I like to keep busy and I like working on different projects, especially if they're interesting or will stretch my abilities a bit.
I do turn work down though. I was chatting with a mentor and explained that I had been asked to do a piece of work that was going to be pretty lucrative, but I'd decided against it because it 'just didn't feel right'. This led to a conversation about values and the importance (for me) of working with people who 'fit'.
Equality
This is a pretty common value, but for me it means providing learning opportunities to anyone and everyone who want them. I'm passionate about gender equality and was saddened to read that in many companies, men are much more likely to be put forward for leadership training than women. I really believe that anyone can do whatever they want to with the right training and support, so being able to offer learning opportunities to everyone, regardless of any demographic characteristic, length of service or seniority is particularly important to me.
Integrity
Again, a pretty common value, but it's so important to remind myself to do the right things even when no one is watching. I am continuously learning and regularly dedicate time in my week to attend training and to learn informally too. I would never ask participants to do something that I wouldn't do myself.
Results-focused
I am not interested in creating training just for the sake of it and hate the idea of people being forced to go on courses and take time out of their priorities just to tick a box. I also don't like the idea of training being used as some kind of treat for people - training should be about outcomes, results, behaviour change - not just an excuse to abandon your to do list and get lunch paid for!
Continuous improvement
As well as continuously learning and developing my skills, I'm continuously asking for feedback, reviewing my practices and trying the latest techniques and tools. These of course have to be results focused, so as tempting as some shiny new software is, it has to help me or my clients get better results.
I love working with people and organisations that are aligned with these values - it makes the work so much easier knowing that the same things are important to us all. Even if we don't agree on how the project should look initially, we can use these values as a sense check to guide our conversations and decisions.