Values are standards that guide our decision-making and behavior and serve as the basis for our interactions with others.

There are over 200+ words to describe values including such common terms as truth, honor, peace and loyalty.

What makes each human being is unique is the way that he or she prioritizes these values and acts upon them.

We consider “Personal Core Values” as the small set of values that an individual personally prioritizes – as evidenced by her decision-making and behavior.

Our personal core values are shaped by two primary forces: Genetics and Environment.

The category of “Environment” may include: your family, the media, your community, your education, your culture and life events.

Behavior: Our Values In Action

Our behavior is the ultimate determinant of our values. It’s not about what we “say” we value, it’s about what we do that truly indicates our priorities.

Accordingly, this Personal Core Values Assessment is behavior-based. You will be asked a series of questions about your behavior – what you do, and don’t do.

Each behavior is broadly representative of one of fourteen relatively independent values:

Achievement, Belonging, Concern for the Environment, Concern for Others, Creativity, Health, Humility, Independence, Loyalty, Precision, Privacy, Prosperity, Responsibility, Spirituality.

In a few instances, the specific terms used to describe the values has been modified based upon feedback of other program participants.

VALUES EVOLVE

Values-awareness is the foundation of all self-awareness.

While your values are heavily influenced by your genes, they are not immutable – they can, and do, change over time.

A healthy, self-aware person should re-assess his or her values at least once per year to ensure that their habits, actions and decisions remain aligned with who they are and what they most value.

SUMMARY

You are at your best when your actions, including your goals and decisions, allow you to meet your needs (security, connection, significance and growth) in a manner consistent with your personal core values.

By helping you to define and clarify what you value most, this assessment can help you make hard trade-offs and tough decisions with confidence.

In addition, when shared, this knowledge of your core values will help you to better understand, and interact with, others.

Our hope is that this assessment will help to increase your clarity, confidence and compassion at both work and home.