Work Fulfillment: Why Values Matter

1. Work Fulfillment:Why Values Matter

2. Learning Objectives • Develop a clear understanding of the meaning of values • Develop an appreciation for the role of values in life and work • Develop a perspective on the role of values relative to Personal and Institutional Mission and Goals • Engage in a learning exercise to clarify/affirm personal values

3. Learning Objectivescont. • Engage in a learning exercise to assess harmony and dissonance in values • Develop an understanding of alternative strategies for dealing with conflicting values • Develop an understanding of strategies for resolving differences • Engage in a learning exercise to relate my values to my success factors atwork

4. The Meaning of Values • Definition • Values are ideals that guide or qualify one’s personal conduct, interactions with others, and involvement in career choices • They help distinguish what is right from what is wrong • They inform on how one can conduct life in a meaningful way

5. The Role of Values • Personal Values • Principles that define you as an individual • Determine how you perceive the world and engage with it • Cultural Values • Principles that sustain connections with your cultural roots • Help you feel connected to a larger community of people with similar backgrounds

6. The Role of Valuescont. • Social Values • Principles that govern how you relate to others • Help structure meaningful relationships in social situations: family, friends, co-workers • Work Values • Principles that guide your behavior in professional contexts • Defines your work relationships and integrity in performance

7. Strategic Properties of Values • Values are dynamic—they can change over time • Values are influenced by developmental phases of life • Values are a reflection of self-esteem/self-worth • Values are reflected by personal behavior as much or more than by what we say

8. Values Relative to Mission and Goals • Values • Principles which assess alignment or misalignment with the Mission • What it takes to fulfill the Mission and in what character it will be done • Mission • The summary statement of purpose • The specific task with which a person or group is charged

9. Values Relative to Mission and Goalscont. • Goals • The strategies by which the Mission will be fulfilled • The measurable outcomes by which success is determined

10. Matters of Harmony and Dissonance in Values • Harmony • The degree to which a belief or action is congruent with other beliefs and actions • The experience of the belief or action being syntonic (responsive and adaptive) to the whole picture • Dissonance • The inconsistency between the belief’s one holds or between one’s actions and one’s beliefs • The experience of being incongruent (disharmony among the constituent parts)

11. Learning Exercises • Clarifying/Affirming Personal Values • Personal Values Checklist • Assessing Harmony and Dissonance in Values • Personal Values and University Values

12. Examples of Conflicting Values • Advancement and promotion vs Family • Creativity vs Security • Stability vs Location • Close relationships vs Time Freedom • Fame vs Serenity • Freedom vs Responsibility and accountability

13. Strategies for Dealing with Conflicting Values • Assess the Core Values: Can the values accommodate what I’m looking for • Resolve personal conflicts first: Establish internal consistency

14. Strategies for Dealing with Conflicting Valuescont. • Review boundaries: “What is mine; what is not mine” • Re-commit to values: Either to existing values or new values

15. Strategies for Resolving Differences • Communication: • Straightforward Positioning • Active Listening • Determine any options for deference (clarify boundaries) • Determine any grounds for negotiation

16. Strategies for Resolving Differencescont. • Review other options: Creativity and Innovation • ‘Letting go’ on principle

17. Learning Exercise • Relating personal values to success factors at work • Personal Values Checklist and Lehigh’s Core and Managerial Success Factors

18. Summary • Values are the ideals that give us a foundational reference point in all of our important life decisions/choices • Values serve as the rationale for the Mission we subscribe to and the catalyst for the Goals that we determine to pursue

19. Summarycont. • Values register as either congruent (harmony) or incongruent (dissonance) as we make commitments in our life • Values ultimately guide us to make choices about what we can and cannot tolerate in our lives and remain fulfilled in our daily commitments