Values are what make us who we are. Each of us carries values that drive us to act in one way or another. Values are therefore the ingredient of life, and can be used to improve your life. What values do you uphold? In reality, your success in life is linked to the professional values you uphold.

This article reviews 3 essential values for the world of work that I invite you to master today.

Professional values: why are they useful?

Values are the result of our culture and upbringing. Some people think that we acquire solid values at school, and that’s somewhat true. But our values are the result of all our experiences: our failures, our successes, our fears and our attempts.

You can fall ill on a regular basis, and still possess the strength to forge ahead despite the illness. This is because you have been taught (or have acquired) values such as courage and determination. On the other hand, a person can have everything to succeed professionally and still fail. Perhaps they’ve cultivated negative values like laziness or renunciation? What values do you cultivate to succeed in business?

If you have the right professional values, you’ll be a more successful employee, more appreciated, and you’ll probably get what you want in terms of raises and taking on more responsibility. Your happiness and professional fulfillment increase dramatically when you act according to your values.

So what are these essential values in the world of work?. Here, I’d simply like to introduce you to the three most important. If they are an integral part of your personality, no boss, no task, no professional activity will resist you.

Identify your values: the 3 ingredients of a successful professional life

“The more human values you have, the more valuable a human you will be”

Certain professional values will make you a respected entrepreneur, manager or employee. But only 3 values make you a valuable person. If you identify and work on these assets, your personal success will depend exclusively on you. Here are the personal and professional values you’ll always need:

SELF-CONFIDENCE: THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL VALUE
Self-confidence is essential in the workplace. Without it, you’ll never be truly effective. You may even feel out of place. Above all, lack of self-confidence can cost you many opportunities. Yes, self-confidence is the first and most important professional value.

I remember this story about two young women who had landed a job interview with a major international firm. They all had excellent profiles and roughly the same number of years of study. But each of them was asked the question:

“Could you seriously achieve the sales we’re looking at, which are very high?”

The first young woman, who was the most qualified, answered without much conviction:

“I’ll do my best”.

The second said with incredible aplomb:

“Even if they’re twice as high, I’d still go well beyond the set threshold!”

You can guess who got the job, can’t you? The first failed simply because she lacked self-confidence, not because she was less qualified or less competent.

What to remember?
In your professional life, opportunities to reveal who you are are bound to come your way sooner or later. Will you seize this unique opportunity to change your life? Here are a few additional tips to boost your self-confidence at work. Set yourself small goals every day and practice the Coué method to regain your confidence. Doors will soon open.

Don’t let anyone, not even someone close to you, make you think you’ll never succeed at work. Get rid of negative thoughts, and your life will change dramatically.

Yes, self-confidence is the key ingredient to success in business, and if you’re feeling helpless in this area, here are two ways to help you move forward:

Identify your qualities so that you can develop and promote them intelligently.
Identify your weaknesses and turn them into strengths.

PERFORMANCE: THE SECOND FUNDAMENTAL PROFESSIONAL VALUE
Performance is a key value, and whatever people may say, we live in an age of capitalism. The world of work often resembles a jungle, which is why, if you don’t perform, you’ll lose your job. Performance is the only real link with your company. So make a point of becoming a top performer. How do you get there?

Here are 3 tips that work:

Train yourself properly: don’t imitate those who have succeeded through cheating and subterfuge. If you feel you haven’t really mastered an aspect of your work, get trained – even if you have to pay for it out of your own pocket. To help you with this, consider taking a skills assessment.

Be humble enough to ask: accept that you’re not a rocket scientist. If a colleague who asks is accumulating knowledge and experience, then be open to criticism and ask when you haven’t understood what has been said, asked or demanded. In the long run, you’ll avoid a lot of mistakes and perform better.

Work twice as hard: all work builds skill. If you work a little harder than others, you won’t necessarily earn a lot of money. But you’ll earn your boss’s respect, and valuable experience that will come in handy wherever you are.

Of course, these tips will be all the more useful and applicable if you love what you do. If you don’t really know, check to see if your job really suits you, or do a few exercises to identify a profession in which you can thrive.

THIRD VALUE: A SENSE OF COMMITMENT
In my opinion, this is the most important value in a worker. At least, many bosses agree. In the event of redundancy, we don’t hesitate to sacrifice competent, trusting employees. But a boss is very hesitant, and very rarely sacrifices an employee with a sense of commitment.

This quality simply means treating the place where you work as your own business, and doing what you would normally do to perpetuate an asset that belongs to you. In concrete terms, those who do this spare no effort and come up with innovative solutions to improve the company’s results.

Just think: companies like Facebook and Apple look for this value in their potential candidates, long before a diploma! Do you have a sense of commitment? If so, you’ll undoubtedly be a very valuable worker for your company.

As a result, labor specialists are increasingly promoting values-based management. This is proof that values are essential to professional success. Develop these 3 professional values, as well as other important personal values.