‘Tis the season! If you’re like most people still caught in the corporate cycle, you’re likely writing performance reviews—but are you thinking about values alignment?. This can be an awkward and even dreaded time. I know some who think the whole process is just performative—a check-the-box exercise. But what if it was more? What if this end-of-year review asked whether your efforts align with who you are? Did you act and work authentically? What if you took this time to reflect not just on your accomplishments but also on whether you are in service to your authentic self?
Research shows that people living in alignment with their values experience greater contentment and less stress (Oberlin, 2024). Living out of alignment can have the opposite effect. I know this from my own experience. Misalignment with your values often leads to chronic tension, fatigue, frustration, and loss of motivation (Warner, 2025). It creates cognitive dissonance that erodes your well-being and engagement in life.
Leaders, this message is for you too. Are you encouraging your teams to think about and align with their personal and team values? During my time at Amazon, we rallied around the Leadership Principles. When these principles were put into practice, my colleagues and I felt engaged and motivated. Conversely, when leaders or others strayed from the company’s core values, feelings of betrayal and mistrust would follow. Remember, good employees will vote with their feet. When teams share aligned values, they make better decisions under pressure, are more resilient in the face of setbacks, have more energy, build better relationships, and overall experience improved well-being (Auerbach, 2025). Who wouldn’t want that for their team?
Here’s a challenge to close out this year and start the next: think about performance review values. When writing appraisals think about which accomplishments aligned with your values and which felt like box-checking. When setting goals, ask yourself if they serve your values or just company metrics. When giving or receiving feedback, consider whether it’s about performance or value alignment. If your company already has strong values or principles, you’re halfway there. But what about personal values? Having honest conversations about core beliefs and conducting a values audit can be empowering. They can help keep employees motivated, engaged, healthy, and doing their best work. If the audit reveals misalignment, that information matters – even if it leads to difficult conversations or career changes. Some people will discover they need to have honest discussions with their leaders about adjusting their role. Others might realize they need to leave. Both are valid responses to clarity. The point isn’t to make everyone comfortable – it’s to help people live and work in alignment with who they actually are.
Sources:
Auerbach, A. (2025, March 7). The 5 benefits of aligning your actions with your values. Performance DNA. https://www.performancedna.io/p/the-5-benefits-of-aligning-your-actions__
Oberlin, L. (2024, March). The benefits of a value-driven life. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-full-picture/202403/the-benefits-of-a-value-driven-life
Warner, R. C. (2025, June 2). Living in alignment with values, identity, and purpose. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/leadership-diversity-and-wellness/202506/living-in-alignment-with-values-identity-and-purpose