Where to Find That Extra Time
When I bring up the topic of values in a professional context, I am often confronted with scepticism. People regularly tell me that thinking about values would be a frivolous exercise and a waste of time. I understand where this reaction comes from—after all, who has the time to think about values when there is so much to do in so little time?
And yet, values are the foundation for professional success. Ensuring your work is in line with your values helps you to be much more efficient on a daily basis and helps you to remain motivated over the long term.
More specifically, according to consulting firm McKinsey, when people find that their work is meaningful, their performance increases by 33%. Think about it this way: if our work is in line with our values, that’s like having more than an extra day and a half each work week.
What would you do with all of that extra time?
One coaching engagement provides a perfect illustration of this concept.
When I started working with Elisabeth (name changed), she was exhausted. Her workload was too high, her supervisor was too demanding and, as a result of historical tensions where she worked, each meeting she had with colleagues in other departments was tense. She came to me looking for strategies to reduce her workload and stress levels.
A discussion about what gave her meaning at work allowed us to draw up a plan of attack. Because she valued her relations with her colleagues and clients, she decided to first focus her energy on this point as a means of reducing her stress levels. She first identified a few key colleagues with whom she thought she could develop more productive relationships, and then devised strategies for demonstrating to them that she was willing to cooperate for mutual benefit.
The results were swift and striking: not only did the colleagues she approach quickly demonstrate a willingness to improve their collaboration, but the flow of information and overall ambience at work improved.
In the end, instead of giving up certain projects in order to lighten her workload, Elisabeth now had the time and energy to take on greater responsibilities. When she took on projects that were in line with her values, a virtuous circle was in place that in turn made her more satisfied at work.
Elisabeth is just one example out of many. A few key takeaways:
what motivates you and what gives you meaning at work are two key pieces of information for your success; you cannot use them to your advantage if you don’t know what they are;
if your current job is not in line with your values, it is usually possible to find a way to bring your responsibilities more in line with what gives you meaning;
knowing your values can help you to gain time and energy — much more than the time and effort it takes to figure out how to use them to your advantage.
Need more hours in the day?
Stop losing time and energy unnecessarily. Book a free consultation to speak with Jon about how to regain control over your schedule.