Have You Ever Thought About This?
Have you ever stopped to think about how your personal values align (or don’t) with your team and organisation?
Do they match up perfectly? Do they clash? Or maybe you’ve never really thought about it before?
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this lately—off the back of my previous workplaces and the questions we regularly get from our clients. What happens when personal, team, and organisational values are (or aren’t) in sync? And more importantly, why does it matter?
What I have observed is:
✅ When all three align, work feels meaningful. Teams collaborate better. Decision-making is clearer. Everyone thrives.
❌ When they don’t, things get messy. You might feel disengaged, frustrated, or even burnt out. Teams become disjointed. Organisations struggle to retain great people.
So, What Can You Do? As a first step, take stock. Do you know what your personal values are? Does your team know what it stands for? Does your organisation make its values clear beyond just words on a website?
Reflect – What are your non-negotiable values? Are they supported in your workplace?
Talk About It – Have open conversations with your team. Do you actually share the same core values, or do you just assume you do?
Find the Flexibility – Sometimes, values don’t need to be identical, just respected and acknowledged.
But……Sometimes, it’s a dealbreaker – If your values directly oppose those of your team or organisation, misalignment can hold you back from reaching your full potential. For example:
If you value evidence-based decision-making but work in a highly entrepreneurial, risk-taking environment, you might feel uncomfortable with the pace and lack of data-driven choices.
If you believe in inclusivity but work in a culture that thrives on exclusivity and hierarchy, you may constantly feel at odds with the way decisions are made. I reckon this isn’t just a feel-good exercise—it’s fundamental to high-performing teams and engaged individuals. Taking the time to think, talk, and workshop values can make the difference between a thriving, motivated workplace and one where people feel lost or disconnected. That’s exactly why I run Verging Values, a workshop designed to help teams explore where their values sit and how to create stronger alignment.
So—have you ever thought about your values in this way? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 👇
p.s. Thanks to AI for the image of a girl with freckles and long brown hair thinking about values. 🫤