Values drive life. Values are the things that are deeply important to you, and they influence the decisions we make, the experiences we have and the behaviours we show.  

Values are very personal. What might be important to you may not be as important to someone else, and we must be careful not to assume that our definition of a value is the same as someone else.  

When you think about your clients, the value of having a job will most likely differ for each of them. It’s important to recognise this and remember not to assume they will place the same value on working.  

There are no right or wrong values, but they are an excellent personal compass for decision-making. They are the things that set us apart from others, as they encompass our personal integrity, morals, standards and personal ethics.  

We look at values in two different ways; 

MEANS VALUES 
These values are identified as objects, people, or experiences. In other words, they are the ‘things’ that make us feel a certain way.  

EXAMPLE – money, car, house, holidays  

ENDS VALUES  

These values are identified as the emotion or feeling we get from the ‘thing we want’. Ends values are the powerful values we want to uncover and understand because how we feel influences the decisions we make and the behaviours we exhibit.  

EXAMPLE – security, freedom, control, achievement  

Finding out what’s important  

Understanding your clients’ values positively influences your ability to help them and allows you to deepen your relationship. As a job coach, it’s your role to ask great questions that will uncover what is important to your clients so that you can help them find a job that aligns with their values.  

If they find work that meets their values, they are more likely to stay employed and have higher levels of wellbeing and happiness.    

You can find out what is important to your clients by asking great questions:  

• What is important to you about having a job?
•  Can you tell me what having a job means to you?  
• What do you love to do in your spare time?  
• What does doing ..X.. give you?  

Example: 

Coach: What is important to you about having a job?  

Client: It will give me money! (Money = MEANS VALUE) 

Coach: And what does having money mean to you? 

Client: It means I can pay my bills and give my family a roof over their heads.  

Coach: That’s great, so if you could pay your bills and have a house for your family, how would that make you feel?   

Client: It makes me feel safe (Security = ENDS VALUE) and proud that I can provide for my family (Pride = ENDS VALUE)   

Next time you meet with your clients, try asking questions to help them understand what’s important to them so you can unpack their values. Then, once you know what’s important to them, you can suggest and nudge solutions that will meet their values.   

We deep dive into exploring values in our Bounce Job Coach Certification. With simple, but highly effective tools and strategies, the course shows you exactly how to elicit your client’s values and create a plan for setting goals, so you can get great outcomes with your clients every time you meet with them.