The ICMA Smart Brief recently published a link to an article about how fear can impact the workplace and steps that leaders can take to overcome their fears.  When confronted with a task or an issue that is fearful, the article suggests we should ask ourselves, "is it the right thing to do?"  http://www.aspire-cs.com/a-question-of-courage

For those Rotarians out there, this is similar to the "Four-Way Test" which consists of the following questions:

Is it the Truth?  Is it fair to all concerned? Does it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial for all concerned?

When leaders ask these types of questions before they make a decision or take action, it is clear they have an anchor in the personal values they possess.   

While it is often easy for us to identify our personal values, it isn't always easy to identify or ensure adherence to our organization's values.  Sure, they are printed in the employee handbook and may even have a prominent place on the wall of our office.    Just like with our personal values, if we don't take steps to ensure that we understand our organization's values (and help others to understand them as well!) , model behavior every day to reinforce those values,   and address our own behaviors (and those of others) that don't reinforce the values, then we can not say that we are doing our jobs as managers and leaders of our organizations. 

The development of organizational values and work on those values to develop the "culture" of your organization is a critical tool of the High Performing Organization.  After all, it isn't just "what" we do, it is "how" we do it.  Spend the time to ask the right questions and ensure the right culture is a key component of your organization. 

Just as the article suggests, we always need to ask ourselves both personally and from an organizational standpoint. . ."Is it the right thing to do?"