The Value of VALUES

I have been doing work recently with both individuals and groups to help them identify their values. It seems that a good deal of mystique has built up about values so here is an attempt to simplify the whole vexed and often fraught area.

What are values? They are those elements in our life that really matter to us. They are what we stand for. Show people at a workshop a whole lot of pictures of people and places and ask them to pick one that shows an aspect of their work and they will be drawn to one or two above all others. That photo will “speak” to them. It will symbolise the intrinsic nature of what they do at work ~ it will reflect their values.
I believe that values are usually intangible. They represent the essence of some of the things we love doing. Travel is not necessarily a value but adventure is. Gardening is not a value but nature and nurturing are. I suspect that few would declare management a value but good managers work hard to encourage collaboration, integrity, achievement ~ all of which can be values.

Values are part of who we are. That is why it is sometimes difficult to identify our own values. I have found that often people find it easier to identify someone else’s values rather than their own. But it is possible to get close to our own values. Think of a significant event in your life – one that you are particularly proud of. Go deep and think about what that event was REALLY about. It is likely to give you a strong signal about your values.

Think about what was driving you to action, the huge amount of commitment and energy you had, the way you continued in spite of setbacks, the way things got re-prioritised around this event or outcome ~ that is the power of values.

Let me speak personally for a moment. For me I am particularly proud of launching a new career at the grand old age of 50. At the time I felt “driven” to find a way to work with people one-on-one on a more on-going basis. I had been seconded into a position that took me away from management duties for a while and I loved the new role. And let me reassure you it was not because I did not like library management – I loved it, but given a taste of something different, I liked the new experiences more.

I looked forward to spending a lot of time with a small group or just one staff member. I craved more of that sort of contact with people and less of the annual plan meetings ! The challenges of working in a large organisation were starting to get to me ! I knew I was not being my best. So I decided to put the comparative safety of a salaried role behind me. I know now that I was honouring my values around independence and simplicity and achievement, although I did not know that at the time. Hindsight is a great thing ! But in reviewing what happened at the time I can now see that one of the factors driving my decision to change, was my values.

Identifying our values can be scary because it has the potential to create a very loud wake-up call. It helps us see what is under-pinning some of the discomfort we feel around us, the things and situations that are draining our energy, the “cost” we are paying by continuing to put up with stuff, often in ourselves.

But values identification also gives a superb feeling or recognition, of comfort, of déjà vu almost. When we start to do things in line with our values, life simply feels right. Lots of things suddenly become easier because we can see the way to the best decision, we can assess priorities, we can feel much more confidant, less uneasy, because we are doing things that support our values.

So here’s the challenge, and it ain’t guaranteed to be easy! Think about your role at work, wherever you work and whatever you do. What is it really about? Strip away what you actually do and think about what those actions are really about. Ask the question several times, till you get down to the real oil. Then take that essence and ask how important that is to YOU. Is the match good? If it is you will know, because you will immediately feel better about your job. And no doubt you knew the fit would be good anyway. It’s what fuels your commitment, even in the tough times. If on the other hand, the match is not good, then it is unlikely to be a surprise to you either. You are likely to be feeling a bit weighed down. The challenging bit is just what you do with this new, or old, information.

And here are 3 choices. You can moan about it, you can learn to live with it, or you can get stuck in and do something about it, and that is where people like me come in. Can you see why I love my job ?