Career Values

Identif ication Workbook

Name: …………………………….…………………………

Date: …………………………….…………………………
 Identify Your Career Values!

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2

Work Values Step 1 – Experience Review ....................................................................... 3

Work Values Step 2 – Brainstorm ................................................................................... 4

Work Values Step 3 – Review and Condense .................................................................. 5

Work Values Step 4 – Prioritisation ................................................................................ 6

Work Values Step 5 – Review and Wrap-up .................................................................... 7

Congratulations. You’ve finished! ................................................................................... 8

Introduction
This workbook helps you identify your work values – what’s important to you in your work life.

One definition of fulfillment is simply "living your values". It therefore makes sense that to feel fulfilled in
our work we need to make sure that our work aligns with our values too.

Why does this matter? Well, knowing your values enables you to understand what drives and
motivates you AND helps clarify what you may want to avoid in the workplace. And once you’re clear
on your work values, whether you’re looking at a new role, career change or just looking for ways to improve
your current situation, you can do so in an informed manner. You will be able to choose roles, careers or
activities that support you and avoid those that contradict your values and what's important to you.

NB. The longer you spend and the more effort you put in - the more effective this exercise will be.
It's good to allow at least 24 hours - and as much as a week or so between steps.

A final note: Your work values change over time and develop as you understand your true self better – values
are always moving. So, something you loved in your twenties may not appeal in your thirties or forties and so
on. This is why we sometimes ‘outgrow’ a job or role that initially suited us.

So, just before you get started, write here what you would like to get out of this workbook:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

So, it’s now time to begin. Enjoy your workbook!

Like this tool? Then you'll love our website! Page 2 of 8  Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. 2010 - all rights reserved.
Check us out at: http://lifecoachonthego.com Life Coach on the Go! is a division of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.
 Identify Your Career Values!

Work Values Step 1 – Experience Review

This first exercise is simply to review your work experience so far and use this to drive out some initial ideas for
your work values.
1) So, in the boxes below, simply write a list of the things you Love, Like, Put up with and Hate about your Current
and Previous work roles.
2) It doesn’t matter how big, small, personal or even silly each item may seem – this is about how you FEEL and
what made a difference to your experience of work. You can continue on a separate sheet if you like.

Love Like Put up with Hate

Current
Work

Previous
Work

Previous
Work

Previous
Work

Previous
Work

Like this tool? Then you'll love our website! Page 3 of 8  Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. 2010 - all rights reserved.
Check us out at: http://lifecoachonthego.com Life Coach on the Go! is a division of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.
 Identify Your Career Values!

Work Values Step 2 – Brainstorm

So, you’ve reviewed your experience with work so far. Now set aside some quiet, uninterrupted time for
a further brainstorm of possible values – about 30 minutes to start with.
1) Aim for a list of 30-50 things which answer the question: “What is most important to me in my work-life?”
2) Revisit list after a minimum of 24 hours and write down anything else that comes to you.
NOTE: Use whatever words or phrases spring to mind. Don’t judge your answers or ‘cherry-pick’ values you think
you should have! This brainstorm is to capture as much as possible - and for you to learn about the REAL you!
TIPS:
Consider some times when you have got angry/upset? (usually a value NOT being met).
What about some times when you have been really happy or enjoyed work? (often a value being met).
Words or themes that come up a lot for you in your work environment may well be important!

1. ………………………………… 18. ………………………………… 35. …………………………………

2. ………………………………… 19. ………………………………… 36. …………………………………

3. ………………………………… 20. ………………………………… 37. …………………………………

4. ………………………………… 21. ………………………………… 38. …………………………………

5. ………………………………… 22. ………………………………… 39. …………………………………

6. ………………………………… 23. ………………………………… 40. …………………………………

7. ………………………………… 24. ………………………………… 41. …………………………………

8. ………………………………… 25. ………………………………… 42. …………………………………

9. ………………………………… 26. ………………………………… 43. …………………………………

10. ………………………………… 27. ………………………………… 44. …………………………………

11. ………………………………… 28. ………………………………… 45. …………………………………

12. ………………………………… 29. ………………………………… 46. …………………………………

13. ………………………………… 30. ………………………………… 47. …………………………………

14. ………………………………… 31. ………………………………… 48. …………………………………

15. ………………………………… 32. ………………………………… 49. …………………………………

16. ………………………………… 33. ………………………………… 50. …………………………………

17. ………………………………… 34. ………………………………… 51. …………………………………

Like this tool? Then you'll love our website! Page 4 of 8  Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. 2010 - all rights reserved.
Check us out at: http://lifecoachonthego.com Life Coach on the Go! is a division of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.
 Identify Your Career Values!

Work Values Step 3 – Review and Condense

So, now we want to review and condense the values, ideas and words you’ve come up with so far – to
about 10 key factors or values that you will be able to work with going forwards.

So, after AT LEAST a week:

1) Review your list from Step 2, adding any new items that have come up since you completed your
brainstorm.
2) Next, look for and group similar items together (you may want to use the blank piece of paper at the
back of this workbook).
3) Now pick the most meaningful word from each group to place at the front and place all the similar
items after the most meaningful word, separating each item with a ‘/’ and list them below.
For example: If Integrity was your most meaningful word, then honesty, trust and truth might
all fit under ‘Integrity’. So, you write all the items on a line below separating with a ‘/’.
Integrity/honesty/trust/truth

NOTE: Don’t worry about putting the items in a priority order – we do the prioritization next in Step 4.

My Top 10 Values

1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

10. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Like this tool? Then you'll love our website! Page 5 of 8  Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. 2010 - all rights reserved.
Check us out at: http://lifecoachonthego.com Life Coach on the Go! is a division of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.
 Identify Your Career Values!

Work Values Step 4 – Prioritisation

Now this part – the prioritisation – takes a bit of thought. And it’s totally worth it, because this is where
you get to see what’s REALLY important to you. You may even find you’re surprised by your final value
priorities – and if so that’s great, because now you have some new information to work with.
TIP: You may want to do this last step in pencil, so you can erase and move things around easily.
1) Using just the first word from each of your Top 10 list above, roughly prioritise your list by simply looking
at it and write in pencil on the list below (QUICKLY – this a 1 minute job!)
2) Now, take the first value on your list and compare it to the second item on your list. If you couldn’t have
BOTH values and had to choose ONE, which would it be? Do this by answering the question below:
"If I had to choose between having A and NOT B, or having B and NOT A for the rest of my
life - which would it be?" Think carefully – imagine you’re going to be without one of these forever
more, how does that affect which value you choose?
3) So, if A wins, leave it where it is for now. Now compare A to the next item (C) on your list:
And as before ask "Would I rather have A and NOT C, or C and NOT A for the rest of my life ?"
4) Keep working your way down the list until an item beats A.
5) If an item (say D) beats A – simply continue the question process using the new ‘most important’ value of
D. You continue down the list from where A got to (if A beat all the items above then D will too).
6) If you get to the bottom of the list and nothing beats D, then D is your top value.
7) Now you need to return to A - and repeat the process - to see if anything else beats A!
If A beats all your other values, A becomes your second most important value and you move onto B.
8) Repeat the process until you have a prioritised order for your values.
NOTE: Although this may sound complicated, it’s easier to do than it is to describe. So just get started!

My Prioritised Top 10 Values

1. ………………………………………………………………………………

2. ………………………………………………………………………………

3. ………………………………………………………………………………
Don’t ask yourself
4. ……………………………………………………………………………… what the world needs.
Ask yourself what
5. ……………………………………………………………………………… makes you come alive,
and then go do that.
Because what the
6. ………………………………………………………………………………
world needs is people
who have come alive.
7. ………………………………………………………………………………
Harold Thurman
8. ……………………………………………………………………………… Whitman

9. ………………………………………………………………………………

10. ………………………………………………………………………………

Like this tool? Then you'll love our website! Page 6 of 8  Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. 2010 - all rights reserved.
Check us out at: http://lifecoachonthego.com Life Coach on the Go! is a division of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.
 Identify Your Career Values!

Work Values Step 5 – Review and Wrap-up

So, congratulations, now you have your Top 10 Work Values! We have some final questions to help you
improve your work-life and help you gain the most from this workbook.

1. What did you learn about yourself during this Work Values exercise? ……………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. What were the biggest surprises? ………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. What could you do differently at work to align (even) more with your values?

1. What could you stop doing? ……………………………………………………………………………………

2. What could you do less of? ……………………………………………………………………………………

3. What could you do more of? ……………………………………………………………………………………

4. What could you continue doing? ……………………………………………………………………………………

5. What could you start doing? ……………………………………………………………………………………

4. What is ESSENTIAL to have in my work? ……………………………………………………………………………….

5. What must I AVOID in my work? ……………………………………………………………………………………………

6. What would have happened in 3 years time so that your career is spectacular and you feel magnificent

about yourself? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Like this tool? Then you'll love our website! Page 7 of 8  Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. 2010 - all rights reserved.
Check us out at: http://lifecoachonthego.com Life Coach on the Go! is a division of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.
 Identify Your Career Values!

7. The final step in this workbook is to identify 3 actions you're willing to commit to empower
yourself and your career?

Choose actions that are easily do-able and write them in the space below!

1st Action Something you can do Now! (right away or by the end of today) ______________________________

2nd Action ____________________________________________ By when _______________ (this week)

3rd Action ____________________________________________ By when _______________ (this month)

Now copy these out onto post-it notes and stick them in your car, wallet, locker, fridge door, desk drawer or any
place where you will see them often.

Congratulations. You’ve finished!

Remember that your values change over time.

So, feel free to return to this workbook at any time to redo or simply review your work values - especially
if you’re looking for ideas, a new career/role or are feeling fed up and frustrated in your work-life!

Like this tool? Then you'll love our website! Page 8 of 8  Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd. 2010 - all rights reserved.
Check us out at: http://lifecoachonthego.com Life Coach on the Go! is a division of Simplicity Life Coaching Ltd.