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I watched this mother with her triplet lambs “baa” and gather them to her as she perceived ‘danger’ in me being close by. There was no need for her to fear me, but she did not know that.
Are we like sheep – sometimes afraid of our own shadows? Afraid of making that great leap of faith to TRUST in others as they may let us down or harm us?
In business we make decisions everyday which affect our own and other peoples lives and livelihoods.
We need to be STRONG and learn to TRUST – if we have been hurt in business, by our colleagues, bosses or clients/customers, that can take a long time.
We need to develop core VALUES for ourselves (and our business) so that others know where they stand with us.
In Health and Social Care there are a set of ‘core values’ known as ‘The 6C’s.
Care: having someone’s best interests at heart and doing what you can to maintain or improve their wellbeing.
Compassion: being able to feel for someone, understanding them and their situation
Competence: to understand what someone needs and have the knowledge and skills to provide it
Communication: to listen carefully but also be able to speak and act in a way that the person can understand.
Courage: not to have fear to try new things or say if you are concerned about anything
Commitment: dedication to providing care and support but also understanding the responsibilities as a worker.
Living the values – leading by example is the best communication tool. Albert Bandura the Canadian-bornAmerican psychologist and originator of social cognitive theory; invented the term “observational learning” – meaning that human beings are social and we learn by observing others. It is important for you and others in your organisation to have a ‘top down’ approach – to live the values so that others can learn from you.
Teaching the values – incorporating the values into new employees’ induction training. You can tell the story behind each value chosen and what you/ your organisation expects in terms of behaviour related to the values.
Recognizing the values – reinforcing the positive behaviours of people who are demonstrating the core values by rewarding them at that time. A word of praise or pat on the back goes a long way in increasing someone’s self-esteem and enjoyment of the job they are doing.
I believe that using the Core Values and working with them on a day to day basis ensures good care. Lets face it…we are probably the next generation who is going to need care and support. In view of this I want ALL care services to be ‘Excellent’ – there should be no ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ services.
My own mission statement is simple – To Serve, To Enable, To be kind. I find that it works in both my personal and working life.