Do you find it difficult to make decisions? After making a decision do you doubt what you have done and worry that it's not the best decision for you? Do you make a decision only to quickly change your mind? Do you regret many of the decisions that you've made and wish your life was different?
If you are nodding you head at this moment then I can guarantee that your decision making will be 100% better once you are clear about your personal values. These are fundamental to effective decision making.
What is a value and value system?
A personal and/or cultural value is an absolute or relative ethical value, the assumption of which can be the basis for ethical action. A value system is a set of consistent values and measures. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based.
Personal values
Values are one's judgments about what is important in life. Values are an integral part of every culture. Along with beliefs and worldview assumptions, they generate behavior. Being part of a culture that shares a common core set of values creates expectations and predictability without which a culture would disintegrate and its members would lose their personal identity and sense of worth. Values tell people what is good, beneficial, important, useful, beautiful, desirable, appropriate...etc. They answer the question of why people do what they do. Values help people solve common human problems for survival. Over time, they become the roots of traditions that groups of people find important in their day to day lives. Values can be positive or negative; some are destructive. To understand people of other cultures, we must come to understand the values, beliefs and assumptions that motivate their behavior.
To understand yourself it's important to understand your own value system. You have values that determine your decisions and guide your lives. You may value your individuality and so take responsibility, are self-reliant and act with self-respect. People who value truthfulness cannot bring themselves to tell a lie. Those who value family or friendship sacrifice their personal interests for the good of others. Those who value goodness cannot bring themselves to do something they know is wrong. You express values in your relationships and interaction with others. For example, being loyal, reliable, honest, generous, trusting, trustworthy. On a more physical level, you may place great value on cleanliness, punctuality, orderliness, accuracy and quality in whatever you do.
I've discovered a way to easily identify personal values and I share this in my Personal Achiever's Club membership lessons.
Having your own clear set of personal values is like having a blueprint or plan for how you live your life. It helps you understand the reason why you feel uncomfortable or unsettled in certain situations or when spending time with someone who's values system is different to yours. When I work with clients who hate their job it's often down to the fact that the activity or behavior of the employer crosses the boundaries of their own value system. For example, one client values being creative and having the flexibility to do things his way so long as objectives are met. Increasingly the employer was putting pressure on him to conform to a set process. This was increasingly causing my client to feel stressed, frustrated and annoyed. He valued creativity and flexibility too much so decided to change jobs and is now much happier working with a different company who values his contributions.
Just as individuals subscribe to values, so do organizations and institutions. In fact, if we were to examine any company, we would discover that one or more business values was the key to their success.
Apple's - 'taking state-of-the-art technology and making it easy for people' has seen phenomenal growth through the ipod, iphone and ipad.
McDonalds's core values they live by include providing customers unparalleled levels of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. They value their staff and make sure they are a diverse team and well trained.
Marriott Hotels set of values include a unique blend of quality, consistency, personalized service, and recognition almost anywhere they travel in the world.
If you are currently working for an organization and feel unhappy in your role then it could be due to a clash between your own personal values, the things that are important to you and the values of the organization. When you work for an organization that has core values or policies that you disagree with then it will cause you to feel unsettled, disgruntled and even stressed. So ponder for a moment to see if there is something that you disagree with? Are you being asked to behave in a way that goes against your own personal values and beliefs?
Once you have established your personal values for life it will help you to understand the reason for your dissatisfaction with some areas of your life.
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