a. What are my top three core values--and how do I define each?
After much deliberation, I have decided that my top three core values are:
1 Composure
2 Loyalty
3 Humility
I define them in the following ways:
Composure: The ability to remain cool under pressure, to hold my tongue and take a
long view of things, focusing on the bigger picture and potential end game. Being respectful of
views and opinions that differ from my own, showing decorum and trying not to show the
mechanics of my actions.
Loyalty: Being present and available to the standards and people in my chosen group
without compromise.
Humility: Recognizing that the greatest parts of me and my actions are not of my own
doing, but the results of a higher power and the work and collective experiences of others that
have influenced me throughout the course of my life.
b. How do I express (when I speak and when I act) each of my three top core values in my
personal and professional life?
I express composure on a daily basis in my professional life. As the day to day manager
of theatre spaces, I frequently meet people with some pretty outlandish ideas as to how to
produce an event. I have to be respectful of their inspiration and help them reach their vision
while guiding them through procedures that will make their production run smoothly, efficiently
and safely without making them feel like I am stifling their creativity. We hold over 300 events a
year, and it is my job to make each of the event coordinators feel like their event is the most
important event, every day.
Working at Lehman College, I also frequently attend academic meetings in which hours
are spent planning the next meeting, as opposed to accomplishing tasks. That requires a great
deal of composure.
I express loyalty at home and in the workplace by assuring my family and coworkers with
words and in action that they can count on me and that I will fiercely defend their interests. My
colleagues know that I will never rebuke them in public and I take actions to ensure my family
knows that they come first.
Humility has long been my favorite value, and the one that I work at the hardest. I express
humility by sharing the spotlight and acknowledging that any accomplishments achieved are not
of my own doing but a collective effort. Years ago, I was fortunate enough to receive an award
for outstanding contributions to the college. I used the prize money to take my co-workers out to
dinner. Anything that I achieve in my personal life is due to the values my parents instilled in
me, the will and persistence of my wife, and keeping in mind the well-being and joy of my
children.