Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions b
Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits.
This chapter will help you:
- Identify the 4 different types of values.
- Determine your personal core values.
- Reflect on how your core values influence how you make decisions.
What is a value?
In order for you to be able to determine what your values are, it is important that we first define what we mean by the term “value”.
In their essence values are the guiding principles in our lives that direct us and help us persevere. You may already be aware of some of the guiding principles that direct your life. Some are quite easy to determine, family first, honesty, dependability are values that are easy to identify and easy to align with. Yet there may be other unconscious values that you are not aware of that guide you such as survival, security, work, independence.
Patrick M. Lencioni (2002), states that there are 4 types of values:
- Core values: These are the values that guide all of your actions. They are the values that truly make you an individual.
- Aspirational values: These are values that you aspire to have. They are values that you are working towards but do not yet have in place.
- Permission to play values: These are values that you value yet are willing to let slide should the situation arise.
- Accidental values: These values are determined by the people you may be with or aspire to be like. These values aren’t cultivated or even recognized.
When it comes to your life (and your business), understanding what your core values are matters. Values are your guides, they help you navigate throughout your daily life. The clearer you are about your values, and how you define them, the easier it is for you to stay on the path that you would like to see for your life and business.
Most of us, however, do not know what our core values are.
How to determine our values.
We are being guided by them whether we are conscious of it or not, yet there is so much more power to them if we understand what they are. In fact, some would say that it is critical when it comes to running a business or leading a team. Determining what your core values are can be overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips to determine your core values.
What is in a name?
If you are having a hard time trying to identify values there are many lists online that can get you started. For example:
Click on the image for a list of 330 core values.
As you read through the list, grab a pen and paper and write down the words that resonate most with you.
Life experience.
Often times our values can be identified through life events. Take a moment and reflect on a time in your life that was meaningful, special, memorable? What was going on? What values do you think you may have been honouring at that moment.
For example, perhaps you are remembering the time you were promoted at work. Some values that could be identified are:
- Hard work
- Ambition
- Belonging
- Su