Values: Your Hidden Decision-Making Compass

What are the ingredients that make you uniquely you?

After decades coaching executives and entrepreneurs across 65 countries, I've discovered that most people struggle to articulate what truly matters to them. They can tell you their skills, their accomplishments, even their personality traits - but when asked about their core values, they often recite generic terms that could apply to anyone.

This inability to identify our unique value combination is more than a philosophical challenge - it's a practical one that impacts every decision we make.

What Are Values, Really?

Values aren't aspirational qualities you hope to develop. They're not personality traits that evolve over time. They're the core ingredients that have always been part of you.

Think of it this way: If you were a soup, your values would be the essential ingredients that give you your distinctive flavor. Just as chicken noodle soup is fundamentally different from tomato bisque, your unique combination of values makes you who you are.

Some people value growth, others connection. Some prioritize adventure, others tranquility. None of these are inherently better than others - they're simply different ingredients that create different people.

Why Values Matter in Decision-Making

When you're clear about your values, decisions become simpler. Not necessarily easier, but clearer.

Consider this story from one of my clients, a tech CEO facing a difficult choice: Should he accept an acquisition offer that would make him wealthy but remove him from leadership, or continue building his company with all the risk that entails?

On paper, the acquisition made sense. But when we uncovered his core values - independence, creativity, and impact - the decision became obvious. The financial security couldn't compensate for violating his core values.

He declined the offer, later built the company to three times the original valuation, and eventually sold it on terms that honored his values. The decision that seemed financially risky was actually the safest option for his fulfillment.

How to Uncover Your Values

Unlike personality assessments that can be completed in minutes, uncovering your values requires reflection and observation. Here's a simple starting point:

1. Examine Peak Experiences: What were you doing during the moments you felt most alive and fulfilled? What values were being honored?
2. Notice What Triggers You: What situations or behaviors in others consistently bother you? Often, these are violations of your core values.
3. Look at Your Spending: Where your money goes often reflects what you truly value, not what you say you value.
4. Ask Trusted Friends: Sometimes others can see our values more clearly than we can. Ask those who know you well what they believe matters most to you.

The V in V.O.I.C.E. is the foundation upon which everything else is built. Without this clarity, you'll continue to make decisions that seem logical but somehow leave you feeling unfulfilled or misaligned.

The Leadership Dimension

For leaders, value clarity isn't just personal - it's organizational. When you're clear about your values, you naturally:

• Attract team members who share or complement those values
• Make strategic decisions with greater consistency
• Create a culture that feels authentic rather than forced
• Navigate difficult situations with more confidence and less second-guessing

One of my clients, the founder of a marketing agency, struggled with high employee turnover until we identified his core values of creativity, excellence, and collaboration. Once clear, he began hiring not just for skills but for value alignment. Within a year, turnover dropped by 60% and profitability increased as teams worked more harmoniously.

Your Next Step

If you're ready to discover your unique value combination, here are three ways to begin:

1. Self-Discovery: Set aside time for the reflection exercises mentioned above
2. Guided Process: The first chapter of my book, Finding Your V.O.I.C.E., walks you through a complete values identification process
3. Expert Facilitation: For those ready for deeper work, the V.O.I.C.E. Program provides personalized coaching to uncover and leverage your values

Remember: Your values are already there. The question isn't whether you have them, but whether you recognize and honor them in your decisions.

What will you choose?