How Our Values Unite Us In Times Of Uncertainty
Leadership in Times of Extreme Uncertainty
Customer Experience and Employee Experience Based on Shared Values
Right now, our shared human values matter more than ever.
Why?
It’s a fundamental principle of human behavior: during times of extreme uncertainty, when overwhelmed and full of fear, humans double-down on what they care about most, what they value.
And since leadership is ultimately about influence, understanding the specific shared values people are focused on during tumultuous times gives leaders the insight required to exert more influence.
Simply put: if everyone is focused on something, help them with that, and they will follow you. Don’t try and get them to focus on something else. It simply won’t work.
So what is everyone focused on? What does everyone care about? What do we value most?
Here’s an enormously high-level guide to the top shared values, region by region around the world. It’s only a quick skim across the top of 436 metrics measured by a half-million social science surveys in the Valuegraphics Database. Regardless, I hope on some macro-level it helps guide more productive decisions.
In the Middle East, next to family, the most important shared values are morality and loyalty. Use these values as guideposts, and find ways to frame all your decisions accordingly. There will be a right way to get through this, and respecting the loyalty that people have to rituals and processes will be key.
The people of Central and South America value community more than anything other than family. Remembering the importance of strong communities will be essential to finding the best way forward. Could communication technologies be harnessed to keep everyone updated on the well-being of the people in their communities?
In China, the top three values are family, relationships, and financial security. This combination of values might be thought about this way: ensuring the people I care about survive and thrive. How can you help bring certainty to this equation?
In the rest of Asia, there is a significant margin of difference between belonging, the number one value, and family, in second place. This spike of importance around belonging is a clear signal that any strategies must be broad, all-encompassing, and designed to make everyone feel connected.
In Europe people value various forms of togetherness: family, belonging and relationships. It will be especially important for strong leaders in this part of the world to ensure no one feels isolated or alone. The recent news about people in Italy gathering on their balconies to wave and sing together demonstrates how strong these values are.
In Africa right now, the values that matter are relationships, community, and spirituality. Focus your plans and policies on strengthening these, first and foremost. Could faith-based webinars give people a way to stay connected?
Across the countries of the Pacific/Oceania, community is one of the top three most important values. Right now, how can you keep communities connected and strong?
In the USA and Canada, belonging is the most dominant shared value. Keep everyone in the loop, don’t let anyone feel outside the inner circle. In fact, abolish the inner circle altogether so everyone feels part of what is happening now, and what will happen next.
While the differences from one region to the next might not seem enormous, they are statistically relevant and vitally important when allocating human and financial resources during tumultuous times.
Ultimately, the similarities are reassuring. We are more alike than we might care to believe.
Around the world, combined across 180 countries in the eight regions we’ve studied, the most important values are family and relationships. In third place is financial security. For leaders everywhere on earth, it’s worth remembering this ranking.
First, look after your people. Then look after the rest.
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This article contains pre-release insights from the forthcoming book based on the half-million surveys in the world’s first global database of shared values. For more information info@valuegraphics.com