Personal Values as a Compass
Explore the importance of Defining values for yourself.
Take away some tactics on how to Define them, and how to use them as a compass for yourself and your business.
It’s no surprise that having clearly defined values is a cornerstone to any successful business.
What about for ourselves? Personally. I have always been a believer in clearly defined values for organizations - it helps us understand how people will work, what people will add to the organization’s culture, how we prioritize, etc.
What was missing for me was MY OWN values.
I had defined values for my team - how I wanted my team (and me) to show up for our customers. We recruited to those values, we talked about those values, and we were living these values.
But in living those values, I found myself overworked, exhausted, impatient, and I couldn’t understand why. Through coaching and some personal work, I realized I wasn’t really aligned with some of the values we defined. I had defined those values based on what I believed the organization needed - rather than what I intrinsically believed.
What did that look like? Well, we had a path and boundaries - but I was personally unfulfilled. My team wasn’t 100% bought in - because I wasn’t 100% bought in. It was backwards.
I hadn’t clearly defined my own values, I didn’t know what I stood for and I didn’t know if I was heading in the right direction (read Grit Gone Wrong to learn more).
Values are like a compass, they tell us when we’re heading in the right direction and allow us to course correct when we’re heading in the wrong direction.
“Values are like a compass, they tell us when we’re heading in the right direction...”
If you had asked me what my career goals were or what success looked like - I would have given you some boxed statement “I want to be the Chief People Officer of some large tech organization.” But, I never really explored this…I thought that was the next logical step, and it made me sound ambitious.
Eventually, I made a decision to leave an organization that I was with for almost 20 years - and when I was asked, “what’s next?” …I had no idea. There was no compass for me.
I worked with my coach to redefine what success meant to me. I learned very quickly that it wasn’t about a title or working at some huge organization… it wasn’t about standing on stage and getting huge accolades or being known for working in the people space… but it WAS about being more present with my family and friends (which I wasn’t - I was on my phone constantly and living in fear), it was about loving myself and having more self respect (which I’m still working on), it was about supporting and lifting others up, expressing myself artistically, giving regularly, traveling and experiencing other cultures and people, and taking ownership of my future.
Once I had an understanding of what success meant to me - I could really re-define my values. These values have proven to be a guidepost for how I make decisions, partnerships I engage in, and where I put my energy.
Here are a few steps you can take in defining YOUR personal values.
Identify Values Words that Authentically move you
Prioritize, Combine, Remove until you have 5-8 value words that feel, sound, appear right to you
Define what they mean to you and what they look like in action
Practice those values in action for a week (try to experience each value daily)
If a value doesn’t serve you - remove it
If something feels missing - add it
Repeat steps 3 and 4 Until You’re Done!
Once your values are defined - direction becomes easier…knowing what to say “yes” or “no” to becomes easier. You’re not easily swayed nor do you compromise what actually matters. It becomes your compass for the big decisions, the people you surround yourself with, and your boundaries.
Enjoy this process. I found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Click to check out our values and schedule a free consultation so we can support you in this journey!