On the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month – Remember those who gave and still do

As on all remembrance days I will be remembering the sacrifices and bravery of all and in particular my father (above) who served as an instrument basher in the Royal Air Force for 6 years in WWII and my Grandad who served in both the army and navy in WWI – Lest We Forget

This was originally posted in November 2009, but in our busy, ever connected world, felt it was worthy of repeat.

Like many of you this past week, I had the opportunity to attend a remembrance day event. This one was part of a client event and included a talk by a WWII veteran.

As I listened intently to his stories I was distracted by a bright light in the dimmed auditorium. I glanced across and noticed an invited guest to the event checking and sending e- mail on their smartphone. Initially I gave the benefit of the doubt, you never know when someone has something personal and urgent going on.

But the scrolling, clicking and tapping of the keyboard continued. Finally I had to lean across and ask the person if the e-mail was so important that they felt it warranted the disprespect they were showing to someone who served to afford them the freedom to text in the first place. They quickly put the phone away.

A lot went through my mind before I said something. Most people would know me as someone not normally one who would speak out. But this individual was compromising one of my key values – Respect. Your core values are a key component of your personal brand and you should stand up for them and live them every day.

The final question I asked myself before I said something was. How would I feel on the drive home if I said nothing?

How are you living and expressing your values? Are they a core part of your personal brand?

What do you think? Take a moment to add your toonies worth.