As an executive and small business coach in Vancouver, I always start with a values exercise. This may seem simple, but it’s actually very strategic. Going though a values exercise produces several long-lasting benefits. Here are the 6 benefits from completing a values exercise with a executive and small business coach:
1. Clarity
Going through the process of a values exercise with a business coach helps identify what’s clear and what’s not — this way the coach does have to waste time on things that are already clear for you, and can focus on helping you define what is in the grey zone, which creates the most value out of the time with your coach.
2. Confidence
One of the consistent challenges I see when working with with executives, CEOs and managers is a lack of confidence that prevents them from taking action or making decisions. They all aspire to have the unwavering confidence of Steve Jobs, Gary Vaynerchuk, or Oprah — but the truth is
that Steve Jobs, Gary Vaynerchuk and Oprah don’t have unwavering confidence. What they have is a clarity around their values — who they are, what they stand for, what matters to them — so that even in the face of criticism, uncertainty and disbelieve they can have confidence in their values, even if they don’t have confidence in themselves.
3. Decisiveness
In my MBA ethics class I read this great book called Defining Moments, by Badaracco and one of the author’s main points is that ethical decision making is rarely about a decision between good and bad or right and wrong, but it is a decision between right and right or bad and bad. So, when we are faced with these challenging decisions we are often paralyzed, but having defined and articulated values can be a guide to tough decisions because the values will clearly point to the decision that is the best option based upon what maters to you.
4. Power
True power, the kind of power you can summon when you feel powerless, comes not from authority, intelligence or title — it comes from authenticity, from being 100% who you are. Being clear about what your values are give you the power to speak and act in any moment under any circumstances.
5. Velocity
When you’re unclear about what’s important to you, you spend lots of time “humming and hawing” about what to do, weighing the pros and cons, and playing out all the different scenarios and this creates “analysis paralysis” which slows down the momentum of your growth and trajectory. Once you have clear values, then you can make decisions much quicker and easier, which means you can take more actions to create bigger results faster!
6. Ease
For most executives and managers making tough decisions is only half of the battle, living with those decisions is the other half. In business when there are important decisions to make or lots to do, our heads spin with all the scenarios and all the implications — you know the feeling. Having clear values, allows for value-based decision making which helps clear the mind for fast effective decision making, but it also helps create ease after making a decision. It helps keep those crazy-making, wheel-spinning thoughts at bay because you were able to run your decision through criteria and you can rest assured that you made the best decision at the time with that criteria.
So, when your executive or small business coach wants to start with a values exercise, it’s not a frivolous activity, she’s looking to to create many long lasting benefits for you and your business. If you want to get started clarifying your values you can try this simple and powerful values exercise.
Contact me for a complimentary clarity conversation.
The question really is “Why ever have any type of coach?“. Olympic athletes have a coach because they have a critical objective. Olympians care about optimizing performance, expanding potential and achieving results. The coach sees what the Olympian can’t see on the field. The coach provides clarity and structure so the Olympian can focus on doing what it takes to get on the podium. The coach is the Olympian’s partner in fulfilling his or her goals.