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. [email protected]

 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. [email protected]

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. [email protected]