The Value of Values
As healthcare providers, it can be easy to get caught up in the demands of our professions. We feel pressure to see more patients, take extra shifts, or advance in our careers. In my work as a healthcare coach, I notice how the drive to do more can result in us forgetting to live according to our core values, an essential element of our well-being.
What are core values?
Core values are the guiding principles that shape our decisions and actions. In my experience, many healthcare providers have core values relating to service, compassion, excellence, and integrity.
How do I identify my core values?
There are many ways to think about identifying our core values. One approach is to think about your life's best and worst moments. What are the values that were either honoured or discounted in those moments? The answers you identify are often a good indicator of the important values you hold. (Download our values workbook here)
How do I live my values?
The tricky part is to prioritize our core values in our daily lives. What is one thing you might choose to do today to honour your core values? If service is a core value, you might choose to serve on a committee or coach a junior sports team. If integrity is a value, you might use your working definition of the concept as a decision-making tool when requests for your contribution in discussions or on committees roll in.
Another way to honour our core values is to connect with people who share similar values. Building relationships with colleagues and mentors who align with our values can create a supportive and fulfilling work environment. Clearly articulating and collectively practicing team values is another way to ensure that our work and values are aligned.
It is important to remember that living according to our core values is challenging. We will encounter situations or conflicts that test our values. There will also be times when it will feel like being true to one value means abandoning another. These occasions challenge us to stay true to ourselves and explore what we believe in and how we want to live those beliefs. They offer opportunities to connect with mentors, friends, and trusted allies (like coaches or psychotherapists) to determine the approach most closely aligned with who we want to be in our lives.
Living according to our core values is essential to our overall well-being and happiness. It is not an exercise in perfection – we will constantly be challenged to prioritize important things. Clearly identifying our values and intentionally aligning with them can support us as we create fulfilling and meaningful careers and lives.
