Workplace Values Exercise

• Before you even think about continuing with this exercise, make sure you have plenty of free time to spend with it, and time to think and reflect on what you truly value. Are you ready?
• Your first step is to rate the importance of each of the workplace values on the list. A few blank lines are left at the end of the list to be filled with any missing career values. Be honest with yourself because no one is judging nor scoring your results.
• Rate the degree of importance that you place on each of the following workplace values using this scale:

1 = Very important to me
2 = Reasonably important to me
3 = Somewhat important to me
4 = Not important to me at all
I am interested in jobs and careers that include:
__ creating/building things
__ mental challenge/mentally demanding/problem-solving
__ physical challenge/physically demanding
__ opportunity for balance between work life and family life
__ flexibility in work structure
__ intellectual status, an acknowledged “expert” in a given field
__ order and structure
__ high degree of competition
__ integrity and truth
__ rewarding loyalty and dependability
__ having self-respect and pride in work
__ stability and security
__ strong financial compensation and financial rewards
__ being recognized for quality of work in a visible/public way
__ having a positive impact on others and society
__ using creativity, imagination; being innovative
__ variety and a changing work pace
__ professional development and on-going learning and growth
__ friendships and warm working relationships
__ teamwork and work groups
__ glamour, prestige, respect, or a level of social status
__ routine, predictable work projects
__ deadlines and time demand/pressure challenges
__ clear advancement tracks/opportunities for advancement
__ tranquility, comfort, and avoidance of pressure
__ dealing with the public/day-to-day contact with the public
__ using cutting edge or pioneering technologies or techniques
__ opportunities for supervision, power, leadership, influence
__ making decisions, having power to decide courses of action
__ respect, recognition, being valued
__ autonomy, independence, freedom
__ precision work with little tolerance for error
__ adventure and excitement

Your second step is to try and identify the 10 most important values to you. Circle each of these most important values from the list above.

Your third step is to narrow down your list of 10 to five core values that you can’t live without in your job/workplace and place them below:

1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________

Congratulations! You have a list of core workplace values that help determine your level of satisfaction with your job and your career which should be used to judge the level of “fit” with any future job, company, or career change. Now comes the tougher part. How well do your core values fit with your current job, career path, and employer – and how do you interpret these results? The CPS can help you in interpreting your results.