Why knowing your values is key to a good career

Queue jumping.

A great way to annoy British people. We’re famous for it.?

Airports are a good place to start. Queues everywhere. Check-ins, conveyor belts.?Look closely and you’ll find someone complaining.

But, how does this relate to living with purpose?

To start with, this ‘queuing thing’ is a shared value. You have to wait your turn. Respect the rules. Think of those around you.

Most of us share the same value. And when it's broken, we feel disrespect.?

When I was searching for a way to illustrate this point, I just couldn’t ignore queuing.?

We all value something.?

We live by principles.?And we like to think we know what’s important in life.

Some examples of shared values include:

• Respect
• Loyalty?
• Kindness

All of the above are important. But, try removing the ‘shared’ part and consider, what are MY values??

And if you get stuck at this point, you’re not alone.?

Know yourself.?

When I coach people, it may surprise you that most don’t know which values are most important to them. People don’t have an order for their priorities.?

They can’t just list them off. And they definitely can’t tell you how they live these values.?

What’s scary is when they realise what their top values are, what’s most important to them out of anything in life, they see that they’re not experiencing any of them!?

How bad is that?

I coached a director last year. She’d recently finished working for a toxic employer, the job had ended badly.?

She couldn’t understand why. Until this happened.

I performed a few exercises with her to reveal her values. Her number 1, most important, highly valued thing in life was this:?

Autonomy.?

Why?

She needed freedom in her job, to create, make decisions. It was very important to feel liberated in the position that she was in. Especially as a Director.?

But, her previous boss had been micro-managing her. Taking any autonomy away.?

Bingo!?

She had a realisation, a light bulb went off in her mind. “That’s why I hated working in that job! I didn’t have autonomy!”

And the net result from this one piece of information alone meant that she now interviews better. All potential employers now go through this set of criteria:?

• Will this employer, boss, or company give me the autonomy to do my job to the best of my ability?

This realisation was liberating. She now knew her values. She was able to align these to her career.?

Living your values

When we experience what’s most important to us in life, we feel happy. A simple equation that most don’t live by.?

Could this be why so many of us don’t like our jobs?

Having clarity on our values is a key part of living with purpose.?

The feeling is strong.?

A queue jumper is met with anger.?It’s because this action clashes with our shared values.?

I hope this demonstrates to you the importance of understanding your values. And once you know what they are, you can take steps to build your life around what’s most important to you.?

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