International Coaching Week is a celebration of professional coaching. According to the International Coaching Federation, it was launched in 1999 and aims to educate the public about the value of working with a professional coach. It also acknowledges the results and progress made through the coaching process. This year’s theme is Reimagining the Future. If you are interested in learning more about coaching, register for an event offered by International Coaching Federation chapters from around the world.
Making a Lasting Difference
Coaching clients who work in higher education has brought me much joy and satisfaction. There is nothing better than being a witness to a client making discoveries about themselves. When clients put their new knowledge into action to create a life aligned with their values and strengths, I literally get the chills. It’s awesome.
Mark International Coaching Week with a Reflective Tool
To celebrate International Coaching Week, each day I will share one of my favorite coaching tools. You can download each tool, follow the instructions, and get a taste of what coaching can offer you.
Today’s tool is the Values List
As I’ve written about before, living a life aligned with your values feels authentic. When your decisions align with what you firmly believe in, you feel at peace with yourself. As I often tell my clients, many times when we are angry or p’d off, it is usually because something is colliding with a core value. I can immediately tell when this is happening to me. I can feel it in my head and my chest. Every fiber of my body resists.
Your core values serve as a compass for decision-making. Deciding between two job offers, which one aligns better with your values? Are you being recruited to serve on a nonprofit board? How well does the organization’s mission align with your values? You get the idea.
How do you identify your values? You can start by reviewing the values list.
Using the Values List
The list of values words is very long. Clients are often intimidated by the list. It’s ok if you are, too. Some clients are intimidated by the whole exercise. I know I had to think about my core values for several weeks before I was satisfied with the words I chose.
Identifying 3-5 core values can take some time. It’s ok. Take all the time you need.
What to do with the gigantic list of value words:
- Highlight all of the values that resonate. (You can also cross out the ones that don’t.)
- Group similar values into categories.
- Find a label for the categories that capture their essence or prioritize the values in each category.
- Play with each of the labels or top priority to see if it captures your core belief about that topic. Try it on and walk around with it for a little while.
- Revisit your list and narrow your values down to 3-5 that are at the core of your belief system.
Let Your Values Guide Your Leadership Decisions
Our core values usually remain consistent throughout our lifetime. When I was 3, I asked my mother if I could go to writing school. I haven’t stopped learning since then.
You have no idea how happy I would be if you shared your core values with me. You can see mine on my About page.
Interested in how coaching can help you reconnect with what matters most? Let’s talk about what support could look like for you. Book a discovery call with me here — I’d love to hear what you’re exploring.
You can also leave me a message, connect with me on LinkedIn, or sign up for my monthly newsletter.
Check-in tomorrow for the release of a new tool!
