So you've done the hard work, spent time reflecting on what's important to you, now is the time to communicate your values. Why? because how else will your external world align with your inner world. It is beneficial to let others know what is important to you, from colleagues at work to close friends and family. It means you are creating authentic communication - and who doesn't want to do that?
Telling others about your values can seem daunting but it needn't be. So to help you out here are my 3 ways to communicate your values to the other people in your life.
The 93%
Were you aware that 93% of communication is non-verbal? You do now. The good news is that you can still communicate your values through non-verbal communication. From the language and tone that you use when you write/speak to the way you dress and the gestures you use you are communicating all the time. This is what helps you build rapport with someone. If there is no congruence between your storytelling and your non-verbal communication it's unlikely that you will gel immediately.
When you are your most authentic you feel completely relaxed and natural...so, for example, I am a natural gesticulator and when doing my live videos have to manage a balance of being myself and allowing myself to move my hands and not distracting the audience by not moving too much.
Another example would be me writing. I also talk a lot and quickly. I often have to go back and edit my blogs with punctuation more frequently so you can read it easily but I don't edit too much or it doesn't 'sound' like me! Talking of writing....
Write it down
Whether you have a blog, want to use social media or you fancy getting out a piece of paper and a pen try writing about your values in a way that doesn't explicitly mention them...so let's take one of mine as an example: family. I often write about my family, mentioning my children, partner, brother in my blog posts. I write about family days out and post pictures that relate to my family.
This is a way of demonstrating my values through my behaviour and being very clear on how I live my values. It also serves me a specific purpose in my business...it will attract those people who have a similar value set, making it more likely they would want to work with me. Clever. This is how you will build your tribe, perhaps wider than those immediately around you. Imagine the people around the world you could reach, sharing knowledge and stories.
Storytelling
Whether you are doing an after-dinner speech, being interviewed, talking with your team or sitting over coffee with a loved one telling a story is powerful. We love anecdotes, they allow us to connect with the storyteller and imagine the situation in our own lives. Or an anecdote might conjure up a memory of something we have experienced ourselves. Let's say that challenge is a value of yours. It would serve you well to have some stories of how you have overcome challenges in your life - some might be serious, others more humorous. You can collect and share them as you go through life.
These stories can help define who you are, they are your experiences, yours alone. No one else has done what you have done, in the way that you have done it. It is one of the reasons I love my job, hearing all of your stories and experiences. As I listen I hear the same values coming out over and over again. I learn what is important to you through your stories and they inspire me.
I would love to hear how you communicate your values...drop me an email, find me on LinkedIn, Instagram or twitter or comment below.
Basically communicate my values verbally either via coaching coaching conversations or though normal transmission of information through 1:1 interactions.
If I have to text anyone, try to make is as friendly as possible, same applies though blogging on LinkedIn of Facebook.