Personal Values

My Personal Values

Jeremy Thompson

MGT/521

January 23, 2010

Karen S. Klamm

My Personal Values

In this paper I will briefly reflect upon my values received from the Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory self-assessment. To understand this paper and the analysis within it, you have to first understand the meaning of a value and how it relates to an individual personally. A value is a concept that describes the beliefs of an individual or culture. A set of values may be place into the notion of a value system. Personal values evolve from circumstances with the external world and can change over time. Personal values are implicitly related to choice; they guide decisions by allowing for an individual’s choices to be compared to each choice’s associated values (Hodge, 2003).

The three most important personal values that I hold to the utmost regards are: honesty, accountability, and compassion. Honesty is the biggest thing I judge individuals on. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt until they give me that one reason to distrust them. After that I distance myself and limit my dealings with that individual. Accountability is the next value that I hold in high regards. I believe that everyone should be held accountable for actions even in the midst of troubles. If you are not strong enough to accept and deal with the consequences that you cause then you are not worthy to be respected. That to me is an act of cowardliness. The last value that I abide by is compassion. You have to love the work that you do. If you are doing a good deed only to please someone else and not for yourself then that defeats the purpose of doing the good deed.

Kudler Fine Foods seemed to be a very respectable and reputable establishment. The owner was a very diligent and hardworking individual. The personal values that she held and incorporated into her organization were similar to mine: honesty, compassion, dedication, respect, and loyalty. She spent the...