Values You are now ready to explore the second element of
your Authentic Vocation, Values. The second critical factor in job design is your
values, as they relate to work.
Fulfillment in work comes when the life and work values that are
important to you are met through your work.
At the same time, the company for which you work should share at least
the most important of those values.
Otherwise you will experience constant turmoil and conflict, as well as
a feeling that you "can't be yourself" at work. What are values?
Values are simply things about work that, to you, are intrinsically
valuable or desirable. They can be
accessed most easily by asking yourself the question, "What do I want out
of my work?" Or, "why do I work?" Begin by asking yourself these questions now,
and write down your responses. If you
get stuck, look at the previous value and ask what is important to you about
that. My Critical Work Values
Some values commonly expressed are listed below. Rank each of the listed values as (1) not
important, (2) moderately important, or (3) very important to you in your
choice of career. Values
at Work Enjoyment
(having fun at what you do) Helping
other people (in a direct way) Friendships
(developing close relationships with co-workers) Helping
society (contributing to the betterment of the world) Freedom
(flexible schedule, independence) Recognition
(being acknowledged for your work in a tangible way) Creativity
(having the opportunity to express your ideas and yourself in your work;
innovation) Location
(being able to live where you choose) Competition
(matching your abilities with others') Power and
authority (being in managerial or leadership position) Achievement
(accomplishing desired objective; mastery) Compensation
(receiving money and other benefits commensurate with services rendered) Variety (having
a mix of tasks to perform and people to interact with during each day) Security (a feeling
of stability, no worry; certainty) Prestige
(being seen as successful; obtaining recognition and status) Aesthetics (attractiveness
of work environment; contributing to beauty of the world) Morality and
ethics (working and living according to a code or set of rules; enhancing world
ethics) Intellectual stimulation (working in an environment that
encourages and stimulates thinking) Public
contact (working with others, as opposed to working alone or working with objects
only) Pace (busy
versus relaxed working atmosphere) Risk
(monetary or other risks – e.g., new product development or start-up
enterprise) __ Others that are important to you: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
Now, think about your current job. How many of the values you have marked
"3" for "very important" are being fulfilled through that
job? Your answer gives you a very important insight as to why you may feel
dissatisfied with that job. |
Career CoachingCareer coaching is an interactive process of exploring work-related issues – leading to effective action – in which the coach acts as both a catalyst and facilitator of individual and, in turn, organizational development and transformation.
Career coaches connect people with their passion, purpose, values and other critical aspects of their ideal work. They help their clients earn to manage their own careers –whether they work for themselves or for an organization. This empowers the client as they face the typical 5-10 career changes in their life, so that they can continue to grow personally and professionally through their work. They also facilitate the client’s process of developing and implementing a job search or business start-up plan to activate the client’s Authentic Vocation™. | ||||||||||||||||||||