My consulting work has allowed me to be a strategic, confidential partner with professionals in diverse industries and in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As different as these organizations may be, more and more I am seeing a common thread, a common desire to make sense of our work, our lives, and how we can give back to our communities.
In addition to strategic visioning, leadership development, and coaching, I find myself engaging in values exploration with individual and teams far more often than I did even 5 years ago. For those later in their career, values exploration offers an opportunity to thoughtfully and intentionally plan the transition from work into another phase of their lives. Mid-career professionals often use values exploration as they evaluate new job opportunities or major life changes. As clients enter the workforce, they find values exploration an effective tool for evaluating potential job opportunities and seeking out a work culture that aligns with their own personal values.
Most of us spend very little time exploring values – taking the time to intentionally choose what values guide our lives and our decisions. Often, we accept the values of our family, friends, colleagues, and others with little or no serious reflection. And when we feel discontent or disconnection, these discussions become critical conversations to have with ourselves.
Given all the dramatic changes and challenges in the world around us, is it time to create space to explore our values – today?