Setting your own true North - and aligning with that of your organization
Editor’s Note: This was originally published in the January 28, 2021 Newsletter.
Do you know what matters to you? Are you able to live those values at work?
I had a fascinating conversation with a client a couple of weeks ago. We had done a Values and Drivers exercise in a recent training session and it gave her a brand new perspective on what she needed from her career. She knew generally what was important to her but had never put specific language to it before. The intentional work prompted her to consider new career options. She still has the same technical skills, but she's looking at different ways to apply them.
When we're experiencing career dissatisfaction, our instinct is to move away from what's annoying us. We need to move towards what satisfies us! If you don't know what that is, how can you find it? Can you spell out clearly - for yourself, for your boss, for a potential future employer - what will bring you satisfaction and energy at work?
I can! I need variety and I love problem solving. I think fast and words matter to me. I want to see meaningful change, and I have an innate desire to help people. I am a teacher to my core. I crave autonomy, and I thrive when I have an understanding of the big picture. You can see why I started a consulting practice - and a newsletter! I was able to meet many of those needs while I worked in-house, but never all of them. There was an overlap between what mattered to me and what mattered to them, but never a complete match.
I challenge you that it's your responsibility to know what you need from your job, and what you want from your career. You'll have to express your values and drivers clearly, advocate for yourself, and be intentional in pursuing them. You may have an employer who'll support you every step of the way - but they can't figure it out for you. I share some resources below and please reach out if I can help.
Resources for figuring out your values and alignment - and a story of when it went wrong
This Harvard Business Review article focuses on values-based interviewing for a prospective employer, but you could adapt the techniques to assess your current employer.
In this article from Fast Company, there's a discussion of values-led company cultures and reference to one of my favorite tools for this type of work, the VIA Strengths Survey.
Who knew you could be happy at work anyway? Start with this quiz from Greater Good.
It's uncomfortable to acknowledge when we're compromising on our values. I share my own experience of this - and the choices I made - in this video.