, clearly visible as a beautiful piece of art.
These are the values that drive me and Lifelong Learning …
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Lifelong Learning
live and promote ‘learning for life’ as the key to growing individuals, organisations and communities. |
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Collaboration & Teamwork
facilitate collaborative approaches for making the workplace and the world a better place. |
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Respect
encourage mutual understanding through valuing difference and building on commonalities. |
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Passion
embrace work and life with enthusiasm and energy. |
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Honesty & Integrity
create heightened awareness through practising authenticity. |
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Freedom
balance life and work as the foundation for health and wellbeing. |
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Success
manifest success through living our values and creating abundance. |
So what drives you? Do you know?
Happy Learning!