Living your values in business
In this blog post, I talk about what makes knowing, refining and living your values in business so important. There is also a quick reflection exercise at the end for you to identify your top 5 business values and how you can maximise them in your professional life.
What are values?
When I think of values, I think of them as my guiding principles.
They are the things that I believe are important in the way I live and work. When something feels wrong that I can’t quite put my finger on, chances are that something in my life is out of alignment with my values.
Here are some values that I hold dear in my personal life (here I focus on just 10*): Balance, Belonging, Fun, Freedom, Gratitude, Honesty, Love, Self-actualisation, Trustworthiness and Understanding. These, along with other values in my toolkit, help me to focus on what matters most. Knowing my values helps me to identify and weigh up opportunities as well as set boundaries for myself when things aren’t in alignment.
*Scroll down for my top 5 business values in the reflection exercise below.
Do your values remain unchanged throughout your life?
My values are my constant companion and yet I recognize that they are evolving and becoming more refined over time.
As a child, I didn’t give much thought to what my values were and I undoubtedly absorbed a lot of them from my family, my upbringing, my education and my peers. Now that I’m older, I have the opportunity and authority to look at the way I live my life and ask: ‘How much of this have I chosen for myself?’ This is a powerful reminder that we as adults have the power of choice.
An article I came across while researching the topic builds on this and encourages us to check in with our values throughout our lifetime:
‘Values are usually fairly stable, yet they don't have strict limits or boundaries. Also, as you move through life, your values may change. For example, when you start your career, success – measured by money and status – might be a top priority. But after you have a family, work-life balance may be what you value more.
As your definition of success changes, so do your personal values. This is why keeping in touch with your values is a lifelong exercise.’
I’ll give you a personal example. I grew up mortally afraid of conflict. I avoided it at all costs, which spared me temporary discomfort but left me feeling unsatisfied, unheard and at times ashamed of myself for being so ‘weak’.
In my mid-20s, I came to realise why I felt so uncomfortable. By avoiding conflict when it really mattered, I wasn’t standing up for my values of Honesty and Understanding. If I wanted to live my life honestly and be understood by the people I cared about, I’d have to be brave and have uncomfortable conversations. I would have to be honest and vulnerable enough to share how I was feeling and be curious about how the other person was thinking and feeling at the same time.
My husband, a real straight-talker, has helped me a lot to become much bolder and more confident with how I address conflict and I’m so grateful to him for that. Now, a few months out from turning 30, I’ve made the conscious choice to add and uphold the values of Boldness, Empathy and Openness to my toolkit.
What makes values important in business?
If you have clarity on your own values and how they align with those of the business you run or work for, this will help you to work and act with integrity and authenticity.
If your values as a founder, leader or team member are incongruent with those of your business, this will likely show up in your internal and external communication. People can tell when you aren’t being authentic, the same goes for a business or a brand, and this will impact on their trust in you. Like a bad smell, this has a repelling effect and can jeopardise current and future opportunities or partnerships.
Understanding people’s values in business will also help you and your team to know when a boundary has been crossed. If someone is speaking really passionately or angrily about something that’s gone down in the office, chances are a value or boundary has been breached. This can be seen in a positive sense, too. This way, you as a leader or team member will know better what your peers’ values are and, by acknowledging their passion or anger and seeking to understand what triggered it for them, you can build a sense of trust, openness and confidence in the team.
Lastly and for me personally, knowing my values allows me to be more contemplative, deliberate and intentional about the work I do.
What are your top 5 business values?
I invite you now to do a quick reflection exercise* to identify your top business values and how you can become more aligned with them.
The following reflection questions will have best effect if you 1. defer judgement, try not to censor yourself and 2. sit in stillness while you do it.
Write your answers to the following questions:
Right now, what are your top 5 business values?
E.g. mine are Authenticity, Gratitude, Teamwork, Quality and Fun.Choose 1 value you would like to be more in alignment with.
Where is this lacking alignment?
How can this value be maximised in your business?
What steps are you committed to taking to achieve this?
* Inspired by Coach Masters Academy Australia New Zealand.
If what you read here was helpful, I’d love to hear it. If you need support with identifying and upholding your personal and business values so that you and your team can thrive, send me a message to find out how I can help.
The intention behind the Bravely Blog is to encourage people to have brave conversations with themselves and with others and to provide value through reflection exercises, coaching questions and links to things that help and inspire me. You can also expect musings and lessons from my own personal entrepreneurial journey.
Yours bravely,
