Are You Living Your Core Values?

Every day when we go to work we put on our best game face. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, part of your job is to appear and behave in ways that are in your best interest. You don’t blurt out the first thing that comes to mind in every situation, you don’t vent your frustrations on clients when you’re having a bad day … the list goes on.
We’re able to do this because we have the ability to self-censor and choose which behaviors are appropriate in a given situation. Everyone has occasional bouts of foot-in-mouth disease, or the “why did I do that” blues, but most people are generally able to monitor and change their behavior to suit business needs.

Values are a different story. Values represent our most fundamental beliefs about what is most important in life. You can’t pick and choose your values to match different situations—thank goodness, because you’d be a pretty unstable character! Values are stable, and they apply to everything we do (even if it’s not obvious). It doesn’t matter if you’re in a high stakes meeting or walking the dog; your values are always there with you.

At the end of the day, being on your best behavior at work isn’t a big deal. Trying to succeed in work which conflicts with your core values is a big deal.
Imagine what it would be like to…

  • Have a core value of environmental sustainability but run a business that severely damages the environment.
  • Have a core value of compassion but work in an industry where cutthroat tactics are the norm.
  • Have a core value of honesty but work for a company that expects you to lie to customers.

A poor fit between your values and the reality of what you do is a huge risk factor for burnout.
On the other hand, recognizing and upholding your core values can give you all kinds of benefits, such as:

  • Making wise choices about how you spend your time.
  • Making wise choices about what you agree to take on in your work.
  • Prioritizing your goals.
  • Learning to recognize warning signs of burnout.
  • Staying motivated and energized.

Focused Networking and Achieving Excellence live by our high core values.

If you would like more information on how to live a life that matters.

Contact me to learn more about our:
Focused Networking – Business Networking that Works Program
Achieving Excellence Program
Download our Uniquely You e-book to get started learning about your values.