Grounded in Your Core Values

Each day we are faced with decisions.  Some decisions are routine and part of our default system. Others are a bit more complex and must be carefully considered.

Coaches have to make daily decisions about themselves, their teams, their families, their relationships and their profession.

Coaches are judged by the decisions they make! 

Identifying, defining and living your personal core values will help you face uncertainty, find clarity and make those tough decisions in alignment with what you stand for.  Your core values are those principles and beliefs that form the foundation for who you are and who you want to be. 

Values matter. What you believe is important will guide your behavior. When we take time to truly examine what our values are and why they are important, we are better prepared to meet life’s challenges. 

We are living in uncertain times! The world of sports is being transformed and shaped on a daily basis. Coaching today is more complex and demanding than in years past. Coaches face challenges inside and outside the competitive arena that influence their behavior and performance.

What separates coaches today is their ability to operate effectively during this period of uncertainty.  Staying grounded in their core values will positively impact their work and personal life and will allow them to make the best decision for themselves and their programs.

So how do you align your behavior and decision making with your core values?

The first step is to take the time to identify your core values.  Next, reflect on how your core values have impacted your decision making in the past, if they did at all.  Then, think about how you want your core values to guide you in the future.  

Once you’ve taken these steps, you must bring awareness to the behaviors, decision making and habits that you have acquired over time. Self-awareness is the ability to recognize your emotions and how they impact both your performance and others.  Self-awareness allows you to be conscious of your behaviors and decision making.  With a deep self-awareness and understanding of your thoughts and experiences you have a better chance of making decisions guided by and grounded in your core values.

Ways to improve self-awareness:  Journaling and Mindfulness.

Journaling is one of the best ways to increase self-awareness. Journaling will give you important feedback about yourself and your performance. Writing your core values on paper helps you visualize them more clearly, imaging what you want to achieve.  Reflecting on your decisions and actions from day to day as they relate to your core values will help you become mindful of whether you are putting your core values into action regularly.

Mindfulness is “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.” - Jon Kabat Zinn.  Having an awareness of your emotions, decisions and actions as you go about your day will be a powerful tool that will allow you to better understand the decisions you make and actions you take. Mindfulness can help you affirm your core values when making crucial decisions by strengthening your commitment to and acting in alignment with your core values.  Make a point to remind yourself to lead with the values that are most important to you.

Core values need to be established before a desired team culture comes to fruition. 

Values-driven coaches have a better chance of achieving a performance standard because they are grounded in a set of foundational principles. 

When considering who to recruit or hire, your core values should inform your recruitment and hiring process.  A competitive team culture connects values to behaviors. It helps everyone know the expectations, what is encouraged and rewarded. Your core values offer a shared language and define your team’s culture.

Here is a suggestion:

In the interview process create your own “Character Scorecard.” The scorecard could include behavioral questions focused on character and core values.  Creating a values based recruiting process will provide you with valuable information to identify whether an athlete or potential staff member is aligned with your core values and a fit for your program.  

Clear core values will help you recruit the right athletes, hire the right staff, navigate through crises and remain accountable to the commitments you make.

Let me know how I can help you in incorporating a core values strategy for you and your program. I am here to support you on your journey!