Values Exercise
Consider the questions below as guidance for deciding which values resonate the
most for you.
§ What’s rewarding for you? When do you feel most alive? What values are you expressing?
§ Who inspires you? What are their qualities?
§ What do you want to be your legacy? What values relate?
§ What makes you crazy – feel stomped down? What values are you expressing in those
moments?
§ Think of a time when everything was working/feeling good. What value(s) were you
honoring?
Review the list of values below. Add any that are missing, based on reflecting on the above
questions. Feel free to add a synonym or another word to a value on the list to make it work
for you. Choose 10 values that resonate with you. Choose the top five of those.
Acceptance Growth/Learning
Accountability/ Responsibility Harmony
Accomplishment/Achievement Health
Acknowledgement/appreciation Honesty/Truthfulness
Authenticity Humility
Balance Humor
Clarity Integrity
Competition/challenge Kindness
Concern for others/altruism/connectedness Knowledge
Cooperation Loyalty
Courage/bravery Openness
Creativity/ Self expression Peace/harmony
Decisiveness Perseverance
Democracy/equality Positivity
Discipline Relationships
Ease/harmony Risk
Empathy Security
Excellence Serenity
Fairness/Justice Service
Faith Spirituality/religion
Family Stability
Forgiveness Status
Freedom Success
Friendship Teamwork
Generosity/Giving Trust
© 2006 Eleanor Chin, Clarity Partners Coaching & Consulting. echin@[Link]
Why
Values
Matter
Our
values
are
our
moral
compass,
silently
guiding
our
thoughts,
beliefs,
emotions
and
actions,
often
just
below
the
surface
of
our
awareness.
Our
values
are
part
of
the
core
of
who
we
are.
Bringing
those
values
to
the
surface
of
our
awareness
serves
us
in
the
following
ways:
1. Guiding
decision
making
2. Prioritizing
our
time
3. Understanding
emotional
reactions
4. Becoming
more
authentic
Guiding
Decision
Making
Being
aware
of
our
values
allows
us
to
be
more
conscious
and
intentional
about
how
our
choices,
large
and
small,
are
being
affected
by
our
values
and
vice
versa.
Decisions
and
reactions
seem
to
make
more
sense
when
we
consider
how
they
align
with
our
values—where
we
work,
who
we
choose
as
friends
or
partners,
how
others’
behaviors
affect
us,
etc.
People
who
internalize
and
act
in
alignment
with
their
values
tend
to
make
more
ethical
decisions
to
which
they
can
firmly
commit.
Decisions
that
go
against
our
values
cause
internal
conflict
or
discomfort—often
without
our
understanding
why.
When
we
are
faced
with
choosing
between
several
options,
alignment
with
our
values
can
help
guide
us
to
a
decision
that
works
best
for
us.
When
the
decision
aligns
with
our
values,
we
can
more
easily
find
purpose
and
passion
in
our
actions.
Prioritizing
Our
Time
Values
are
also
important
in
business
settings
because
an
understanding
of
one's
personal
values
is
useful
for
time
management.
Most
of
us
have
the
opportunity—not
to
mention
the
encouragement—to
take
on
more
than
we'll
ever
have
time
to
do.
Consequently,
we
need
to
strategically
select
the
tasks
that
we'll
work
on.
A
clear
picture
of
our
personal
values
allows
us
to
rank
the
tasks
on
our
"to
do"
lists
according
to
how
closely
each
task
is
associated
with
what's
really
important
to
us—as
opposed
to
always
choosing
what’s
urgent
or
someone
else’s
priority.
Understanding
Emotional
Reactions
Conscious
awareness
of
our
values
also
helps
us
when
we
experience
strong
emotions.
Often
strong
emotions
are
a
reaction
to
a
violation
of
our
values.
Sometimes
those
violations
are
by
others
and
sometimes
we
have
needs
that
conflict
with
our
values—or
values
that
conflict
with
each
other.
For
instance,
we
may
have
a
value
of
performing
our
job
at
the
highest
levels
of
excellence,
while
also
valuing
spending
time
with
our
family.
When
we
know
that
these
values
are
clashing,
it
helps
us
to
uncover
the
source
of
our
discomforts.
It
also
highlights
where
we
want
to
focus
our
energies
toward
resolving
them.
Whether
we’re
aware
of
it
or
not,
our
values
influence
our
choices.
If
we
neglect
to
examine
the
alignment
of
our
actions
with
our
values,
our
actions
may
be
guided
by
what’s
expedient,
what
we
perceive
that
other
people
want,
or
by
instant
gratification.
For
example,
if
we
work
with
a
colleague
whose
style
conflicts
with
our
deep
value
of
“fairness”
we
will
feel
unsettled.
The
result
is
that
we
may
feel
uncomfortable
about
our
situation
and
not
know
why;
or
we
may
react
strongly
to
a
decision
that
dishonors
a
value
we
hold
dear
and
not
understand
the
source
of
our
reaction.
Being
aware
of
the
values
at
play
in
any
given
situation
will
allow
us
to
decide
how
to
handle
it
or
make
peace
with
it.
Otherwise,
we
may
be
confused
or
unhappy
about
our
discomfort
without
knowing
why
or
focus
our
energies
on
a
superficial
cause.
© 2006 Eleanor Chin, Clarity Partners Coaching & Consulting. echin@[Link]
Authenticity
and
Credibility
Finally,
having
a
clear
set
of
personal
values
and
acting
in
accordance
with
them
helps
us
to
act
from
authentic
place
and
build
the
credibility
and
trust
that
facilitate
leadership.
The
most
challenging
times
for
leaders
are
times
when
they
must
lead
others
into
"the
unknown"—leading
innovation
and
managing
change.
Transformational
leaders
are
able
to
persuade
their
followers
to
take
a
leap
of
faith
and
follow
them
into
the
unknown
because
their
actions
seem
to
be
guided
by
higher
purpose.
In
other
words,
transformational
leaders
build
trust
that
they
have
a
vision
of
the
greater
good
in
mind—and
not
self-‐
interest.
Trust
is
also
the
willingness
to
take
a
risk
and
make
our
selves
vulnerable.
We
are
more
inclined
to
trust
people
when
we
understand
their
values,
and
observe
that
their
actions
are
congruent
with
those
values,
because
we
can
reliably
predict
how
they
will
act.
Many
positive
outcomes
derive
from
knowing
our
values.
By
becoming
aware
of
our
values,
we
increase
our
level
of
self-‐awareness
of
what
we
care
most
deeply
about.
We
can
begin
to
understand
our
reactions,
make
more
informed
decisions
to
which
we
can
commit,
have
guidelines
for
prioritizing
our
time
and
gain
authenticity
and
credibility
as
a
leader
and
a
person.
In
other
words,
this
level
of
self-‐awareness
unlocks
a
wealth
of
possibilities.
© 2006 Eleanor Chin, Clarity Partners Coaching & Consulting. echin@[Link]