6. How to Find, Define, and Use Your Values

IRINA COZMA

WHAT ARE YOUR values? As a career coach, when I ask my clients this question, I usually get one of two answers. They say either “I’ve never actually thought about that” or “Oh, easy. These are my values.” After more conversations, the first group often realizes that they do have some ideas about their values, and the second group realizes that their values are mostly just a list of words without substance. Both reactions are valid—it’s not easy to have clarity around your values. After all, the importance of identifying and using them isn’t emphasized in our society. Most of us aren’t taught how to do this type of self-reflection in school. You probably won’t be asked to identify your values for any job. And your employer will probably never…

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Harvard Business Review Special Issues (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2025

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