Unity Starts Here: Three Shared Values Guiding New Brunswick’s Future
A field note from the keynote research bench
We’ve all felt that spark. A quick grin at the same joke, an instant flash of trust, a sense we’re on the same wavelength. That moment of magic is thanks to shared values. Your insula—a tiny brain region devoted to What Matters Most—flags a fellow traveler who cares about the same things you do.
Now we have the data to put that neurological truth into action. For the first time, we compared nearly one million valuegraphic surveys to isolate the core values shared by New Brunswick union members and the general public. Three rose to the top, and they formed a bridge wide enough for everyone in the province to cross together: Financial Security, Basic Needs, and Health and Well-Being.
1. Financial Security
“The long-term needs of my family are taken care of.”
Stability for loved ones is the province-wide rallying cry. If you want community support—whether you’re a union, a business, or a public agency—show how your idea safeguards families for the long haul.
Action cue: Co-host open workshops with local credit unions that teach multi-generational financial planning. Make the tools free, and keep the language plain. The union already does work like this for members: make it accessible to everyone.
Instead, let’s focus on what matters most to people – what they value. That’s where the real power is.
2. Basic Needs
“My essentials are covered for the future.”
Food, safety, housing, connection—these are the necessities that shift by household, yet the impulse is universal. Prove you can help secure someone’s must-haves, and you earn lasting credibility.
Action cue: Launch a volunteer-run Union Pantry Project. Mobile vans deliver groceries to food-insecure neighborhoods. Go easy on the self-congratulation. Just show devotion to making this bedrock union value a reality for everyone, with quiet service that speaks louder than slogans. Word will spread. Bonds will build.
3. Health and Well-Being
“I have a solid foundation for everything else.”
This value is about showing up for life—physically, mentally, emotionally – and being ready for whatever comes next. It might be about going to the gym and running marathons for some people but for others not so much. Everyone will have their own way of ensuring they have the solid foundation they need. Support that foundation and you stand shoulder to shoulder with every New Brunswicker.
Action cue: Sponsor-free community bicycles branded with a simple message: “Ride For Well-Being.” Pair the bikes with union-led mental-health walks so no one travels the hard roads alone.
Why This Matters Beyond One Keynote
Demographic labels divide. Values connect. People inside the same demographic group overlap only about 10.5 percent of the time. Target behavior by values and alignment can shoot to 90 percent. The math flips the script on how we build engagement, loyalty, and even public policy.
So, whether you’re shaping a union campaign, drafting city legislation, or plotting a marketing strategy, start here:
Measure what your audience values in the real world, not in a focus-group echo chamber.
Align your stories and services with those values—sincerely and consistently.
Invite everyone to the table around shared human drivers. Unity follows.
When you know What Matters Most to the people you need to inspire, you can build bridges that bring people together.
Want to know What Matters Most to the people you need to inspire?
Download free guides and resources.
Use the free Valueprint Finder to see how your values compare.
Find out why people call David “The Values Guy.”
Search the blog library for ways to put values to work for you.
