What are
non-negotiables?
How do I
identify mine?
The difference between
success and your success.
Are business values and
personal values the same?
Are non-negotiables
always non-negotiable?
Who are non-negotiables?
Your non-negotiables are your values. In this case your business values. What you are and aren’t willing to have as part of your company, your business day, your rise up the ladder. They aren’t your “I’d likes,” “I would hopes” or your “It would be nice ifs.” These are your bottom line, stick to your guns, line-in-the-sand business values.
If you can say, “I will only run a company that puts ________ first ” then whatever you fill that blank in with is one of your non-negotiables. If you will only work for a company that allows you to __________, then whatever you fill that blank in with is one of your non-negotiables.
Because non-negotiables are more than just casual desires, identifying them takes time and commitment, but once you identify them, you will find yourself pointed in a precise direction. It leads you to success that is truly and uniquely rewarding. Now, instead of just heading for any success, you’re headed for your success.
What’s the difference between "any success" and "your success"?
“Any Success” is success for success’ sake. We all enter the business world with the goal of being successful (ie: college, our parents, grad school, etc.). They all send us out to seek our fortune, but few ever point out that a large part of true fortune is fulfillment. What fulfills you may not be exactly what fulfills the fellow who sat next to you in statistics class. So, while you very well may attain that “go forth and be successful” success, it’s often unfulfilling and fraught with compromise that leaves you questioning your choices. Why? Because it’s not directed to you.
Now, "Your Success"? That is a complete win and nothing less. Achieving "Your Success" means you’re doing what you want to do in the way you want to do it and enjoying its results in your career and your life. While the path is challenging, ultimately you sleep more easily, worry less and are more fulfilled. It may not be what would send your neighbor running down the street shouting, “I am Spartacus!” but it will bring your life into alignment, increase your bottom line and warm your heart. Worth finding? We think so.
Are my business values and personal values the same?
While your business values and personal values may not be exactly the same, they certainly overlap. Because your personal values are part of what defines you as an individual, they will follow you into the workplace. They inform the choices you make as a business leader for yourself, those you hire, those you work with and work for.
If you make a choice for your business life that goes against your personal beliefs you run the risk of becoming conflicted. What makes that such a risk? Internal conflict leads to self-doubt, which gets in the way of achievement. You have to be able to commit and it’s always easier to commit to what you truly believe in.
Are non-negotiables always non-negtiable?
Yes. They let you dance in the clarity of what matters to you.
What happens if I bend on my non-negotiables?
Just as you can’t be kind-of-pregnant or almost unique, you can’t have semi-non-negotiables or non-negotiable unless we’re talking seven figures. Something is either a guide to how you are willing to conduct your life or it’s not. Once you give in on your values or bend on your principles “just this once,” you quickly find yourself making more compromises and bending further until you are so far off your intended path that you stop recognizing what you stood for in the first place.
Have you ever started a diet only to hear yourself say, “I’ll just have this one chocolate covered strawberry—hey, it’s fruit”, then found yourself knee deep in the chocolate fountain thinking, “How did I go so far down the sugar-coated rabbit hole?” The first time you bend on a non-negotiable you’ve eaten that first chocolate covered strawberry. The people who are the most happy in their success are the people who stick to their guns. If you care about a way of conducting business then care. Make your choices mean something. Stick to your non-negotiables and you fulfill a promise to yourself that will lead to true success, one that enriches your career and your life.
How do I determine my non-negotiables?
It's done through uncompromising honesty. Everything you do from here on is built on this. If you start constructing the next phase of your career on a shaky foundation, it may not crumble quickly—but it will crumble. You have to be completely candid and present as to what is and isn’t important to you. People often fall into the trap of thinking that how they choose to conduct business needs to conform to a stereotype that was created decades earlier—uptight, hard driving, impersonal...and hey, if this is the core of you, be true to your path. Chances are, there’s more to you, much more. Where do the Richard Brasons come from? He and people like him have very clearly defined their non-negotiables and stuck to them. We suggest you do the same.
You’re not a stereotype and neither is your career. Through a carefully crafted series of pointed questions along with our unique Value Catalyst, Life Vision Strategies has created a pathway to get to the core of your true non-negotiables. As you identify them, you create the guideline for your future success. Once pinpointed, your business and personal non-negotiables inform all your career choices, from the macro to the micro. Larger choices may include “How will I brand my company?” “Which law firm do I want to partner in?” or “What do I want do be known for?” Smaller choices may be, “How do I want to approach the discussion of my raise?” “What is my leadership style” or “Will I require employees to work weekends?”
Ultimately, your non-negotiables are you. They are as varied as fingerprints. Use that uniqueness to stand out as the leader you are. Once you locate and place yourself in the intersection of your unique skill set and your non-negotaibles, you’ll be standing in a highly profitable piece of real estate, one most people never find. Run your business from this location and you will craft a unique and honestly fulfilling career.
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