13 December 2024
Over the last few months, the global pandemic has challenged us all to find new ways of working so we can stay safe. As a result, some organizations are now making permanent changes to their working from home policy and many of us have reviewed what we are doing and how we are doing it.
And now in addition to Coronavirus, we are seeing people take to the streets to question inequalities in our society, in support of Black Lives Matter (BLM). This is making us all question more than just how we live and work, but also how we treat others.
As a professional coach you know how valuable it can be to live your values. They can act as a compass that guides how we live our lives. They help us navigate a way forward when we have internal conflict. However some people are either not aware of their values, or haven’t reviewed them for some time.
Values can be the essential rules on which somebody builds the guiding principles of their life and core of our belief system. As such, they underpin every decision we make and are fundamental policies that define who we are. If our actions are not in harmony with our own personal values, it will create internal conflicts. This can be difficult to resolve, so when a person knows what their values are, it’s easier for them to make positive life choices.
When our values are met, we feel great, however when they are missing, we can feel lost. This is why it really is important for us to be aware of what our core values are and to work towards meeting them in every aspect of our life.
However, they are a bit like tortoises and only come out when they think it’s safe. Safe from anything that could get in the way of our values.
Considering how most people’s lives are dominated by the things on this list, it’s no wonder that values don’t really get a chance to express themselves! But through coaching, we can help others live their values and shorten this list, or at least make sure the things on it don’t completely overshadow our perception of our values.
Some people think of values as if they were family members. Each one is unique and important, however just like members of the family, they need different types of support and will want to spend some quality time with you. And remember, all families squabble or fight, so you may need to step in and help make the peace. Over time they will change and you may start to see them differently, but they will always be your family and core to who you are.
That’s why selecting values based on honesty and openness is an essential step in order to make sure you’re working from a solid base. If you plan to coach somebody, it is important to stress to them that their values should be chosen regardless of what anyone (including you) will think of them.
We have published a Coaching Values e-book that clearly explains what values are and then provides you with a simple step by step process to follow when coaching others or for your own personal development. It helps to identify professional and personal values from a list of over 100. Then once the list is cut down and prioritized, you work through the different sections to understand what is getting in the way of achieving each value, what actions can be taken and how to recalibrate your whole life around your 5 key values.
It can feel selfish to refocus our whole life on deep-rooted values, but not if our number one value helps us find our purpose in life.
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Image: Thanks to Bruce Christianson for sharing their work on Unsplash.
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