A521.5.4.RB_AligningValues_LouBeldotti

A521.5.4.RB

Aligning Values

Below is a Workplace Values Exercise that I recently took:

Workplace Values Exercise

Here’s the premise. Before you even think about continuing with this exercise make sure you have plenty of free time to spend with it; time to think and reflect on what you truly value. Are you ready?

Your first step it to rate the importance of each of the workplace values on our list. We’ve left a few blank lines at the end of our list in case we have missed something that you value in your work. Finally be sure to be honest with yourself; no one is judging nor scoring your results so lying to yourself does no good.

Rate the degree of importance that you place on each of the following workplace values using this scale:

1 = Very important to me
2 = Reasonably important to me
3 = Somewhat important to me
4 = Not important to me at all

I am interested in jobs and careers that include:

2     creating/building things
1     mental challenge/mentally demanding/problem-solving
3     physical challenge/physically demanding
1     opportunity for balance between work life and family life
1     flexibility in work structure
1     intellectual status an acknowledged “expert” in a given field
1     order and structure
2     high degree of competition
1     integrity and truth
1     rewarding loyalty and dependability
1     having self-respect and pride in work
1     stability and security
2     strong financial compensation and financial rewards
2     being recognized for quality of work in a visible/public way
1     having a positive impact on others and society
1     using creativity imagination; being innovative
3     variety and a changing work pace
1     professional development and on-going learning and growth
2     friendships and warm working relationships
2     teamwork and work groups
4     glamour prestige respect or a level of social status
3     routine predictable work projects
3     deadlines and time demand/pressure challenges
1     clear advancement tracks/opportunities for advancement
3     tranquility comfort and avoidance of pressure
4     dealing with the public/day-to-day contact with the public
3     using cutting edge or pioneering technologies or techniques
2     opportunities for supervision power leadership influence
1     making decisions having power to decide courses of action
1     respect recognition being valued
1     autonomy independence freedom
2     precision work with little tolerance for error
2     adventure and excitement
—– ————————————-
—– ————————————-

Your second step is to try and identify the 10 most important values to you. Circle each of these most important values from the list above.

Your third step is to now narrow down your list of 10 to the five core values you hold most sacred — that you can’t live without in your job/workplace — and place them below: 

1.  Opportunity for balance between work life and family life.
2.  Stability and security.
3.  Professional Development and on-going learning and growth.
4.  Clear advancement tracks/opportunities for advancement.
5.  Autonomy independence freedom.

Congratulations! You now have a list of core workplace value that represent who you are… it is this core group of workplace values that help determine your level of satisfaction with your job and your career — and which should be used to judge the level of “fit” with any future job company or career change.

Now comes the tougher part. How well do your core values fit with your current job career path and employer — and what if anything are you going to do about these results?

According to Denning (Denning, 2011), “A genuinely ethical community has three basic components.  The first is trust:  the general expectation among members that their fellows will behave ethically toward them.  The second is loyalty:  acceptance of the obligation to refrain from breaching one another’s trust and to fulfill the duties entailed by accepting that trust.  The third is Solidarity:  caring for other people’s interests and being ready to take action on behalf of others, even if it conflicts with personal interests”. 

This exercise was very subjective.  Moreover, I believe that the author is trying to illicit a desired answer and result.

As a school teacher, I am bound by many values.  Most importantly, protecting the children in my charge.  However, as an organization, I, and my fellow teachers, live by Denning’s three basic components.

These components each apply as indicated.  We, as a whole, know that each of us will behave ethically toward each other, our students and their parents and guardians.  There is an inherent level of loyalty and we will be true to each other, our school, our students and their parents.  Finally, we will support each other and support the interests of all.

References

Hansen, R. S. (n.d.). Workplace Values Assessment: Do You Know the Work Values You Most Want in a Job and an Employer — and Does Your Current Employment Reflect Those Values? A Quintessential Careers Quiz. [Quintessential].  Retrieved on June 30, 2016 from https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/workplace-values

Denning, S. (2011).  The leader’s guide to storytelling: Mastering the art and discipline of business narrative.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass