The Secret Recipe for Engagement? In This Case, These Three Values
Originally presented at a keynote for Canada's public sector workforce, this article explores how three specific values—personal growth, personal responsibility, and balance—can become the foundation for a new way to think about the people you work with, lead, or serve. And how they can help you make better decisions about how to engage and influence them.
Let me tell you a quick story.
A few years ago, I was asked to help solve a talent crisis in the skilled trades. The room was full of business owners who were saying, "We can’t find people. Nobody wants to work with their hands anymore." But when we did the Valuegraphics research on people considering careers in the trades, we found something surprising. What mattered most to this group wasn’t money, or status, or even stability. It was a value we call Service to Others. That one insight changed everything for the people in that room.
Values tell us What Matters Most to people. And when we know what matters most, we know how to move the needle.
Let’s fast forward to a recent keynote for federal public service leadership across Canada. We did a custom study of their values. Out of the 56 values that drive human behavior, three stood out. We call these the Power Values, and for this group, they are: Personal Growth, Personal Responsibility, and Balance. These three values matter more to the public sector workforce than they do to the general population by a significant margin. And understanding what these values mean gives us a fresh, actionable way to engage and inspire these people.
Here are some ideas from my keynote:
1. Personal Growth: Micro-Learning, Macro Impact
This is about becoming a better version of yourself. The public sector workforce wants to improve. Not someday, but today, tomorrow, and every day after that. They're seeking new tools, insights, and skills that will help them move forward.
One idea? Micro-credentialing. Create a pathway for small, quick wins. Bite-sized training. Single-day workshops. Certifications that don’t require weeks away from the job. Whether it's learning a new tool or building emotional intelligence, these are people who want to grow. Give them chances to measure that growth, and you’ll have their full attention.
2. Personal Responsibility: Accountability Feels Good
Overwhelmingly, the federal public sector workforce wants to get stuff done because it makes them feel stable and grounded. People with this value like making lists. But even more, they like checking them off.
So try something simple. A weekly pledge, made public to the members of their team. One thing each team member will do before the next meeting. It could be work-related or personal. Doesn’t matter. At the next meeting, celebrate the completions. Watch the culture shift. These are folks who feel better when they’re moving things forward.
3. Balance: The Culture of Pause
This value is so rare in workplace profiles. But it showed up strong for public sector employees. These are people craving equilibrium. The kind that shows up on your calendar and in your soul.
Here’s a thought: schedule protected time. Every Wednesday from 2 to 3? No meetings. No calls. Just space. For breathing. For recalibrating. For catching up with your own thoughts. Call it "The Culture of Pause."
Or go even smaller. End every meeting five minutes early, as one team I met at this keynote does. Use that time for a reset. Not everything has to be huge to be powerful.
So What Now?
These three values—Personal Growth, Personal Responsibility, and Balance—aren’t universal. They’re not the Power Values for every group. They happen to be the most important ones for this particular audience. That’s the point.
When we understand What Matters Most to a specific group of people, we can build better engagement strategies. We can influence them in ways that feel natural, respectful, and effective.
And this changes everything.
Because it means we no longer have to rely on stereotypes or outdated demographic labels. We don’t have to assume that all Millennials want flexibility, or that women like pink, or that Gen Z is lazy or brilliant or whatever the latest headline says.
Instead, we know what they value. We know What Matters Most.
And we can build from there.
Want to know What Matters Most to the people you need to inspire?
Download free guides and resources.
Use the free Valueprint Finder to see how your values compare.
Find out why people call David “The Values Guy.”
Search the blog library for ways to put values to work for you.
