There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is for people to focus on their values, translate these into a clear vision and deliver visible results.
This is an approach that can be followed by individuals, teams and organisations. The key is for them to go beyond words, however, and translate the values into action.
Different people follow this approach in different ways. Whatever route they take, this often involves focusing on the following themes.
Values
Imagine that you want to follow this approach in your own way. The first step can be to clarify the values you want to follow in your life. Here are some things that people mention when doing this exercise.
My Values – The values I
want to follow in my life are:
To be grateful … To be kind … To encourage people … To care for my loved ones … To have a positive attitude … To focus on possibilities … To use my talents to help people … To pass on a positive legacy.
Different people clarify their values at different times in their lives. Here are some of the ways that people may take this step.
Some people learn values from their parents, teachers and other significant people.
Some people follow values based on their spiritual faith, life philosophy or vocation.
Some people decide to follow certain values after an experience that encourages them to focus on what is important in life.
Some individuals revisit their values during challenging times. These provide a guiding compass that enables them:
To focus on the values they want to follow in the situation;
To follow these values when making decisions that will shape their future;
To clarify how to translate these values into action.
Let’s return to your own life. What are the values you want to follow in your life? If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentence.
Vision
Imagine that you have clarified your values. The next step may be to translate one of these into action. This can involve the following steps:
To clarify the specific value you want to focus on;
To clarify the specific things you can do translate this into action and to set the specific goals you want to achieve;
To clarify the specific action plan for achieving this vision.
Different people may aim to achieve different things. They may aim to encourage people in a specific way, raise money for a charity or help people to find satisfying work.
They may aim to build on their strengths, do a special piece of work or do a creative project. They may aim to do something practical to build a better society or to do another activity.
Imagine you want to focus on one of your values and translate that into action. What may be the goals you want to achieve?
This can be something relatively simple – such as encouraging a person, caring for a garden or writing an article. It could be something bigger – such as renovating a house, building a successful team or achieving a specific goal.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
Visible Results
Imagine that you have clarified how to translate your values into action. Sometimes you will do something that may be hard to see but is valuable. You may help people to develop their self-confidence, create enriching experiences or give people positive memories for life.
Sometimes you may aim to produce more visible results. You may aim to create a website that helps other people, produce a play or build a successful prototype that shows people a better way.
Let’s assume that you are ready to move into action. Before doing so, it can be useful to explore some of the following questions.
What are the real results I want to achieve? What are the key strategies I can follow to give myself the greatest chance of success? How can I get some early wins? How can I do my best to achieve the picture of success?
There are many ways to do fine work. One approach is to focus on your values, translate these into a clear vision and achieve visible results.
If you wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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