The people that wrote our supposed "values" failed to recognize the distinction between values, which provide guiding principles for behavior and decision-making, and the qualities, outcomes, or states that result from those behaviors.
- Being trustworthy is a character trait that emerges from consistently demonstrating honest, reliable, and transparent behaviors.
- Being caring is another character trait arising from actions that prioritize the well-being and interests of others.
- One team is an idea or philosophy that emerges from collaborative behaviors and attitudes within a group or organization.
- Success is a subjective outcome that can result from actions and behaviors aligned with specific goals or objectives; a manifestation of achieving desired outcomes through effort, skill, and opportunity.
- Happiness is a state of being that emerges from various factors influenced by actions and behaviors. (To me, happiness is by far our most ludicrous "value.")
While trustworthy, caring, one team, success, and happiness are desirable outcomes, they are all just byproducts of actions and behaviors rooted in underlying values such as honesty, compassion, and collaboration. The worst part is that Truist has failed to achieve any of these desirable outcomes and finding a teammate or client that truly believes otherwise would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.