… the discoveries that lead to fulfilment, happiness and success
By Pearl ANNOH
You have been working in an organisation for the past 5 years yet you feel stagnated, unfulfilled and irrelevant. You know you need more out of your career. You know you need to grow. You know your values do not align with the career or organisation you are in.
Alex (let’s assume that’s his name), for years had been working in finance and was feeling unfulfilled in his job despite the outward success. He felt like something was missing but couldn’t quite place a finger on what it was. One day, Alex’s coach asked him to reflect on his past experiences, both personal and professional to think about times when he felt the most engaged, motivated and happy.
If ever you found yourself in a similar situation as Alex, what do you do??
It’s time to evaluate your personal and career values and align them with the kind of organisation to work with!!
- What are work values?
Work values are the combination of priorities, beliefs, ideals, ethics and morals that guide our behaviour and decisions in the workplace.
This directly reflects in the way you do your work and how you relate with others.
- Like Alex, you would ask, how do I identify my work values?
- Reflect on your past career experiences: How did these experiences make you feel? At what points or moments in these experiences did you feel most engaged, motivated, valued, fulfilled and happy?
- Analyse your experiences: A careful analysis of these experiences allows you to identify where your interests really lie.
- Perform self-assessment: What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Triggers? What gets your adrenaline pumping? What gets your Dopamine fuelled up?
- Prioritise 5 to 10 values from your assessment.
- You can break these down in 2 major areas:
- INTRINSIC which can include things like Achievement, Creativity, Autonomy (being allowed to work independently), Challenge, leadership etc.
- EXTRINSIC which can include: Compensation, Benefits, Job security, Promotions, Recognition, Influence etc
- You can break these down in 2 major areas:
- Define those values personally.
- Rank your values by importance
Once you do this, you should have a clearer understanding of where you want to see your career, the kind of organisations you would want to work in and also allows you to assess your current work if it aligns with these values.
As Alex reflected, he realized that in all those moments, certain values were present:
– Autonomy: Alex loved having the freedom to make decisions and take ownership of his work.
– Creativity: Alex thrived when he could express his imagination and innovate.
– Collaboration: Alex enjoyed working with others towards a common goal.
– Growth: Alex was motivated by opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
– Purpose: Alex wanted his work to have a positive impact on society.
His coach smiled and said, “These are your core work values, Alex! When your work aligns with these values, you’ll feel fulfilled and energized.” With this newfound clarity, Alex started exploring new opportunities that aligned with his values. He found a role in an innovative startup, where he could work autonomously, collaborate with a creative team, and contribute to a mission-driven project. Alex finally felt at home, and his work became a source of joy and fulfilment.
Discovering your work values is a process of self-reflection. By identifying what matters most to you, you can find work that aligns with your values and brings you purpose, happiness, and success.
Your work values might evolve over time, but taking the time to discover them will guide you towards a career that truly resonates with you.
Remember, we owe it to ourselves to thrive in our work and careers!!
The writer is the Founder & Lead Consultant, Elevated Professional Consult
Email: [email protected]
Facebook, Instagram, X: @elevatedprof
