The protected values that I
mentioned in the Brain assignment this week were: protection of children,
stability, and kindness. One of the most important things to me in life is
stability. This is a value that I cherish so much so that I have lived in the same
house for 16 years, worked at the same job for 18 years, and follow a similar
routine every day. Sometimes, this means that I miss out on opportunities, I am
sure, because I do not like to venture out of my comfort zone. Leading a stable
lifestyle means that I always know that I will have a home, that my children
will live in a safe, loving environment, and that I will work for my wants and
needs now as well as in the future. I go to great lengths to protect this
value. Foe example, my husband and I are currently thinking of purchasing a new
home. Where many people would start shopping around for a mortgage company, I
have only talked to one, the company we currently use. I do not want to have my
credit run multiple times because my credit score would go down and I may seem
unstable…not a good candidate for a loan. Sometime, I think that I enjoy
stability so much that when there is a wrench thrown in, like searching for a
new house, I feel uncertain and anxious about the issue.
Kindness has gotten me where I am
today. I believe in treating others as you would like to be treated. People are
more likely to be accommodating to you if you treat them with kindness and
respect. There was recently an incident at work where one of the directors
walked into the office of another yelling at him about how his team had made
too many last minute requests of her team. She did not bother to ask questions
about the requests or explain why these requests were burdening her team.
Instead she was angry and confrontational which, in turn, made him behave the
same way. Now there appears to be lingering animosity between them. Unless
someone has that attitude with me, I make every effort to be kind, sympathetic,
and obliging when dealing with other. I try to put myself in their shoes and
imagine what their situation is. Some things are beyond our control. We all
have setbacks, idiosyncrasies, and annoying habits. Being understanding and
accepting of others in these circumstances means that they will do the same for
you when the situation is reversed.
The protection of children is very
important to me. Being an educator, I was able to see first hand the
consequences of children who were abused, neglected, living in unsafe
environments, and those who live in environments where there is a lack of love
and attention. It is sad. The parents are the only ones to be blamed in these
situations. Kids cannot control what happens to them as babies and young
children. Even when they do have some control over their lives, it is not as if
they can simply leave and start a new life. They need people to stand up for
them. Although this is a value that I believe very strongly in, I am not the
type of person to push my values on others. Hoch & Kunreuther (2001) say
that even though I may not act on my values, they are still important and
relevant (p. 253). Even though I hold these beliefs, I will not be the one to
go out telling other people how to behave and raise their children.
As for my decision-making
abilities, I feel as though the first two values affect this process greatly.
The fact that I like stability often means that I either make the decision not
to change anything, or I delay making a decision erring on the side of
caution. Kindness also plays a
major role because I like to please everyone. Because of this, I tend to ask
people who may be affected by my decision what they think and include their
ideas when the final conclusion is reached. There is a benefit in being kind
and including others who have a vested interest in my decision. As Yukl (2010) mentions,
“Involving other people in making a decision is likely to increase the quality
of a decision when participants have information and knowledge lacked by the
leader” (p. 89).
References:
Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C.
(2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1 ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in
organizations. (7th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson College Div.
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