In the 20+ years that I’ve been coaching leaders, I’ve found one common denominator for everyone who is feeling disengaged at work: their values aren’t aligned with the work that they’re doing. Seriously. Every single person. If values are so crucial to engagement, how come so many of us don’t have a clue what they are? I blame the school system, but that’s a whole other post. The bottom line is quite simply this: our values drive our behaviours whether we recognize it or not and when our work (or relationships) aren’t in line with our values, we’re going to feel a very uncomfortable rub. Let me paint a picture from my own life: one of my super non-negotiable core values is independence/freedom/flexibility. I once worked for someone who ran their organization like a drill sergeant. If you were 5 minutes late, you would hear about it. There were lots of great things about that job, but for me, the emphasis on presenteeism was suffocating and ultimately the factor that pushed me to towards self-employment. When I talk to people who are unhappy at work, the issue is most often because a core value is being compromised. If this sounds like you, check in to see what values are being ‘stepped on.’ I guarantee you’ll find something. Once you know where the rub is, you can figure out if you can do something about it. You may not need to leave (like I did) but instead, find another way to get a better balance between what you need and what the company needs from you. And if you don’t have a clue where to start with your values, reach out and we can help.
What’s your biggest ‘ non-negotiable’ value?
