The Value of Values

At LAITHOS, we believe understanding your personal values is foundational to Strengthen Your Core and evolving as a leader.

Your values represent what’s important to you in life – not just at work; there is no right or wrong – it’s who we are. Knowing your values helps you understand what drives you, what you enjoy, what inspires you, etc.

Values can change over time – especially as you understand yourself better and/or your life circumstances change. Which is why we spend a significant amount of time exploring this area with our clients.

After identifying their key values through a series of exercises that we use to dig deep, the most important step is to integrate the learning into daily life.

Here are some client examples of how they have benefitted from deeply understanding the role that values play:

• “I was out of sorts one day, primarily because one person seemed to keep pushing my buttons. I looked at my values sheet – which I keep handy all the time – and realized that one of them was consistently being triggered. That realization helped me have a conversation with the individual. And because I was able to clearly state why this value was important to me, it shifted the conversation and changed the dynamic completely in a positive way.”
• “When I strongly disagree with a colleague or my boss about a topic, I always go back to my values to understand why my perception is so important to me. While I may not always end up with the results I want, I am able to share with them my ‘why’. It helps them get to know me more deeply and I feel like I have been heard.”
• “I was almost depressed because I always felt I had to prove myself at work. After really digging into my values, I realized the culture stepped on several core values of mine … and that wasn’t going to change. I looked for a different company, interviewed with my values in mind, and–after taking on the new role–am more satisfied, content, and fulfilled than I ever could have imagined.”

This Week: Ask yourself what is most important to you? (e.g., generosity, health, teamwork, nature, money, peace, stability, continuously learning). Identify where you are not serving your own values and acknowledge where you are. Sometimes others – often unknowingly – will trigger you because they “stepped on” a value. Think about the times when that happens and discern what you can learn from that reflection.  Dig deep into your own values now and it will serve you well for your life.