Values are the things that we are important in the way we live and work. Values determine our priorities. They are probably the measures we use to determine if our life is turning out in a way we want it to. Values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They help us to determine what is important to us. Values describe the personal qualities we choose to embody to guide our actions- the sort of person we want to be, the manner in which we treat ourselves and others, and our interaction with the world around us. They provide the general guidelines for conduct. Values are essential to ethics. Value specifies a relationship between a person and a goal. It’s been said that if you want to understand something about people’s values, pay attention to the key decisions they make and the actions they take. Everyone has certain set of values. Values are reflected in our behaviors. Quite often decision is made within some type of constraint. It is on the basis of how much knowledge you have or how much money you have or how many resources you have.
But Why not on the basis of what values you have? Making better choices is often a matter of choosing better constraints. By limiting our options to those that fit our values, we are taking an important step to ensure that our behavior matches our beliefs. If we never sit down to think about our values, then we will be more likely to make decisions based on whatever information is in front of us at the time. That can be a recipe for regret down the road.
Life is complex and we are all faced with moments in our personal and professional lives that require us to make a choice without as much information as we need. The default assumption is that we need more knowledge or research in these situations, but often we just need a clear understanding of our values.
How you can utilize your Values:
1. Identify your values:
These can change over time, depending on your experiences in your career and life. You’ve got a general sense of what’s important to you, so make a master list of those values and try to narrow it down to five core values. We recommend checking in on your values on a yearly basis. You may be surprised to find that a new belief is now trumping an old one. If that’s the case, don’t be afraid to recognize this new value and its relevance in regard to your leadership role, decision-making, and the strategies you’re using to steer your organization.
Using our values to help us make choices is like using a moral compass to navigate life—both personally and professionally. As a leader, if we use it, we are more likely to get where we want to go, maintain our own sense of self respect as well as the respect of all those we lead.
2. Assess how your current behaviors align with your values today:
Make a list of some of your key responsibilities—hiring, communication, performance management, etc. Now, referring to your values, rate yourself on how well your actions and decisions are supporting your values. When have you been off—or what gaps do you see? When have you been spot-on? If you’re struggling to answer these questions, consider getting some 360-degree (anonymous) feedback from your team members, those who may be noticing some serious misalignment between what your values are and how you’re living those out in the workplace.
3. Use your values to trouble-shoot:
When you are facing a tough decision, write out your options, then examine which options best support your values. Great leaders regularly align their values to such choices and rely on them for direction and confirmation. Over time, the practice of consistently aligning values to decision-making, behaviors and actions builds leadership credibility and respect. If you understand and commit yourself to your values, you will increase your chances of achieving your most important goals in life and leave you feeling happier, or simply more satisfied, too.
Values are a big part of our unique identity and leadership, both in terms of our style and our impact. Guideposts that shape our decisions and actions, values play a major role in defining who we are and what we do. But because values are somewhat intangible in nature, it can sometimes be easy to overlook how we can use them. Using our values to help us make choices is like using a moral compass to navigate life—both personally and professionally. As a leader, if we use it, we are more likely to get where we want to go, maintain our own sense of self respect as well as the respect of all those we lead.
(The author is a teacher at Govt Boys High School Brakpora Anantnag. Views are his own)
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