Quiz: Define your career values

What are career values and why is it so important to define them? Get to know what makes you tick, professionally, with our simple diagnostic tool – and discover the key to happiness in the workplace.

“The secret of being happy at work is working for a company whose values match your own. Simple as that.”

everywoman Associate and personal brand expert Jennifer Holloway may have summed it up quite succinctly in this quote, taken from a guest post for howtomakepartner.com – but what happens when you don’t know what your values
are?

Matching your values with those of your employer can make the difference between bouncing out of bed in the morning and dragging yourself into the office. More often than not, temperature checking your own and your organisation’s values
can help you unlock the source of any frustration or unhappiness at work which you can’t quite put your finger on.

 

“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.”

Roy Disney, Businessman

 

A helpful starting point in determining your values is to consider which of your ‘motivating factors’ must be fulfilled in order for you to achieve workplace happiness. These normally fall into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic.

You intrinsic values are grounded in the skills and preferences you possess which must be utilised in order for you to be personally satisfied, have fun, feel challenged and excited. If you’re highly creative, personal
satisfaction will likely come in an organisation that makes use of your innovation or artistic abilities. If you’re highly
analytical, your intrinsic value might be defined by access to business critical data. As a people centric person you might value a workplace which emphasises team work and interpersonal relationships above all else; or if you’re an
independent thinker, you might value free reign to explore your options without direction or interference. An extrovert might value a buzzing,
chaotic office environment, over the calm, serene space valued by their introverted colleagues.

Your extrinsic values are those things that motivate you to perform in order to achieve external rewards. Those might include additional financial compensation, short or long term progression opportunities, recognition,
status as an expert, respect or flexibility. If power and status motivates you, you may find most contentment in a hierarchal organisation where your managerial position is clearly acknowledged. If you are deeply passionate about your
subject, you may appreciate an organisation that recognises and respects your expertise. Your extrinsic values might change depending on your circumstances; at various life stages you might find yourself valuing
flexible working and benefits, bonus schemes, health benefits, training courses or opportunities to travel, being mentored, work shadowing or job
share opportunities.

 

Think about the following:

1. When have you been happiest at work? Identify three periods when you’ve been content in a role. What was going in your own work, that of those around you and the organisation as a whole?
2. What are you proudest of? What did you do and what was the outcome? Delve into the reasons for your pride – was it the result of lasting change you effected, the higher status it afforded you, the sheer culmination
   of hard work, the people you helped, the complexity of the problem you solved, achieving a ‘first’?
3. Which tasks give you the most energy and which do you find most laborious? Your key skills are usually those you
   perform with ease and get fired up by.

 

Certain professions will typically lend themselves to a particular set of values. But career values may not always be quite so cut and dried. If you need more guidance, or would simply like to put to the test the assumptions you’ve made
from the above exercises, try the following.

For each category, attribute a score between zero and five (zero being ‘doesn’t appeal or matter to me at all’, five being ‘matters/appeals to me a great deal’), paying attention to how important it is that these things are demonstrably
present in your work environment. It’s not an exhaustive list of values – it may prompt you to consider things that are important to you which are missing from the list.

 

SOCIABLE Colleagues are friends Public, customer or client interaction Goals shared by team	CREATIVITY Solving problems through innovation Idea generation Expressing self through work
INDEPENDENCE Limited supervision and instructions Working alone Ownership of tasks	HELPING OTHERS Solving problems for customers/colleagues Community spirit Growing/mentoring employees
STABILITY Job security Clear vision of future Calm, orderly Rules and regulations	GROWTH Progress quickly Clear opportunities Gaining seniority Hierarchy important
POWER & AUTHORITY Achieve status as decision maker Make decisions that affect progress Steering a team	LEARNING Making new discoveries Thirst for knowledge Challenging own intellect Adding strings to bow
ADVENTURE Drama and excitement Change and upheaval Low boredom, high stimulation Taking risks	EXPERTISE Perceived by colleagues as a specialist Able to demonstrate niche knowledge; ‘go to’ person
TRANQUILITY Calm and orderly workplace Quiet, solitude Low stress environment Stable, little change	ENERGETIC Busy and buzzy Energised by noise/liveliness High speed projects Constant background noise
WORK LIFE BALANCE Flexibility – hours and/or location Adequate time for family, friends, hobbies Work adjusts to life changes	FUN Laughter and joking Doesn’t feel like “work” Light-heartedness in everyday situations
COMPLEXITY Solve problems and puzzles Intellectually stimulating work Deep focus required Long term projects	HONESTY Transparency in leadership Trust in integrity of colleagues Open and frank communications Employees free to speak up
FREEDOM Choose own hours and workspace Lack of rules and regulations Given challenges without instructions on the ‘how’	PRECISION Perfectionism Detail orientated and methodical No room for mistakes High quality
PRESSURE Demanding deadlines Thrive when given extreme challenges Business critical tasks	COMPENSATION High/growing salary Clear avenue to growing rewards Bonus structure Negotiation points
RECOGNITION Praise/recognition from seniors; internal promotion of skills Respect from colleagues Appreciation	LOCATION Easy or viable commute Pleasurable physicality (office and surrounding area) Pride in physical environment

 

 

Analysing the results

• Consider your three highest scoring categories. Are there common themes? Are there any surprises? Do they align with your findings from the previous exercises?

• Looking at your current workplace, how closely are your values aligned with those manifested in your team, department and the organisation as a whole?

• If there are any value clashes, what can you do to address these, e.g. take responsibility for organising social events in an unsociable team; better communicate your achievements to gain wider recognition, encouraging franker
  debate within your own team, Negotiation flexible working or the salary you’re worth, speak to your boss about opportunities for training or
  taking on stretch assignments.

• Think through the question: “how far are you willing to flex your values”? Which are up for internal negotiation in order to achieve a key goal? For example, you might put your promotional aspirations on hold for a period if you can
  use that time to attend training courses provided by your organisation; you might forgo the social aspects you crave during a stressful period, if the results of your endeavours bring you to the attention of senior management.

• Now consider the lowest scoring categories. Looking at what isn’t so important to you may cast even more light on your key values and the type of organisation you’ll thrive in.

 

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