Your success and satisfaction at work often depend on your work values. In a positive work situation, these values are reflected in the tasks you perform and supported by the people you work with.
What do you value in your work? When you know, it's easier to set goals and identify opportunities.
To find out what matters to you, try working through the exercise below.
What are work values?
Work values are the work-related qualities, principles and standards that really matter to you. Knowing your work values can help you plan a career, look for opportunities in your current work, or make a career change.
See if you can identify your work values. It will help you clarify your goals and work opportunities and move in a more rewarding direction.
What are your work values?
Complete this exercise to find out how important each of these common work-related values is to you. For each value, select whether it is very important, important, or not important.
In my career, I am looking for:
Matching your values with your work
Sometimes, the values that are important in your workplace may be in conflict with your own.
For example, your workplace may focus on teamwork and you may value working alone. You may be able to resolve a conflict like this if you:
- Understand why your workplace supports a certain value; ask your supervisor to explain how teamwork helps the company reach its goals
- Look for ways to learn and grow; you’re more likely to value teamwork if you have teamwork skills
- Share your values; you could talk to your supervisor about projects that would allow you to work on your own
Your values won't always perfectly align with your employer's values. But, if you can find a workplace that shares the values that are most important to you, smaller conflicts will be easier to manage.