Communication Core Values: Find Your Axis in a World Spinning Out of Control

We are halfway through 2020.  

The sheer centrifugal force of the last six months has rearranged so much of what we thought we knew about the world . . . and about ourselves.  

All of us, in some form or another, have watched the boundaries of the different roles we play in our lives - partner, parent, employee, artist, social butterfly, ambitious striver - all falling right on top of each other. What is real?  What do we get to hold on to?  

And at the core of this - WHO AM I?

As humans, we contain multitudes. Different parts of our personalities come out in different given circumstances.  Different behaviors are brought to light as we face different challenges. When we talk about voice (or any presentational aspect of ourselves) with our clients, we talk about it in four different arenas: the physical, the emotional, the mental and the social.  

Underneath all of that, however, is the raw material of Who We Are. This is where our lived experience, our taught experience, and our aspirations of who we want to be all swirl around as our own personal guide: How To Handle a Situation. These are our core values. In many ways, they act as very personal rules of engagement. Specifically, we want to address communication core values.

What are communication core values?  These are the habits and aspirations of how we want to communicate- what’s truly important to us - how we want to be seen and how we want to feel, as well as how we want others to feel when we communicate with them. 

We have communication core values as individuals, within families, within social groups, and with our jobs,  both on a team and organizational level. Generations can have different core values (OKBoomer vs Zoomers). Countries and cultures have unique core values. Often we don’t think much about them, until they start to show their edges in contrast to one another. For example, you may not realize your family's value not to interrupt or speak out of turn exists until you are in an environment that suddenly encourages you to interrupt others or cut in.  Communication core values have to do with everything from what is polite or rude within a family, to learning the rhythm of how a story is told, to your sense of humor. How your own personal communication core values “land” in your environment is where things get ESPECIALLY complicated - especially for anyone outside of the mythic norm (a term coined by author and activist Audre Lorde).  

At a time where our identities feel fragile, and as we are actively in a space of redefining corporate culture to fully embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, we wanted to spend some quality time really diving into communication core values on a personal and societal level.

We believe that defining and examining your core values is key to better understanding your current behavior, and that this exploration gives you options for ways you might want to change and grow...a road map, if you will. 

We are going to talk about specific core values, including their strengths and weaknesses (or as we like to refer to them, superpowers and evil twins), and how both sides serve a purpose in communication.

We are going to talk to some badass humans about their core communication values.

We will talk about how values become behavior, and how to change and adapt that behavior. We are also going to break down some of the more complicated core values to get really visceral and specific about what we mean.   We also want to show how fluid they can be, and talk strategies and tools.  And even get into how they can be used as a foundation for figuring out a “personal brand” that is actually a reflection of you. 

We will also talk about that complex territory where values meet behavior meet perception, and explore some of those obstacles. 

In a time where we are looking at not just finding a seat at the table, but de facto blowing up said table, knowing who we are and where we come from is critical to a rebuilding process that truly honors diversity, inclusion and antiracism. 

We hope you’ll join us over the month of July, and spend some time thinking about what YOU believe in, stand for, and create from.