Ken Chapman & Assoc.
Phone: (205) 366-0265
Fax: (205) 366-0401
info@leaderscode.com

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Personal Growth and Goals

Valuing People
Copyright © All rights reserved
By Ken Chapman, Ph.D.
          Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.            

The Queen of England often visits Ballmoral Castle.  On one occasion, when she was walking by herself, it started to rain.  She rushed to the shelter of the nearest cottage.  A lady came to the door and was really annoyed  that someone would bother her at that time of the morning.  She opened the door a few inches and barked, “What do you want?”  The Queen did not introduce herself, she merely asked, “May I borrow an umbrella?”  “Just a minute,” grumbled the woman.  She slammed the door, was gone for a moment, and returned bringing the rattiest umbrella she could find, one with broken ribs and small holes.  “Here.” she rudely exclaimed.  The Queen of England thanked her and went on her way with the ragged umbrella. 

The next morning, the Queen’s escorts, dressed in full uniform, pulled up in front of the cottage.  One of the escorts knocked on the door and returned the umbrella to the woman saying, “Madam, the Queen of England thanks you.”  As he walked away, he heard her mutter, “If I had only known, I’d have given her my best.” 

Have you ever been treated badly?  Maybe you have asked someone for help and they did not view your situation as being as important as you did, and they gave you a second best effort.  There are people who can make you feel like a king or a queen by the way they respond to you.  There are also those who make you feel like a peasant, unimportant, and unworthy.  Nobody likes to feel unimportant!   

Some of the people I respect and admire most are also people who have an ability to value the people around them.  The way you and I respond to people says a lot about our character.  An important part of character is the value we place upon people.  The problem is that it can be tempting to look at people from the perspective of:  “What can they do for me?” or, “How can I benefit from them?”  If they cannot help me, if they cannot do something for me, if they cannot make me look better, then they are unimportant.  

We have to be careful that our words or actions do not devalue our friends and peers.  Think about the people you do not like to spend time with, the people whose conversations you really do not care for.  Viewing these people as persons of value costs you and I nothing.  However, it says something important about us.   

A person of character values people and adds value to their lives.  A person of unshakable character looks to build others up, not tear them down.  Simply stated, a person worth looking up to does not need anybody to look down on.  The question follows then, how is it that you and I can demonstrate that we value others?  We can do it three ways:  by knowing, showing, and growing.  

 The first step is knowing them.  If you spend time getting to know someone, you are saying, “You are worth the investment of my time.”  Another way is through actions or showing.  Because you value people, you are willing to serve them.  One more way to value people is to “grow” them.  Help them develop skills for success.  Invest in them.  We grow people by passing along what we know and by demonstrating our concern for them through the way we live and relate to them. 

For more information about Ken Chapman and Associates’ Leadership Development Programs, contact Ken Chapman at 205.366.0265 or email Ken at kchapman@leaderscode.com.

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