September 2026 | 4min read
Simply picking your values isn’t values exploration. It’s values selection. “Oh damn Parm, you right! 😀”
The deeper work begins when we start asking what those values actually mean, why they matter, where they came from, and how they influence the way we live and lead.
I had the opportunity to facilitate a Values-Based Leadership and team development session with the team at the Municipality of Centre Hastings a few months ago. A big shoutout to Typhany Choinard, Chief Administrative Officer, for her leadership and partnership!
High-trust and connection amongst this team!
I’m also fortunate to be partnering with Centre Hastings on a longer-term leadership development journey that includes leadership development, team engagement and coaching.
Meaningful leadership development isn’t usually built through one workshop – no “one and done” here! It’s built through learning, application, conversation and continued growth over time. Which results in lasting behaviour change!
I’ve facilitated versions of this work with leadership teams and coaching clients for years. And every time I do, I’m reminded of something: Picking your values is the easy part.
You can hand someone a list of 100 values and ask them to narrow it down to five. Family. Integrity. Growth. Responsibility. Health.
Done, right?
NOPE! Not even close. 😃
Simply picking your values isn’t values exploration. It’s values selection.
The deeper work begins when we start asking what those values actually mean, why they matter, where they came from, and how they influence the way we live and lead.
This is the work we explored together with Centre Hastings.
And when you do this work with a team, something else starts to happen. You don’t just understand yourself better.
You start understanding each other better.
This is “people understanding people, better.”
And regardless of what sector, industry or niche you’re in, we’re ALL in the “people business.”
Values exploration is deep work
Two people can choose the exact same core value and have completely different ideas about what it means.
Take Family.
For one person, Family might mean being physically present and protecting time together. For someone else, Family might mean working hard and providing financial security.
One person might leave work at 4:30pm because Family is important to them. Someone else might work until 7pm for the exact same reason.
Same value. Different meaning. Different behaviour.
This is why simply choosing a value doesn’t tell us enough.
Over time, my approach to values exploration and Values-Based Leadership has evolved into several layers of conversation.
1. Identify it
We start by identifying the core values that genuinely matter to us. Not necessarily the values we think should matter, but the ones that actually influence our lives, choices and priorities.
The words give us somewhere to start.
2. Define it
What does that value actually mean to you?
This is where the conversation starts getting deeper because our personal experiences give meaning to the words we choose.
Two people can select Integrity, Responsibility or Success and define them very differently.
3. Explore it
Values don’t appear out of nowhere. They’re often connected to our experiences, relationships, successes, challenges and important moments throughout our lives.
Understanding some of that context helps us understand why a value carries so much weight for us.
4. Connect it to how you live and lead
This is where values move from words on a page to behaviour.
Our core values can influence how we communicate, make decisions, handle conflict, build relationships, set expectations and lead other people. Understanding that connection creates another level of self-awareness and can have a significant impact on workplace culture.
5. Talk about it
This might be one of the most important parts of doing values work with a team.
When we understand what matters to the people we work with, and why, we gain context for how they think and behave. These conversations can create greater understanding, strengthen relationships and give teams another lens through which to navigate differences.
The goal isn’t to get everyone on a team to value the same things. It’s to understand what matters to each other.
6. Challenge it
Here’s where things get especially interesting.
I’ve written before about the blind spots of our values and what happens when good values go too far. Every value has another side.
- Integrity can become rigidity.
- Empathy can become avoidance.
- Responsibility can become control.
A value that serves us incredibly well in one situation can potentially get in our way in another. The goal is to develop enough self-awareness to recognize how we’re using it.
Why this matters for teams
Individual values exploration helps us understand ourselves. Doing this work with others helps us understand the people around us.
This matters because teams aren’t made up of job titles, departments and boxes on an organizational chart. They’re made up of people who bring different experiences, priorities, beliefs and values into work every day.
Sometimes these values complement each other. Sometimes they collide.
My Integrity might experience your Flexibility as inconsistency. Your Harmony might experience my Boldness as unnecessarily confrontational. My Responsibility might look like micromanagement to someone who places a high value on Independence.
Neither person necessarily has the “wrong” value.
We may simply be looking at the same situation through different lenses.
This is where values exploration becomes Values-Based Leadership. If your leadership team or organization wants to explore this work at a deeper level, I’d love to have a conversation.
This isn’t about choosing nice-sounding words for your lobby! Don’t do this!
It’s about helping people better understand themselves, understand each other, and turn those insights into how they actually work and lead together.
This is “people understanding people, better.”
And regardless of what sector, industry or niche you’re in, we’re ALL in the “people business.”
CONQUER YOUR POTENTIAL!
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