In the tumultuous life of a small business owner, it’s easy to feel lost.
Whether you’re on a fast track to growth, working hard to stand still, or declining, it can be tough to chase success and navigate the chaos.
Amidst the storm, your values and purpose can act as anchors, helping you to find the sense of direction and fulfilment you’re missing.
Values, in essence, are the guiding principles and behaviours that shape the way you live and work. You probably don’t have them written down, but you feel uncomfortable when you’re not living them.
Think back to the last time someone said something you strongly disagreed with, and you stayed quiet, or when what you really wanted to do clashed with what was practical.
Identifying your values can be the first step to feeling more anchored in the small business storm.
Values give us our ‘why’; they underpin our purpose, and they are a source of motivation and energy to keep going. If our work and business are aligned with our values, we feel alive.
So, how do you go about identifying your values? It’s about taking some time to think about what matters to you. Ask yourself: When are you happiest? When have you felt proud? Who inspires you? What makes you angry?
Jot down the words that surface when asking questions like these. By grouping and prioritising these words, you can distil them into your core values.
Here are my own five core values as an example:
- Joy: Life’s short – let’s find a little meaning, happiness, and fun.
- Making a difference: Helping others to find happiness.
- Nature: Being in it, exploring it, and protecting it.
- Collaboration: Things are always better when done together.
- Social justice: Wealth and opportunities must be distributed fairly.
Once you’ve clarified your values, it’s time to put them into action. Use them to shape a vision for the future of your business and set goals.
If your business doesn’t align with your values, change it! Let your values guide your decisions, big and small. Don’t be afraid to say no to something that contradicts your values.
Adopting a values-driven approach can change the way you measure success and how you judge yourself – you don’t have to measure business success just on turnover, profit, or sales last month (yes, these things are important), but you can measure success based on whether you’re building something that brings your values to life, that you’re proud of, and that makes you feel alive.
