People and companies often throw around the word values very loosely, so much so that the word values loses its meaning. A values statement often winds up being something that companies put on their website but do not live by in practice.
Done correctly, a values assessment can provide deep insight into your life, your company, your team, partnerships, or other relationships in your life.  Values assessments can show you the current trajectory of your life and empower you to decide how you want it to unfold in the future. As leaders, they can also help inform the shape teams and companies and decide how you want to the teams and companies you lead to be like.
The Big Little Insights values assessment can lead to profound transformations for individuals and organizations alike. In this post, we’ll explore seven compelling reasons to embrace a values assessment and how it can change how you live, feel about life stressors, and run a business.
Values Assessments Can Empower You to Create a More Peaceful Life, Improve Your Productivity, & Propel Your Professional Success
1. Find Out What Causes Conflict in Your Life to Craft a More Peaceful Life
Life is hard enough as it is. Conflicts arise naturally without you having to unintentionally create additional conflicts with others or within yourself (beating yourself up) because you do not understand why and when conflict is happening in your life. The Big Little Insights values assessment can help clients figure out what causes conflicts (especially repeating conflicts) in their lives.
With this knowledge, people are able to take control of their life and figure out what they want to do with that knowledge. They can decide accept that certain differences in opinions are bound to happen so not to add fuel to the fire or waste time trying to figure out what is happening (reinventing the wheel each time). This knowledge of one's values also helps people to empathize with others and understand what others are going through, so they do not take conflicts so personally. From this, they can brainstorm win-win solutions with the opposing party, thus reducing, avoiding, or eliminating conflicts.
2. Figure Out Why You Are Unable to Achieve Your Goals & Dreams
Many individuals struggle to reach their goals and often feel stuck. This sense of being stuck often stems from a lack of clarity about what truly matters to them. With this knowledge, motivation to act results and people feel energized instead of dragging to get themselves to do something. A values assessment can reveal key personal values that act as guiding principles.
3. Realize Why You Have Been Procrastinating
Procrastination is a common challenge that many face. People often should themselves and blame themselves for doing something wrong or being bad when they procrastinate. Procrastination is often more complex than mere laziness. The reason someone procrastinates instead could be related related to one's values. A values assessment can help uncover how your values may be linked to your procrastination.
Maybe there is a disconnect between the goal and one's personal values. For instance, someone may consistently put off tasks at work that don’t align with their values or the task is related to a value that is lower on their list of values, so other tasks related to values more highly prioritized would be done first. By identifying these barriers, individuals can confront them directly and move forward with renewed energy and purpose.
4. Start to Live a Values-Driven Life
Living according to one’s values is essential to living peacefully and reducing internal and external discontent. A values assessment allows individuals to identify what they stand for and integrate these values into daily decisions. When people live out of alignment with their values, there is a consistent struggle internally about what their conscience says and what they're doing, which leads to self judgment, guilt, and a variety of unproductive behaviors that lead to unhappiness. While nothing is perfect, living in alignment with one's values is the first step to living an authentic life and focusing on what really matters to you. Better start living authentically when you can rather than waiting until you're on your deathbed regretting all that could have been or thinking about all that you wish you should have done instead.
5. Discover How Committed You Are
A values assessment helps individuals gauge their dedication to specific values and projects. Many times people spend a lot of time on things that they think others think is important but is not meaningful to them personally. They do things to keep up with the Joneses when they could instead spend time on things that bring them true happiness and contentment. The Big Little Insights values assessment can help you discover where you can most effectively spend you time.
6. Discover Why Employees Have Been Leaving
High employee turnover can be frustrating and costly for organizations. A values assessment serves as a diagnostic tool to uncover why employees may feel unfulfilled. Birds of a feather tend to flock together. If the actions of management or a company consistently violate the values of employees, these employees will leave or want to leave. By knowing the values of an organization and employees (including potential employees), an organization can find matches that lead to less turnover, figure out how to capitalize on everyone's strengths, or at least behave in ways to that do not violate fundamental core values of their employees.
7. Figure Out How and Why You Prioritize
In a world filled with distractions, effective prioritization can be tough. A values assessment sheds light on personal priorities and how they align with what truly matters to an individual.
By identifying key values, individuals can make better decisions about where they want to direct their energy and stop beating themselves up for not being able to do everything. Knowing one's top values, as well as those of others (e.g., family members, partners, teammates, employers), can help people understand why people do what they do and have compassion when they do not live up to their expectations (your values), as well as the spiral into destructive conflicts.
Productively channel your energy toward increased contentment
Completing a values assessment is a vital step toward personal and professional growth. Whether one seeks to resolve conflicts, achieve their goals, or live a fulfilling life, the insights gained from this process can help you obtain your desired outcome.
Understanding one's values paves the way for informed decisions to live a meaningful life. By embracing values assessments, individuals and organizations can foster healthier environments, improve retention rates, and enhance productivity. Stop fighting against yourself and start living according to how you want to me.
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