Yearly Archives: 2015

Definition of Value

“Definition of Value”. Hmmm. Well, I’ll just go get a hammer and nail down a cloud, shall I? Good grief.

Value is subjective. They say that “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”. Well, so is value. I’m sure there are many who would scoff at what I value, and I’m sure I have scoffed (although I’m thoroughly ashamed of doing so) at the values of others. What people hold dear isn’t to be taken lightly or mocked. Great things come from the most unlikeliest of places and reasonings. It’s like declaring a planet wide favourite colour and being surprised when nearly everyone shouts “Oi! Pink! Pink! That’s not my favourite colour. It clashes with my everything” etc and so forth.

Companies, staff and consumers all have their own set of values and principles and preferences that are placed on pedestals to be admired and dusted off every now and then, or maintained day to day in the dirt down on the ground. Companies set themselves goals and outlooks and set up internal cultures, in an effort to achieve what they deem important, what they admire, what they envy. It could be “success” (another flighty definition, if ever I saw one) comprised of growth or security or profit or respect and reliance from their customers or peers or competitors (or any combination thereof). Motivation can never be underestimated when in the pursuit of a dream. Staff merge their personal values and principles with those laid down by their employers. A symbiosis that hopefully, doesn’t require question or sacrifice. Consumers, hopefully, know what they want and what they are willing to pay for it. Quality or quantity. The short-term or long-term. The easy or the challenging. A clear idea of preference, and an understanding of why that preference, is one of the hardest aspects when making your choice.

One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure.

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Apple versus Android

Coke versus Pepsi

The Tortoise versus the Hare

Eskom versus a candle and matches

You get the point.

Basically, value is defined by what you are willing to give up. Trusting that you will be gaining. Altruism doesn’t really exist in the business world. There’s an exchange. I give something in exchange for something I feel is worth it. This can be anything as measurable and common as money to the rarer stuff of trust and loyalty. But this exchange rarely ends there. It’s always back to what we make of it. The more we put in, the more we get out. And the end results are just as wiley. Life, just like business, is not a guarantee. It’s hardwork and luck and a thousand little things that come together to make it or break it. Disappointment lurks at every corner, being egged on by Expectations. But when expectations are met or even exceeded. That’s a good feeling for all concerned.

What we value defines us. And what we are willing to sacrifice for our values, defines us further.

Abundance Acceptance Accessibility Accomplishment Accountability Accuracy Achievement Acknowledgement Activeness Adaptability Adoration Adroitness Advancement Adventure Affection Affluence Aggressiveness Agility Alertness Altruism Amazement Ambition Amusement Anticipation Appreciation Approachability Approval Art Articulacy Artistry Assertiveness Assurance Attentiveness Attractiveness Audacity Availability Awareness Awe Balance Beauty Being the best Belonging Benevolence Bliss Boldness Bravery Brilliance Buoyancy Calmness Camaraderie Candor Capability Care Carefulness Celebrity Certainty Challenge Change Charity Charm Chastity Cheerfulness Clarity Cleanliness Clear-mindedness Cleverness Closeness Comfort Commitment Community Compassion Competence Competition Completion Composure Concentration Confidence Conformity Congruency Connection Consciousness Conservation Consistency Contentment Continuity Contribution Control Conviction Conviviality Coolness Cooperation Cordiality Correctness Country Courage Courtesy Craftiness Creativity Credibility Cunning Curiosity Daring Decisiveness Decorum Deference Delight Dependability Depth Desire Determination Devotion Devoutness Dexterity Dignity Diligence Direction Directness Discipline Discovery Discretion Diversity Dominance Dreaming Drive Duty Dynamism Eagerness Ease Economy Ecstasy Education Effectiveness Efficiency Elation Elegance Empathy Encouragement Endurance Energy Enjoyment Entertainment Enthusiasm Environmentalism Ethics Euphoria Excellence Excitement Exhilaration Expectancy Expediency Experience Expertise Exploration Expressiveness Extravagance Extroversion Exuberance Fairness Faith Fame Family Fascination Fashion Fearlessness Ferocity Fidelity Fierceness Financial independence Firmness Fitness Flexibility Flow Fluency Focus Fortitude Frankness Freedom Friendliness Friendship Frugality Fun Gallantry Generosity Gentility Giving Grace Gratitude Gregariousness Growth Guidance Happiness Harmony Health Heart Helpfulness Heroism Holiness Honesty Honor Hopefulness Hospitality Humility Humor Hygiene Imagination Impact Impartiality Independence Individuality Industry Influence Ingenuity Inquisitiveness Insightfulness Inspiration Integrity Intellect Intelligence Intensity Intimacy Intrepidness Introspection Introversion Intuition Intuitiveness Inventiveness Investing Involvement Joy Judiciousness Justice Keenness Kindness Knowledge Leadership Learning Liberation Liberty Lightness Liveliness Logic Longevity Love Loyalty Majesty Making a difference Marriage Mastery Maturity Meaning Meekness Mellowness Meticulousness Mindfulness Modesty Motivation Mysteriousness Nature Neatness Nerve Noncomformity Obedience Open-mindedness Openness Optimism Order Organization Originality Outdoors Outlandishness Outrageousness Partnership Patience Passion Peace Perceptiveness Perfection Perkiness Perseverance Persistence Persuasiveness Philanthropy Piety Playfulness Pleasantness Pleasure Poise Polish Popularity Potency Power Practicality Pragmatism Precision Preparedness Presence Pride Privacy Proactivity Professionalism Prosperity Prudence Punctuality Purity Rationality Realism Reason Reasonableness Recognition Recreation Refinement Reflection Relaxation Reliability Relief Religiousness Reputation Resilience Resolution Resolve Resourcefulness Respect Responsibility Rest Restraint Reverence Richness Rigor Sacredness Sacrifice Sagacity Saintliness Sanguinity Satisfaction Science Security Self-control Selflessness Self-reliance Self-respect Sensitivity Sensuality Serenity Service Sexiness Sexuality Sharing Shrewdness Significance Silence Silliness Simplicity Sincerity Skillfulness Solidarity Solitude Sophistication Soundness Speed Spirit Spirituality Spontaneity Spunk Stability Status Stealth Stillness Strength Structure Success Support Supremacy Surprise Sympathy Synergy Teaching Teamwork Temperance Thankfulness Thoroughness Thoughtfulness Thrift Tidiness Timeliness Traditionalism Tranquility Transcendence Trust Trustworthiness Truth Understanding Unflappability Uniqueness Unity Usefulness Utility Valor Variety Victory Vigor Virtue Vision Vitality Vivacity Volunteering Warmheartedness Warmth Watchfulness Wealth Willfulness Willingness Winning Wisdom Wittiness Wonder Worthiness Youthfulness Zeal

Past. Present. Future.

What do you value?

And what’s it worth to you?

About Claire Donaldson

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.

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