Do you know what matters to you? Are you able to live those values at work?

I had a fascinating conversation with a client a couple of weeks ago. We had done a Values and Drivers exercise in a recent training session and it gave her a brand new perspective on what she needed from her career. She knew generally what was important to her but had never put specific language to it before. The intentional work prompted her to consider new career options. She still has the same technical skills, but she's looking at different ways to apply them.

When we're experiencing career disatisfaction, our instinct is to move away from what's annoying us. We need to move towards what satisfies us! If you don't know what that is, how can you find it? Can you spell out clearly - for yourself, for your boss, for a potential future employer - what will bring you satisfaction and energy at work?

I can! I need variety and I love problem solving. I think fast and words matter to me. I want to see meaningful change, and I have an innate desire to help people. I am a teacher to my core. I crave autonomy, and I thrive when I have an understanding of the big picture. You can see why I started a consulting practice - and a newsletter! I was able to meet many of those needs while I worked in-house, but never all of them. There was an overlap between what mattered to me and what mattered to them, but never a complete match.

I challenge you that it's your responsibility to know what you need from your job, and what you want from your career. You'll have to express your values and drivers clearly, advocate for yourself, and be intentional in pursuing them. You may have an employer who'll support you every step of the way - but they can't figure it out for you. I share some resources below and please reach out if I can help.

Best wishes,

Joanna Hoffschneider

Founder, Resolute Consulting LLC

Resources for figuring out your values and alignment - and a story of when it went wrong

• This Harvard Business Review article focuses on values-based interviewing for a prospective employer, but you could adapt the techniques to assess your current employer.
• In this article from Fast Company, there's a discussion of values-led company cultures and reference to one of my favorite tools for this type of work, the VIA Strengths Survey.
• Who knew you could be happy at work anyway? Start with this quiz from Greater Good.
• It's uncomfortable to acknowledge when we're compromising on our values. I share my own experience of this - and the choices I made - in this video.

Have you incorporated your values into your intentions for this year?

We know subconsciously when we're aligned with our values (we feel content, we have more energy, we experience "flow") and when we're out of sync (we feel grumpy, we're tired, we procrastinate).

In the last newsletter we talked about reflection as a learning tool. Reflection can show you where you are living out your values, where you're pragmatically flexing... and where you might be chickening out. If you missed it, download this reflection workbook. It's a re-usable resource that you can use with many different focuses. Try assessing your intentions for 2021 (page 9) through the lens of your values. Do you need to make any adjustments?

If you would like some help in reflecting, join a live workshop TOMORROW to take you through the process. We'll discuss how you can use a values lens as well as other filters.

Friday, January 29th, 3-5pm EST. $50, with special pricing of $25 for newsletter subscribers.

Upcoming programming

• TOMORROW 1/29: Look Back to Move Forward. Live workshop. 3-5pm EST. $50, with special pricing of $25 for newsletter subscribers. Learn more and register here. ​
• 2/25 - 3/3: Make Your Network Work. Our first live online course. Learn more and get on the waitlist here.​

In the era of virtual training, we know there's a lot of free programming out there. So why do we charge?

• We provide training not a sales pitch. When there's no fee, you're paying with your time.
• We stand behind the value we provide. Our trainings include implementable information, worksheets, and actionable advice. You will reap significant returns on your investment.
• We want you to show up and be committed. Studies show people don't commit to free training, and don't do the work to get results. We're committed to giving you tools - and supporting you in using them.

See you in a couple of weeks. And, please, share your feedback.

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