Values and Value Are Not The Same

A Short Sharp Shock

My ‘values’ are constant and unchanging and might include concepts like trust, transparency, honesty and equality.

My ‘value’ is variable and dependent on the buyer of my services and product;

• Does it right the first time.

• Cheapest.

• Quickest.

That’s not to say that they can’t overlap.

The question is by how much?

A little side note this week. Have you read the excellent ‘Infinite Staircase’ by Geoffrey Moore? Not this one, nor even this one …

Photo Of "Umschreibung", by Ólafur Elíasson, 2005 by ‘russellstreet’ (Creative Commons License)

Rather, this one - The Infinite Staircase is an excellent book by Geoffrey Moore, the author of Zone To Win and Crossing The Chasm and by his own admission, not his usual fayre.

Prompted to mention it because Geoff published this post in the last 24 hours as a response to a review of his book by William Bartlett. Linking here, now for two reasons;

1. Two people can disagree and have a civil discourse on that disagreement - who knew?

2. ‘Values’ emerge as a theme within the article, which includes this quote

But values per se are universal, at least among mammals.

I disagree. (I also disagreed with the exclusion of mathematics from the staircase - so I am guessing we will continue to agree to disagree!)

© Geoffrey Moore

I disagree because value - like beauty - is in the eye of the beholder and values are culturally driven, there are no absolutes (discuss).

Now, with all that said …..