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Understanding Workplace Values
 
One of the most critical paths to career success is the identification of personal values. Perhaps you're an employer who is often re-staffing because of high turnover. Maybe your employees seem unmotivated and disinterested in everything except their paycheck. Or, maybe you're a loyal worker who's bored and feeling "stuck" but you have no idea why.

Chances are these are issues surrounding work and personal values. I believe that career planning and self-exploration should ideally begin in junior high school. This process affords young people the opportunity to identify their work values and gain the self-knowledge necessary to make an informed decision about an appropriate career.

For an adult who has already invested years in a career, it can be devastating to come to the realization that being a physician or a stock broker isn't compatible with his or her values. For this reason, you might want to take the time to identify your own unique set of values. What is of paramount importance to you in your work? How critical are things like money, recognition, moral fulfillment, time freedom, self-expression, creativity, security, working with others, or working alone?

As an employer, this information can be extremely valuable in ensuring that you have the right person in each position. It can also assist your human resources personnel in the career mapping process. Employers need to be responsible for identifying the values of their company, as well. For example, does your business value creativity, initiative and recognizing employees for a job well done? Or does your business simply view employees as a necessary expenditure - bodies to perform tasks?

When employees and employers both conduct their own in-depth values inventory, it becomes much easier to match the individual and the job. For example, if a company values a total team approach, a person who strongly values decision-making and working alone could be rendered ineffective in this environment, whereas an individual who values harmony and working with others would probably excel. Another company may value a modular, streamlined work environment but a person with strong aesthetic values may not function well in a cubicle or in an office without a window.

Understand the importance of workplace values and create an environment of content, productive people. (You could gain the reputation of being an innovator in the realm of organizational development.)

Debra Davenport, PhD, is a Master Professional Mentor and the president of DavenportFolio, a licensed firm with offices in Los Angeles and Phoenix that mentors entrepreneurs and professionals. She is the creator of the Certified Professional Mentor® designation and certification program and the author of The Ten Commitments of Highly Successful People. debra@davenportfolio.com or (866) 232-6492.

 

 
 
     
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