How to set goals rooted in your values
Feel more in control of your career path with values-based goal-setting.
“I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way”
Frank Sinatra, My Way
A few months ago, I was starting my Monday morning easy: sipping coffee, eating breakfast, and listening to a podcast. I was about to change the podcast to some focus music. At that moment, I heard the guest say something that instantly snapped a bunch of missing puzzle pieces into place:
“[I] think about three levels in what I do: One is the job. One is my work. One is this idea of vocation.” —Jeff Veen, Design MBA (16:35)
He was responding to a longer thread about his career trajectory. Immediately, I could picture the three levels in my head: Job, Work, Vocation. He continued to give definition to each level.
The job is exactly what you think it is: your current role (title) and the related responsibilities, milestones, goals, and achievements. The work is the stuff you do and your talents & passions. The parts of your job you enjoy. Your vocation is the purpose for what you do. Your calling. What are you called to do? As Jeff sums it up in the interview:
“All of that sounds like some abstract Medium essay that somebody would write. But the reality is, it’s been really grounding for me to say I have a general sense of purpose for what I think [I’m] doing in this big transition from industrial to digital. How that should work [and] who should benefit. I have a bunch of values around that stuff. So, is my work pointing at [my values]? And are all the jobs I have done and the ones I will do in the future, are they all supporting that work to get to those values?”
Jeff’s way of evaluating job opportunities based on work and vocation made so much sense.
Something clicked in my brain.
I remembered a multi-step exercise with my manager, Yaprak, six months earlier.
I was skeptical about a multi-step process for work goals… Did I really need to write down my core values, reflect on past experiences, do a SWOT analysis all simply to draft OKRs for the next six months? It sounded like overkill. Mostly due to my previous experience.
Despite my skepticism, I did the exercise with Yaprak.
Man, what a difference.
Until then, setting goals felt forced. An exercise for the company's sake, not my own. Goals were frequently thwarted by events outside my control, or grounded in business outcomes I had no power affecting.
The process with Yaprak was so much easier. My values were easy to define. My strengths and weaknesses were easy to define. The gaps in my current role were easy to define. Everything fell into place.
The final goals led to the happiest, most productive, and impactful six months I’ve had at Spotify. I sensed the momentum. I felt the acceleration in my productivity. I saw meaningful progress each month. Everything felt more aligned.
But why were my goals working so well? The question sat in the back of my mind for months. What happened to the thwarted intentions and unclear business goals of the past?
Jeff’s three levels made the answer clear.
The process with Yaprak was meaningful because it grounded everything in my core values and purpose — my vocation — rather than business outcomes I couldn’t affect.
The goals had staying power. They enriched and improved the talents & passions I already possessed — my work — instead of aiming for things outside my control.
The goals were impactful. They leveraged the skills and behaviors I already possessed to create impact on my current job rather than rely on developing new skills.
I no longer have the “why” question in the back of my mind. I’m convinced. Aligning my job goals to my values (vocation) and my talents (work) creates focus, energy, and leverage.
I feel more control. I feel anchored. My career trajectory is clearer because I can connect my values, my work, and my job. Anchored in my values, and the kind of work I enjoy, I have a better line of sight to the work experiences I want to tackle next.
Putting this into practice
I’ve asked Yaprak to create an overview of the process she used with me. I hope to share it in this newsletter soon.
In the meantime, I’ve taken Jeff’s three levels and added my answers. I hope the comparison helps you consider your own responses.
My Vocation “What is the purpose for what you do, what is your calling?” (Values & Purpose)
Mat values collaboration, strategic thinking, learning, creating, and having fun.
Mat’s purpose is to improve people’s experience of the world, and help others through teaching.
My Work “What do you love doing?” (Talents & Passions)
Mat’s good at researching customer & user needs, prototyping, collaborating with a team, and designing software.
Mat has a passion for solving hard problems, facilitating progress, developing product strategy, understanding how things work, and teaching others.
My Job is “What am I doing right now?” (Skills, Responsibilities, Behaviors)
Mat’s a Senior Product Designer at Spotify responsible for Research & Development to improve the personalisation of Spotify’s user experience.
Mat’s currently developing his ability to achieve radical focus, become a visual storyteller, and lead boldly.
Final thoughts
In the wilderness cairns show the way where markers can’t. The three levels of Vocation, Work, and Job are like a cairn for your career. Most companies have career paths, but few of us stop to think where the company’s path intersects with our own.
Jobs come and go but values don’t. Knowing the direction of your career can help orient you anytime you need a new aim.
The next time you sit down to write goals, think first. What are my values? What is my purpose? What talents and passions can I contribute? For my current job, what skills, behaviors, and knowledge do I have or need to achieve the impact I desire?
A few questions to kick-start your thinking:
Reflect on your values.
What is important to you in work and in life? (Aim for four core values at most)
What gives your work purpose and meaning?
Where do you want your career to go?
What’s your next next job and why can’t you get it now?
Reflect on your talents, passions, opportunities.
Where do you excel the most?
What comes easy to you, but not to others?
What is difficult for you? What do you avoid?
Reflect on the needs of your job.
What skills, behaviors, or knowledge do you need to be successful in the role?
What skills or behaviors do you already have you can leverage?
What skill gaps do you need to fill?
I hope this helps you set better goals.
A big thanks to Yaprak for helping build my cairn! 💖
Have a fun week!
-Mat
P.S. How do you set goals at work? Is there a better or different way? Reply, let me know!