5.1 Jon’s values
In Table 2 Jon has listed what is important to him in the world, about his work, his relationships and himself.
| In the world | In my work (paid, unpaid or voluntary) | In my relationships | In myself | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What matters to me? | Am interested in environmental issues. Feel strongly about health and fitness and would like to see more people doing sport, especially young people. I think IT has enormous potential to enhance people’s lives. Don’t necessarily see that as a contradiction! | I’m ambitious but I’m also concerned about what colleagues think of me. | Claire and the children – taking equal responsibility for the children. Want to make sure that we have quality time together. | Keeping fit. Getting a good qualification. Winning – I know I’m competitive! I like to be good at everything I tackle. I want to make sure that my family is financially secure. |
| What is most important to me? | Concerns about the future in terms of the sort of society my children will live in. Would like to be more involved in promoting sport. | I want the respect of colleagues, I want to be seen as the best person for the job that I do. I want to have a position of responsibility. | Recognising that Claire will want to start a career when the boys are a bit older. To make sure that the children have a good education and the chance to go to university. Want them to have a better start than I did. |
Jon then went on to draw the contents of his table in a spray diagram, shown in Figure 8, which made it easier for him to see some of the connections between his ideas.
Notice how Jon’s values and beliefs cut across several aspects of his life. In the ‘what matters’ part of the spray diagram, his work is only one aspect of what is important to him. When he asks himself what is most important, however, the spray diagram illustrates how his work might fit with his other aspirations.
Now, it’s time for you to have a go at this yourself, in the next section.