Know Thyself: Specific Assessment Options

There are several definitions of values, with the most common, probably, being "beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment." Another definition is: "A principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable." Values may also mean, generally, things having usefulness or importance to a possessor.

These definitions imply the range of meanings of values, from beliefs, standards, and principles to something that may have tangible worth. So in examining your values, remember the tangible and the intangible. And remember that depending on the definition, values may overlap with "motivations."

Also, remember that values may have different places of expression. Values may be only personal, only work-related (think of the analogy "separation of church and state"), or a combination. For example, physical activity may be something you value after hours in your personal life, but at work, you are happy to sit in the lab performing bench work. Perhaps you value recognition at work, but are content to be "one of the crowd" at home and among friends. Perhaps you value work-life balance, which spans both work and personal life.

Values assessments are common exercises in career strategy books, and there can be a different number of "values" to consider. For example, in What Next? The Complete Guide to Taking Control of Your Working Life, author Barbara Moses, PhD, lists 31 values for you to categorize; in I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work, author Julie Jansen lists 40; and in The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success, author Nicholas Lore lists 144. Overall, the listed values range from items like achievement to happiness to security to spirituality to sex. You could also brainstorm your own list.

Whether you are using the format offered in a career strategy book or doing it yourself, the goal of the activity is for you to articulate your values, determine which are most important to you (and where), decide whether your work situation is meeting any or all of these values, and help you make decisions about what you should change to improve your situation.

What the Assessment Entails

Either follow the instructions in a career strategy book, or make a list of values yourself. If you are doing it yourself:

• Remember that values have different places of expression (personal life, work life, or combination), so indicate what "world" or "worlds" to which a specific value pertains.

• Consider only values that you actively hold or that you actively strive for in your everyday work or personal life (even if you fail); do not waste your time listing values that you believe you "should" have – you are doing this activity to learn about yourself, not to impress anyone.

• Rank the values from most to least important, particularly, decide which values you consider essential.

• With those values that you find most important, consider whether your work situation and/or career is allowing these values to be fulfilled.

• Brainstorm how you can change or improve things to ensure that the maximum number of values are being met – this could mean major or minor changes in work situation.

• Remember that values can change over time.

How Can Assessment be Useful?

Like assessing your motivations, assessing your values can help you determine whether your job or career is providing you with the factors that you consider important or worthwhile and which make you happier, more fulfilled, and more effective. Depending on your results, you can stay where you are, start planning for fine-tuning of your current job or career, or start planning for major changes.

This article is one of a series about self assessment exercises. See also: getting started, personality testing, self assessment tips, early life/ideal childhood job, goals, motivations, previous work experiences, skills, work at home, and work environments.

Know Thyself: Specific Assessment Options – Values

What the Assessment Entails

How Can Assessment be Useful?

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Cynthia M Piccolo

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