Values are Essential to Your Business Success—Do You Know Yours?

 

Discovering and honoring your values is a critical skill for successful  leaders. Turning the Corner is offering a free, online workshop to help leaders learn how to identify, define, prioritize, and honor values. Read on for details and why you should attend.

Values. It’s a term we hear so often and in so many contexts. But, when it comes to leadership, where do values fit in? And when it comes to business success, just how important is it to be in touch with our values?

Values are compasses or guardrails for our behaviors, decisions, and actions. They represent who we are, at our core. And most of all, values magnify what we stand for and our uniqueness as individuals and leaders.

Most people who come to Turning the Corner to receive leadership coaching and management training think they know what they value. But what we’ve discovered is actually the opposite—most people don’t know how essential values are because they have not taken the time to determine what matters the most.

You see, people tend to think that they know what their values are without giving the topic too much thought. It feels like something that is simply intrinsic. But, could you name your top values? And are they your values, or are you trying to satisfy those of others? How do you know the difference?

The key is taking the time to fully explore the topic. When the actions we take are in alignment with our values, we’re usually satisfied with life. When they don’t align, things feel out of balance and cause frustration and stress. That’s precisely why intentionally determining your conscious-based values is such a meaningful activity.

Making time for values in leadership

 

Managers and leaders are continually inundated with new information, events, activities, and people. And all of this requires attention. Usually, what is urgent takes priority over what is essential. And when faced with the expectations of day-to-day leadership, discovering our values doesn’t seem urgent.

Most people go through life not knowing what their values are, so how could they be urgent? If something is critical—like a meeting that can’t be missed, it goes on the calendar. When something is important and meaningful but not viewed as urgent, it’s up to us to treat it like it is! That way, we’ll create the time to do it. This approach supports us in making progress even when we are busy. Otherwise, we may end up never taking the time to do the things that can transform our leadership.

Have you made the time to discover your values? Do you know what values are guiding your leadership strategy?

If you’re experiencing any of the following things, you may need to reevaluate your answer:

  • A challenging time making decisions
  • Feeling like you aren’t enough
  • Attachment and worry about outcomes
  • Low team engagement
  • Poor team cohesiveness
  • Lack of goal completion
  • Absence of joy

Whether you can name your top values or not, they exist—and they’re guiding your actions and choices. The problem is when you’re not working in alignment with your values.

For example, if you value family and are working 70 hours a week, you’re probably not going to be happy.

If you value competition and you work with a team that doesn’t, you’re probably going to experience a sense of dissatisfaction.

Why values are critical for business success

 

It all comes down to this: When we lead with our values, we lead with greater clarity. By identifying and understanding values, we can drive our behaviors to ensure that our decisions align with who we are and our mission. Therefore, when you’re in alignment with your values, you’re bound to experience a new level of business success.

First of all, you’ll have consistency both with your customers and with your team. Consistency is especially vital for remote teams that are spread over many geographies and lack of leadership presence. When leaders stand behind their values and lead by example, it naturally fosters esprit de corps—a sense of pride, fellowship, and loyalty among your group.

When clear expectations are in place, you can expect better, longer-term hiring throughout the employee life cycle. Your team members will know what it takes to be successful, grow, and move up in the business. You’ll see retention rise (and your business will save money with less hiring efforts).

Identify your values in our upcoming workshop

 

You can see why Turning the Corner is committed to helping people determine and honor their values; it’s part of our mission to end suffering in the workplace by transforming the way we work! That’s why we’re offering a workshop to do just that.

We invite you to join Jeni Rulon, our Program Manager of Leadership Training to discover and explore your conscious-based values in an interactive workshop. Sign up for one of two free sessions:

August 11, 9:30-10:30 a.m., MDT – Register

August 12, 12:00-1:00 p.m., MDT – Register

As a leader working in alignment with your values, you’ll see your work experience transformed—and through leading by example, you’ll witness a values-based culture emerge across your organization. Don’t hesitate to get started.

At Turning the Corner, we believe that meaningful work that we enjoy is one of life’s greatest rewards—it’s why we do what we do! Our mission is to end suffering in the workplace and empower businesses to thrive through various HR services and training opportunities.