Leading Lady Coaching

Aligning Personal Values with Business Vision

Have you ever felt disconnected from your business? Like somewhere along the way, you’ve drifted away from your personal values? I get it. After 20 years of running my preschool business, I recently had an eye-opening moment that changed everything.

My executive director asked me a simple question about my values, and I realized something big – while I constantly talked about running businesses based on personal values, I hadn’t checked in with my own in quite a while. Life got busy, distractions piled up, and before I knew it, I’d lost sight of what mattered most. I needed to realign my personal values with my business vision.

The Power of Personal Values in Entrepreneurship

Your personal values aren’t just feel-good statements – they’re the foundation of every decision you make. When I started my preschool, I knew what I wanted to create. I was pregnant with my first child and couldn’t find a place that aligned with what I believed in. That frustration sparked something bigger than just a business idea – it sparked a mission driven by my deepest personal values.

The Personal Values Exercise: A Deep Dive

Here’s the exact process I used to realign my business with my personal values:

1. Identify Your True North Star

List your top five personal values. For me, they were community, excellence, perspective, love, and integrity. These aren’t just random words – they’re the principles that guide every aspect of your life and business.

When I first did this exercise, I was surprised by how quickly these values came to me. It was as if they had been waiting just beneath the surface, ready to be acknowledged. Each value resonated deeply with experiences from both my personal life and my journey as an entrepreneur.

2. Define Your Values Personally

Take each value and find a definition that truly resonates with you. For example, my definition of community is “a feeling of fellowship with others as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” When you define your personal values clearly, you’ll know exactly what they look like in action.

For “excellence,” my personal definition evolved over time. Initially, I associated it with perfection – a standard that often led to burnout. Now, I define excellence as “consistently striving to do our best while embracing growth and learning from mistakes.” This shift in definition has profoundly impacted how I approach challenges in my business.

3. Map Your Values to Business Actions

This is where it gets practical. For each personal value, list specific ways it shows up (or should show up) in your business. In my preschool, my “community” value means creating a safe space where families feel seen and heard, where staff support each other, and where everyone works toward the common goal of nurturing children.

For “perspective,” this translated into regular team meetings where we share different viewpoints on child development strategies. We also implemented a program where staff members spend time in different classrooms, gaining fresh insights into various age groups and teaching styles.

4. Spot the Gaps

Here’s the challenging part – identify areas where you’ve drifted from your personal values. After the pandemic, I realized I was operating from fear rather than my core values. I worried about holding boundaries or setting expectations because we’d experienced such high turnover. Recognizing these gaps is crucial for getting back on track.

One significant gap I noticed was in how we were communicating with parents. In our effort to maintain enrollment during uncertain times, we had become less transparent about our curriculum changes and challenges. This realization was uncomfortable but necessary – it showed me where we needed to realign with our value of integrity.

5. Create Your Action Plan

Break down the changes you need to make into small, manageable steps. When I did this, I created specific action items for each value. For example, under “excellence,” we looked at everything from professional development to the quality of materials in our classrooms.

To address the communication gap with parents, we developed a monthly newsletter that shared both our successes and challenges. We also instituted regular parent-teacher conferences, not just to discuss children’s progress, but to gather feedback on our programs. These steps helped us realign with our values of community and integrity.

Embracing the Challenge: When Personal Values and Business Realities Collide

It’s important to acknowledge that aligning your personal values with your business vision isn’t always smooth sailing. There will be times when your values are tested, when market pressures or financial realities seem to push against what you believe in.

I faced this challenge head-on during the economic downturn a few years ago. Enrollment was down, and we were feeling the financial strain. There was pressure to cut corners, to reduce staff hours, or to compromise on the quality of our programs. These options went against my core values of excellence and community.

Instead of compromising, we got creative. We reached out to our community – parents, local businesses, and even competitors. We formed partnerships, shared resources, and found innovative ways to maintain our standards while reducing costs. This experience taught me that when you stay true to your personal values, you often find solutions you never would have considered otherwise.

The Ripple Effect: How Your Personal Values Impact Others

One of the most rewarding aspects of aligning your personal values with your business vision is seeing how it impacts others. When you lead with authenticity and purpose, it inspires your team, your clients, and even your competitors.

In our preschool, I’ve watched staff members grow not just professionally, but personally. They’ve embraced our values and carried them into their own lives. Parents often tell me how our approach has influenced their parenting style or even their own career choices.

This ripple effect extends beyond our immediate community. We’ve had the opportunity to mentor other preschool owners, sharing our value-driven approach. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see our personal values shaping the broader landscape of early childhood education.

Your Next Steps: A Personal Values Journey

Are you ready to align your business with your personal values? Set aside some time to walk through my Personal Values exercise. Here’s a summary of the steps:

  1. Set aside quiet time to identify your top five personal values
  2. Write your own definitions that truly resonate with you
  3. List specific ways each value should show up in your business
  4. Be honest about where you’ve gotten off track
  5. Create clear action steps to realign

Remember, it’s okay if you’ve drifted from your personal values – what matters is recognizing it and taking steps to get back on course. I’m proof that even after 20 years in business, this exercise can reignite your passion and purpose.

As you embark on this journey, be patient with yourself. Aligning your business with your personal values is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. It requires regular reflection and adjustment. But I can assure you, the rewards are worth it. When your business truly reflects your personal values, you’ll find a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment in your work.

A Continuous Journey of Growth and Alignment

As I reflect on my journey of aligning personal values with business vision, I’m reminded that it’s not a destination, but a continuous process. Our values may evolve as we grow and face new challenges. The key is to stay connected to what truly matters to you and to regularly reassess how those values are reflected in your business.

I encourage you to view this alignment not as a task to be completed, but as an ongoing dialogue between your personal beliefs and your business practices. It’s this dynamic interplay that keeps your work meaningful and your vision clear.

Join the Leading Lady Community

Ready to realign your personal values with your business vision? Reach out, and let’s create something amazing together – a business that not only succeeds but feels authentically yours through and through. You’ve got this, Leading Lady!

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