Build Value with Your Values

Guiding Principles

An organization’s values are guiding principles that describe how people inside an organization should treat each other and interact with those outside the organization. Values humanize and strengthen the Mission and Vision of businesses, nonprofits, and one-person organizations.

Some examples: 

• Respect for each other
• Everyone’s contribution is necessary for success
• Customer satisfaction
• Ethical conduct

Good Enough?

Values encourage us to raise our performance beyond the level of “Good enough.” The ways in which we perform are critical to our organization’s success. Values foster the concept that leaders, employees, volunteers, associates, and suppliers are all responsible for achieving our organization’s goals. Values form building blocks for collaboration, teamwork, and achieving positive outcomes from differences of opinion. 

RPCN Values

These four values are listed on the RPCN website:

Integrity

We are ethical, honest and transparent in all interactions with clients and each other.

Mutual Respect

We strive to make members and guests feel respected. We endeavor to treat everyone the way they wish to be treated. Everyone’s input is encouraged and valued. We create an environment that promotes inclusiveness in all aspects.

Mutual Support

We work together to achieve our individual and common goals. We willingly collaborate and help each other.

Community Support

We encourage and enable “giving back” to community businesses and organizations through alliances, volunteering and other opportunities.

Your Values

No matter the type or size of your organization, establishing Values can guide you to strengthen and add value to your performance. I hope this article is of value to you.

Note: RPCN’s Enhancing Human Capital Team (EHC), developed the above RPCN Values that were approved by the RPCN Board in 2021.

The Rise of the AI Consultant

The business world is undergoing a technological transformation even more profound than the internet revolution. Artificial intelligence (AI), once the domain of researchers and futurists, has become the driving force behind corporate innovation and strategy. As organizations race to integrate AI into their operations, a new and indispensable role has emerged: AI Consultant. This role represents a fundamental evolution from traditional technology consulting, demanding far more than just technical expertise.

For decades, technology consultants have helped businesses deploy software, integrate systems, and manage digital transformations. Their focus was on execution. AI, however, requires a complete re-thinking of how organizations operate. It’s not just about implementing tools. It’s about redefining processes, reimagining roles, managing ethical risks, and reshaping decision-making itself.

The Translator Between AI and Business

The AI consultant serves as the bridge between cutting-edge research and practical business value. Their mission is to help leaders see beyond the hype and identify where AI can deliver measurable impact and where it cannot. By aligning technological potential with strategic goals, the AI consultant ensures that investments translate into real-world outcomes rather than expensive experiments.

Building Trust in AI

One of the most critical aspects of AI consulting is responsible AI governance. Unlike traditional software, AI systems can reflect bias, make opaque decisions, or compromise privacy. Effective AI consultants guide their clients in building ethical frameworks for development and deployment, such as conducting bias audits, ensuring fair data practices, promoting transparency, and navigating new regulatory landscapes. This isn’t just for compliance; it’s about safeguarding trust, reputations, and long-term sustainability.

Managing Change and Empowering People

AI transformation is as much about people as it is about technology. Introducing AI often means automating routine work, creating new roles, and demanding new skills. The AI consultant plays a vital role in change management, including helping leaders design upskilling programs, address workforce concerns, and foster a culture of human-AI collaboration. Success depends not only on algorithms but on how well people adapt and engage with them.

Laying the Data Foundation

AI cannot thrive without quality data. Many organizations discover that their data is fragmented, inconsistent, or incomplete. The AI consultant helps establish a strong data infrastructure and governance, ensuring accuracy, accessibility, and security. This foundational work transforms data from a liability into a strategic asset, helping to fuel every AI initiative that follows.

Why Demand Is Soaring

Several forces are driving a surge in the demand for AI consultants:

• Rapid Innovation - AI evolves faster than most internal teams can track. Consultants provide current, specialized insight.
• Talent Gaps - Skilled AI professionals are scarce. Consultants offer expertise without the long-term cost of full-time hires.
• Strategic Impact - AI touches every part of the business. Consultants help leaders prioritize use cases and align efforts with strategic goals.

The Future of the AI Consultant

As AI becomes embedded across every business function, the AI consultant’s role will become even more vital. Future success will depend on those who can blend technical fluency, strategic vision, ethical judgment, and human insight. The AI consultant is no longer just an advisor on technology but a trusted partner in shaping the future of business itself. For business leaders and consultants alike, understanding this evolution is key to staying relevant in the AI-driven decades ahead.

—Bob Manard

Three Ways to Get Royalty Checks

At a 2011 RPCN forum, I had mentioned getting an unexpected royalty check. Michael Van der Gaag joked that I should write a book on the subject. After the forum finished, we talked a little about it and he suggested I write an article for the RPCN newsletter. So, I did and here it is.

Getting royalty checks is nice and it comes in very handy! There are three ways I have found to get royalty checks: 

1. Write it into your payment terms. For instance, when Colonel Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken, all he asked for was a three-cent royalty on every chicken dinner sold using his recipe. You can build a royalty into your payment terms too. It’s just like setting up a “pay per click” term. You can build a royalty percentage into any consulting contract.
2. Affiliate Marketing - You can get royalties from selling other people’s products.
3. Publish using a publisher - They sell your book, and you get checks  as long as the book sells

Contact me if you’d like to discuss this further. My information is available on the Rochester Professional Consultants Network website (Rochester Professional Consultants Network | RPCN). Choose the Find A Consultant option and search for my name.

Have a great day!

About the Author: Lawrence Berger is an award-winning poet, speaker, and success coach. His books are on Amazon.com, type in Lawrence Berger,  and they will come up.