Thank you John Miller author of QBQ

Aligning Actions with Values
by John G. Miller
The QBQ! Guy
Twitter: QBQGUY
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Ever seen this message? I saw it at a business once.
WE OFFER OUR CUSTOMERS QUALITY, SPEED, PRICE. CHOOSE TWO.
So, your three options are:

• Fast and really good, but it'll cost you.
• Terrific price and really good, but it'll take forever.
• In your hands fast at a terrific price, but it'll be junk.

Nothing like defining and declaring your values in a clear fashion!

Actually, most organizations state their core or guiding values. It used to be done on lobby walls (and maybe it still is, I don't get out much), but one can find just about any organization's values on their website.
Like this one:  http://sawandknife.com/

As you can see, we're not talking about a Fortune 500 firm here, but rather—overused or not, I'll say it—the "backbone of America." A small business that gives 43 people a place to go each day to employ their talents, be productive, and make a living. And if you poke around the website of Union Saw & Knife, Inc. of Union Grove, North Carolina, you won't find a "Values" page, but those values are there, represented by words like "quality," "efficiency," "reliable," "timeliness," and "long-term relationships."

Of course, those are just words and we all know that words can ring hollow. As we say in the Outstanding! book, the goal is to "get actions in line with stated values."
Ed Bissell, founder and owner of Union Saw & Knife, has been receiving our QuickNotes for years. Recently, he sent us this note:

John, I frequently re-read all of your books and find new tidbits each time that help me in our business of manufacturing and servicing cutting tools for the wood, plastic, and metal industry. We've worked hard to set benchmarks for the quality and performance of the tools we provide our clients. We've always sought long-term customer relationships and have worked hard to serve each one well.
Not long ago, when I visited a customer operation—one we've served for several years by managing their tooling and equipment, reaping a major reduction in their tooling costs—I was asked a question I never expected to hear. Our customer stated that he wanted to keep working with us to do his tooling because he feels we're the best, but went on to say that ...

... he was not sure he needed the best and could we do not as good a job for them and charge less?!

I honestly wasn't sure if I'd heard him right. After working all these years to avoid making bad business moves or doing a disservice to our customers, here was one asking us to do just that! Truly, to purposely lower our quality of product and service would cost us and them more money in the long run. After some discussion, we politely held our ground and still have them as a customer. Our plan is to continue on the path we set for our company many years ago:

The best possible job at the fairest possible price in the shortest amount of time possible.
That's what we believe in and that's what we're going to keep doing for our clients.
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Ed, thanks for not telling your client to "choose two"! Congratulations on having standards that you refuse to bend, and for keeping your actions in line with your stated values. I bet some Fortune 500 firms could learn from your team.
Ed Bissell and his outstanding organization are definitely "backbone of America" material.

Now, if you represent one small department inside a division of some huge organization and think this story doesn't apply—please think again. Or if the thought came to mind that this message should be forwarded to politicians everywhere, remember this: Practicing espoused values begins with you and me.

So let's each ask The Question Behind the Question (QBQ!):
"What action will I take today that is in line with my organization's declared values?"
Now that's PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY.