Defining your values
OK, so let’s talk about values.
Our values are one of the most important drivers of who we are, of what makes us unique from each other. They are how we see the world and what we judge as being important to us. They’re the behaviours we respect and the things we admire. They determine the choices we make, the kind of people we are, or want to be.
And they hold immense, er, value, to how we structure our careers.
Why does knowing your values matter?
We probably all have some vague or abstract idea of our values, but often we don’t spend enough time actually defining them in a way that helps us understand what really matters to us, and what our limits are. So it’s important to spend time really getting to grips with what your values are; with what makes you, ‘you’.
If we can clearly articulate our values, it becomes much easier to rationally consider ourselves in the context of the career and work environment we are in, or perhaps the one we want to be in.
Put simply, if the characteristics of your career and work surroundings line up well with your personal values, then you will likely find a high level of fulfilment. But if they’re in opposition, you will force yourself to exist in a context which is not suited to your authentic self; to who you really are. And that can hurt.
Values vs. Motivators - so what's the difference?
Values are different to motivators because they are the core of what makes you, you - basically they’re the ‘why’. Your career motivators are your ways of expressing those values through the kind of work you do - they’re the ‘what’.
But the two need to align in order for you to feel happy in your career, and the work environment you’re in - and we’re talking about everything here from the people who work with, the culture you’re part of and the actual working environment you’re in - matters too.
To take an example, you might strongly identify as with the ‘entrepreneur’ motivator because you value independence and accountability, but you might also feel that friendship, collaboration and teamwork are super important to you, so you might find solo entrepreneurship extremely lonely. Instead, working with others in a start-up or high-growth setting might be a better fit, even if it doesn’t perfectly align with the ‘entrepreneur’ persona.
Understanding how to find the right balance between the values that define us, and the sort of things we actually do in our careers, is key to finding fulfillment. For some of us, it’s easy to strike that balance and put the puzzle pieces together, but for others, identifying where things align and where they clash could be revelatory.
Defining your values
OK, let’s do this… but first it’s important to keep in mind that defining our values isn’t a one stop shop, it’s something that takes time, energy and reflection. It might not be immediately apparent where your values lie, or it may be that the things you think are most important have changed or evolved over time.
To get us started, we’re going to do a couple of exercises that will help us start thinking about the sort of things that matter to us in life generally, as well as what we value at work.
Thinking big
First, read the questions below and brainstorm your answer to each as quickly as you can; no need for perfect prose here, just get down the first thing that comes to mind in answering the question. And try and be as honest as possible, this is about what you think, not what you feel you should think...
They are pretty big questions so if you don’t have perfect answers, don’t worry. We’re just getting warmed up.
- What's most important to you in life?
- When you’re reading the news, what sort of story or behaviour tends to inspire you?
- And what type of news story or behaviour makes you angry?
- What do you want to change about the world?
- When were you happiest? What happened?
Values in the context of...
Now, let’s think about what matters most to us at work. For this exercise, have a bit of a think and then scribble down what you think matters most to you about:
- The people you work with
- The culture you’re part of
- The physical work environment that surrounds you
And here’s a bit of food for thought...
People
Think here about your attitudes to the people you work with. Do you enjoy working closely with others or would you rather work on your own? Do you thrive in a busy, people-filled setting or do you leave the office feeling drained? Do you like to compete with others to get results? Or to collaborate? Do you have loads of close friends at work or do you keep yourself to yourself?
Remember, there’s no wrong or write answer here, just try and think about how you most like to interact with others at work, and what turns you off.
Culture
Now, think about what kind of working culture suits you best. Do you like working under pressure? How well do you handle ambiguity and changing priorities? Do you prefer order and structure? How does the pace of an organisation affect your energy levels? And do you enjoy being trusted to work out how to do something yourself, or do you prefer someone giving you clear guidance on how to do it?
The answers to these kinds of questions can help you see what’s important to you about the culture you work in. You might also consider whether it’s important to you to work for a big, prestigious organisation or if you veer towards smaller organisations or even working for yourself.
Environment
Right, time for complete honesty here: how much does the actual environment you work in impact how you feel about your job? Does having a nice office space, a communal ping-pong table and cold brew on tap matter to you or could you care less? How do other factors, like the length and manner of your commute, or the hours you work affect how you feel about going to work? Or after a year of pandemic-enforced working-from-home, is having flexibility about where and how you work a bigger priority for you?
Obviously workplaces vary widely according to their purpose - a public service-driven setting like a hospital or a charity is likely going to be very different from the offices of a global media brand or a bank - but it is important to consider how the external factors around you affect how engaged you feel.
Just jot down how you feel about each of the above areas, highlighting what’s most important to you about each of them.
OK, so now you should have an idea of the big, macro things that you feel strongly about, as well as some thoughts about what matters to you in a work context. Hopefully you’re nicely warmed up and keen to keep going on your values definition journey...
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can actually define me
Take a piece of paper and write down ten words that you feel best describe the things and behaviours you value most. These could be anything from words like 'love', joy' and 'fun' through to things like 'spontaneity', 'challenge' or 'justice". If you need a bit of inspiration, you can check out a handy list here.
Drilling down
Now, look at the ten words you’ve chosen and score them from 1 to 10, with 1 being the word which feels least important to you and 10 being the most important.
If you find this hard to do, then think about each in turn and ask yourself if you would choose it if you could only choose one word; then move the words up and down according to the relative priority you assign each one.
You could also take a non-numerical approach if that feels better for you; rank your top ten words as ‘must have’, ‘nice to have’ and ‘ok not to have’. But remember to be really honest about which goes where!
Interpreting your values
Now, you should have a prioritised list of the words you feel best represent your personal values. The next step is to boil down all the thinking you’ve done so far into some simple sentences that will allow you to express your values in a way that’s helpful to you, and to others.
Creating memorable values statements can help you better articulate the meaning and intention behind each value.
So, take the top five words you prioritised from the long list, and for each one, try and write a sentence that defines what that value means to you. It might help to use inspiring words and phrases, which our brains find harder to ignore or forget; or to include vocabulary that evokes emotional responses, making you empathise more with your values. And the stronger and richer your values statements are, the more likely you will be inspired to uphold them.
Here’s an example of one we made earlier :)
For me, 'impact' means the ability to get things done and change something for the better
Repeat this for each of your top five values. It’s likely the big picture thinking you did right at the start will help you interpret and define your values. And you could also consider setting a timer for 60 seconds to write each sentence. Having a very short deadline can help keep you focused and make this task feel less daunting….
You should end up with five pithy values statements that allow you to explain and interpret what your core values mean to you. Doing this will help create reference points from which you can think about the actions you should take and the decisions you should make.
Comparing and contrasting these statements against the motivator personas you most identify with, as well as your thoughts on People, Culture and Environment, can also help you start to see where your values are aligning with the reality of the work you do, and how and where you do it.
And here’s a bit of food for thought...
What's next?
Applying what you’ve learned about your values to your current - and future - career context can feel complicated, or overwhelming. It may be that you need to revisit these exercises time and again as your situation or needs change. And don’t be disheartened if thinking about your values results in more questions than answers. It’s all part of the process!
The most important thing is to get comfortable with spending real time on self reflection and discovery, as knowing more about yourself and what you want and need from work is a step towards actually getting it.
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