Last week, my job did this values discussion where we went over our individual values and our organization’s values. For our individual values, we were given a list of 230 values and we had to narrow it down to 10 and then 5. From that 5, we had to pick our top 3. These values were words like trust, truth, joy, ambition, kindness, respect, intensity, performance, quality, spirit, self-reliance, so on and so forth.
Now, the exercise was spoiled for me. I was warned we’d have to do this and I remember thinking that the list better have a certain word on it. It’s my go to trait that means a lot to me. When I was handed the list, I found this word and I boxed it in right off the bat without even looking at the other traits.
It was interesting to see what people picked off the list. Happiness and joy have different meanings to some people so the ponderings of why pick one over the other came up. When you found someone who shared at least one of your top three, you could discuss why each of you picked it. I thought it was interesting how no one else at my table chose the same top three that I did, yet I still respected the choices they made. Someone had devotion as one of theirs and another person had integrity. These values weren’t my top three, but I was glad they were in the top three of somebody else.
I’m not going to give the full 230 values, but I think it’s a good thing to ponder. Do you value courtesy? Growth? Playfulness? Maybe efficiency, empathy, or certainty? What about compassion, rigor, or wisdom?
My top three on the list are grace, honor, and loyalty. I feel like those words encompass a lot of other words on the list. We all need grace for mistakes to help lead us to redemption. Being honorable means you’re true to your word and sure-footed in integrity. Then, there’s loyalty, the word I sought out right off the bat. Having loyalty to something means you’ll never give up on it even when it’s in the wrong. It’s not a trait you find often anymore. Too many people have been hurt after giving their loyalty to something because that something didn’t give it’s loyalty back. It’s my favorite value because its the value of friendship and devotion. It’s the value that says no one gets left behind.
So, how about you? What are your values?
nikki diekemper 