Trying to choose just 3-5 values proved a difficult task for me as I looked over the long list of values. Is it completely necessary to choose? I’ll take all of them for $500, Alex.
I found myself in a comparison loop, reading countless values statements from various brands and companies. Every statement seemed thoughtful, unapologetic, and solid–I worried that I would somehow choose all the wrong answers. Spoiler: there are no wrong answers.
As I sat in the pressure of my own overwhelm and confusion I realized that my core values can be found in the problem. What problem do I help solve and how do I accomplish this?
As I began to sit with my vision, purpose, and passions I started to recognize the words that best aligned with me, my business, and my goals.
- Authenticity
- Integrity
- Service
- Compassion
- Growth
Committing to my values has offered clarity in two main areas: 1. clarity for my clients in what they can expect from my services; 2. clarity for me in deciding who I partner with or grant permission to speak into the running of my business.
In a sense, knowing my values has given me a true north in moving forward.
I encourage you to identify your core values if you haven’t done so already. Make sure they are clear for you, your employees, and your clients. Allow them to be the foundation for everything you create and offer.
If you work for a business or organization, I would encourage you to review the company values with your team. If the company is not working from and fulfilling the values stated, it’s time to reassess and make some changes.
If you need help identifying your core values, use the exercise below to get started.
- Write down the vision and mission of your business.
- Find a list of core values, like this one.
- Using the lens of your vision and mission, identify the values that stand out to you the most, don’t limit the amount your choose.
- Put similar words into 3-5 groups. (i.e. I grouped words like: compassion, kindness, caring, empathy)
- Look over all of the words in each group and decide which word best umbrellas each group. (i.e. compassion felt the most overarching and aligned for me in the example mentioned above)
- Determine whether or not the 3-5 overarching words feel aligned with the vision and mission of your business. If they don’t, look at the values you identified in step #3 to decide if there are other words that fit better. You can always choose value words that are not listed on a specific chart.
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