Integrity
Wheel cogs in the background with words- Integrity is the value that makes your other values matter.
Integrity is the value that makes your other values matter. Without integrity the work you do will have little impact on others. When I think of integrity, I think of keeping my word. I think of being reliable in how I show up in my world and my life. Integrity is about creating a system of engagement that allows others to consider my contribution (to their life, project, etc …) in a way that facilitates their ability to make informed decisions.
Merriam Webster defines it:
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility. 2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness. 3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness.
Writing on values is a bit slippery— what we feel we know about a value, can skitter away as we try to pin it down with words. While I value integrity, in myself and others, I also have concerns about any unyielding adherence to principles. The balance between the principles and ideals we hold dear and our awareness of human messiness and compassion is one I consider to be important to attempt. Ideals and values are a standard to seek and rarely something we can live without compromise.
Integrity has its drawbacks when not combined with things like compassion or respect. Ultimately it makes people reliable or predictable. On its own, it’s not quite enough. For example, I can be reliably late. Or predictably careless. A ‘firm adherence to a code’ can be a firm adherence to a doctrine of self aggrandizement as much as it can be one of service or community betterment.
With this awareness, I implement integrity in my work with clients by seeking to first support you in discovering your core values for the project we are working on- whether it is your personal development or your business. Once we have those identified, we will use them to determine what goals, strategies, and activities will best express them in your efforts. That’s where Sustainability and Clarity come in. We use clarity to really see what your values are and how to best live into them. And sustainability to make sure we are including those values in a genuinely livable way.
I offer 30 min free consults — sign up for one if you are curious about this value and we can talk about how it applies to what you are up to. (https://bit.ly/AicilaAppt)
