Values

Inspiration comes in the strangest forms sometimes. Take this op-ed piece in the New York Times, for example. Author Thomas Friedman mentions the difference between situational values and sustainable values as defined by Dov Seidman, the CEO of an organization that "helps companies build ethical cultures."

Situational values are the instant gratification of values. It's a person or an organization making decisions without regard for future implication. There's a benefit to be had thanks to the current environment. But months or years from now? It doesn't matter.

Sustainable values, on the other hand, are the opposite. It's about legacy building and plotting a future where the current players won't be around. Or, using a VISTA analogy, it's about building organizational capacity.

The piece as a whole is one man's opinion on how this country's leaders are still trying to solve our economic malaise while looking out for their respective interests. But what I took away from it is not only the two types of values, but our ability to choose one or the other.

I'm not easily impressed, but these new terms have blown be away. They've shed some light on some of the challenges I'm facing here in Mission. It sometimes feels as though it's me against the world. Maybe I need a new approach, and the clear distinction between situational and sustainable values may fit the bill.