Value Your Self

Do you see the value in yourself? Or should I say your self?

People come to me as a career coach for a variety of reasons – they’re having performance issues at work and need to figure out how to dig themselves out, they want a power-packed resume so they can find a new job, they want to identify their dream job because the path they’re on isn’t where they want to be anymore. 

People start out seeking coaching around their jobs and career, but after a few sessions (how many depends on the person), the wall between ‘career’ and ‘life’ begins to crumble.  Work/life balance?  Is there such a thing?  Issues at work but nowhere else in your life?  Not likely, although they may appear different on the surface.   Career is easy to talk about.  It’s at arm’s length, held at a distance as a separate entity.  People sometimes even speak about themselves at work as if it were a different person.  Over time, they begin to see that it’s not.

If you want to make a change in your career, whether it’s to improve and grow in your current job or find a new one, the first step is to explore and understand how you create value at work.  How do you do that voodoo that you do so well?  Everyone seems to start at the same point.  We think about what we do but totally overlook the value of our contributions and accomplishments to our team, our projects, our customers, our company.  People often say to me, I don’t think about that – I just do my work. 

If you don’t recognize and appreciate the value of your work, no one else will either.  It’s the classic fairy tale.  Are you hoping Prince/Princess Charming (aka your boss) will see the jewel you really are through your humble, ash-covered exterior?  It wasn’t a true story when you were a kid, and it’s not a true story today.  If you need to dwell in that land of make-believe, read romance novels.  In the real world you don’t have to brag, you don’t have to take credit for work you didn’t do or for work done by your team.  But to truly thrive at work, you need to ‘own’ your accomplishments and the contributions you make.  Stand proud in your space and find joy in being you.

It’s a journey and oftentimes I start by working with clients to update their resume even if they aren’t looking for another job.  Just the process of talking about their work history, and discovering how to express strengths and accomplishments by recapping results delivered begins to unlock a new self image.  I remember when I first took the StrengthsFinder assessment and sat down with my team to review my top five talent themes.  I had this epiphany:  I didn’t need to be good at everything, and I was OK with things that aren’t natural talents for me because, dang, I’m really good at what I’m good at.  Stepping into your own space can lead to a powerful shift.  It’s like letting the genie out of the bottle.  That genie, by the way, can help make your dreams come true.

So to make changes in your career, whether you change jobs or not, start with identifying and appreciating your strengths, accomplishments, and the unique ways you create results and therefore value.   To make changes in your life, let that wall between your work self and the rest of you come down and follow the same path.  Identify and appreciate your strengths, accomplishments, and the unique ways you create value for your family, your loved ones, your friends, your community, and anyone else who touches your life.  Let the genie out of the bottle and see the value in your self. 

I’d love to support you on this journey.  Let’s start with talking about your career.  Who knows where it will lead – perhaps to the life of your dreams.