Marble Jar Gang Core Values: Personal and Company

The basic premise or formula is to recognize that when your skills + traits + behaviors are placed in the right environment the outcome will give you a greater chance of success and happiness in your work.

Individuality over a uniform corporate behavior? Does the corporate ‘citizenship’ look to benefit your overall societal and cultural beliefs? Do they look at the customer or vendor as fostering a shared relationship or someone from whom to get the best deal and make the most profit? How do they handle mistakes (from the company or an individual) and is it punitive or growth-oriented? Are the employees using the values as stated; as a CEO said, “Are the values on the walls or in the halls?” Look for values in action.

Question #4 – Do values change over your life and do they change with your experiences?

MJG - I believe that values evolve, develop more meaning and change ranking as you have life experiences. For example,

if you believe someone has cheated you then you may give honesty a higher value in yourself and others. Personal value statements are different when you are 30 than 50 and older. It is because you don’t pick your personal values, but they develop through your life. My belief is that some do not ever change. If you were the 4-year-old in the sand box at pre-school and others tried to play with your toys and you pushed them out of the sand box, you will always be that individualist that believes the sandbox is really yours. And conversely, if you asked others to join you, it will always make you a team-type person. Your first values begin early and those don’t change, in my opinion. People might describe it as “your nature”.

Question #5 – Our last question is to tell us your current personal core values.

MJG – (laughing) As if I didn’t think you would ask me that! Honestly, I wanted to take a candid look at where they line up today in terms of hierarchy, which does change through one’s lifetime. My wish is that those who know me see my actions are reflected in the values I state.

What I personally ‘invest’ in is being a trusted person in the lives of the people who allow me to be a part of theirs. Bringing personal integrity to each interaction. Allowing myself to be assessible to everyone that reaches out, for whatever reason. My top value, right now, is engaging in a greater amount of generosity in both what I know and what I own.

It is my good fortune to have my own business where I can marry my personal values to my company values and daily, I can bring these to life with everyone I am honored to call my family, friends and associates.

Thanks for asking!

For a deeper dive into finding out about a company culture and value set check out this link:

https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-sneaky-ways-to-figure-out-a-companys-culture

Cayce Cage interviewing Susan Flint. Both of Marble Jar Gang