Lots of businesses and people talk about values - but do they actually live the words?
I switched bank accounts for my company, Creative Warehouse last week.
We've moved from HSBC, because I found the bank's service poor, but mostly because its stance on Hong Kong, and the way it supported China's destruction of precious freedoms was frankly nauseous.
HSBC talk about their values, but don't practise them, and so...
This week, I was also asked to teach on a couple of university business courses.
Not because I'd applied for a job, or tried to impress them with my social media output, or spent time networking contacts...
But because of my values.
And - importantly - not just what I proclaim they might be, but how I live them.
This could be painful, particularly given the current situation, but think back to late March.
Covid was on the rampage, we were locked down, fear was rife, and I felt the need to do a tiny something to help.
So I set up the Storywriting Social, for people to learn a new skill but also enjoy the delights of stories, and experience an emotional lift at that awful time.
It was all for free and an amazing few weeks, one of the warmest memories of my career in words.
I met some wonderful people (online only, but it still felt good), and together we helped to lift each other's spirits.
I didn't do it for any other reason than that it just felt right.
No virtue signalling, no profile raising, no vanity or egotism, just an attempt to make a small difference during a national ordeal.
So, why have I been asked to do this new teaching?
Because one of the people who joined the Storywriting Social, unknown to me, just happened to be very well connected in the university sector.
She recommended me, because of my values and my efforts, and that was all it took.
You can pay thousands of pounds for advertising.
But having and living values is far more worthwhile - a true A+
And - most importantly of all - I don't just mean from a business point of view.