The Value of Family Values
in life and in business it’s important to recognize those who have positively
influenced us and do our best to live their values. BY TOM HUBLER
IT’S TIME TO REFLECT on the resolutions we made back in January. Some have been laid aside while others have become new habits.
One resolution you probably haven’t heard about is the resolution to
“recognize parents for the values they taught us” or to “live a life that
more actively serves others.” I contend that we seldom consider how
connected we are to one another, especially down through generations,
but Laurie Murphy certainly does.
Last October at the Minnesota Family Business Awards, Murphy
Warehouse Company received the Community Service and Philanthropy recognition. Laurie Murphy (director of quality assurance for
the company) was there, along with other members of the Murphy
family and company employees. As a result of that recognition, Laurie
was moved to write a thank you letter to her parents, aunts, uncles
and other ancestors. It was a stunning and inspiring expression of
gratitude and family values.
If you are someone who makes
New Year’s resolutions, I suggest adding
one: Express appreciation and continue
the legacy of gratitude in your own
family by demonstrating service and
philanthropy in your community.
Laurie thanked her family for the values they taught, including religious values, honesty and “giving back to the community in time, treasure and talents in thanksgiving for all of our blessings.” She thanked
the third generation, which includes her parents, for the precedent they
established for her generation and for the fifth generation.
She stated that the Community Service and Philanthropy recognition honors her parent’s generation, now octogenarians, for what they
accomplished and for being such great role models. She noted how
important it is not only to give, but also to roll up one’s sleeves and dig
into work that benefits the less fortunate.
Laurie’s gratitude nobly expressed the importance of service
and philanthropy. She took us beyond self importance to realize
how connected and significant we are to one another. Laurie reminded us of the positive impact we have on family when we join
together to serve others.
“service is on the outside like prayer is on
the inside.” It prompts a challenge to each
of us to do more in our family businesses
to strengthen the commitment to our communities especially in these challenging economic times.
« TOM HUBLER
(tomh@thehubler
group.com) is
president of Hubler
for Business Families
(
hublerfamilybusi-ness.com) and an
adjunct professor at
the University of St.
Thomas.
Many nonprofit organizations have seen
painful financial cuts and desperately need
both money and volunteer services. My
hope is that at an upcoming family meeting,
you will take a few moments to discuss what
you can do as a family to make a bigger contribution to your community.
For example, I have mentioned in previous articles, that I know of families who have
worked together to host picnics and 4th of
The Murphy family walks their talk by living their family’s values. Across the generations they instill true gratitude for the blessings of their lives. This does not have to be complicated. It can be
as simple as engaging your grandchildren in entry level service and
philanthropy projects.
In my own family I continue to give “share checks” to my three
oldest grandchildren—Kailey, Elijah and Kieran. They then talk with
their parents (my children) to decide which charity or non-profit they
want to support. For example, when Kailey (now 13 years old) was in
2nd grade, she was already raising money for the Heart Jump-A-Thon.
There is no age limit for serving others. For helpful ways to teach your
children about sharing visit sharesavespend.com.
As Laurie Murphy so aptly stated, “We all stand in the shadow of
previous generations and owe them a debt of gratitude for their work
and inspiration.” If you are someone who makes New Year’s resolutions, I suggest adding one: Express appreciation and continue the
legacy of gratitude in your own family by demonstrating service and
philanthropy in your community.
Walk the talk and live a life that includes service. It will likely cause
your children to someday recognize how much they appreciate your
legacy and leadership.
