Essay

Personal Values List

Silvers 302-03-Spring 2020

Consciously or unconsciously, your personal values will determine how you operate your business,

how you treat your employees, and how you treat your customers and venders. Best we determine

what those values are now so you can make good choices in the future.

I invite you to go within yourself to see what is true for you by discovering your personal values in this

easy and fun process.

Here are the steps you will take:

1. Relax and review the personal values list on page 2.

a. It is suggested you do this process in two to three phases i.e., first find 50 values you like,

let it rest – Come back later and narrow the list to 25, let it rest again – Come back a third

time and choose your final seven values.

2. You will recognize those values that are meant for you. You don’t have to mentally strain to

find them, they just seem obvious. Trust your process.

3. You may be drawn to values that seem to be the opposite of a perceived weaknesses or ones

you want to develop more strongly. There is no right or wrong here, just what you want.

4. Next, you will rank-order the others by asking, “If I could only have one more value, which one

would it be?”

5. Once you get seven values on the list, you might find that the leftover values are actually a

prerequisite of one of the higher values and are bundled into your understanding of the higher

value. If that is the case, you don’t need to list it.

6. You will end up with a values list of seven total. Double check to make sure you like the order

and everything that should be on the list is on the list.

Note: This may not be your permanent-forever-lifetime values list, and that is OK. However, this will be the list of values list we will use for this small business management class. This is your private list and you will only share it if you want to. You will need it for the rest of the course as a key part of learning to “think like an owner”.

Assignment: Now that you have determined your personal values, complete the following:

1. Using numerical value bullets points, list your values in order, first to last (#1 to #7) 2. Having developed your values, perhaps for the first time, write a short paragraph (three to five

compete sentences) to discuss your thoughts about your values – What’s this all mean to you as a manager?

3. Discuss how (you think) your values apply to you as a future manager of people, processes, and systems.

4. Thinking like a manager:

• With values in mind, what’s most important to you as a manager of people, processes, and systems and why?

• How your values help or hinder you with o Operating your department or business? o How you treat your employees? o How you treat your venders? o How you treat customers?

Silvers 302-03-Spring 2020

Common Personal Values Accomplishment Good will Quality over quantity

Abundance Goodness Quantity over quality

Accountability Gratitude Reciprocity

Accuracy Hard work Recognition

Achievement Harmony Regularity

Adventure Healing Relaxation

Approval Holistic Living Reliability

Autonomy Honesty Resourcefulness

Balance Honor Respect for others

Beauty Improvement Responsibility

Challenge Independence Responsiveness

Change Individuality Results

Clarity Initiative Romance

Cleanliness, orderliness Inner peace Rule of Law

Collaboration Innovation Sacrifice

Commitment Integrity Safety

Communication Intelligence Satisfying others

Community Intensity Security

Compassion Intimacy Self-awareness

Competence Intuition Self-confidence

Competition Joy Self-esteem

Concern for others Justice Self-expression

Confidence Knowledge Self-improvement

Connection Leadership Self-love

Conservation Learning Self-mastery

Cooperation Love Self-reliance

Coordination Loyalty Self-trust

Courage Meaning Sensuality

Creativity Merit Service

Credibility Moderation Simplicity

Decisiveness Modesty Sincerity

Democracy Money Skill

Determination Nature Solitude

Discipline Nurturing Speed

Discovery Obedience Spirituality

Diversity Open-mindedness Stability

Education Openness Standardization

Efficiency Optimism Status

Environment Patriotism Straightforwardness

Equality Peace, Non-violence Strength

Excellence Perfection Success

Exploration Perseverance Systemization

Fairness Persistence Teamwork

Faith Personal Growth Timeliness

Faithfulness Personal health Tolerance

Family Pleasure Tradition

Flair Power Tranquility

Flexibility Practicality Trust

Forgiveness Preservation Trustworthiness

Freedom Privacy Truth

Friendship Problem solving Unity

Frugality Professionalism Variety

Fulfillment Progress Vitality

Fun Prosperity Wealth

Generosity Punctuality Wisdom Genuineness Purpose