Season 3 – Episode 015: With Jackie Le Fèvre
Ever felt like you’re swimming against the tide at work, but can’t quite put your finger on why? Or maybe you’ve said “yes” to something only to regret it later, wondering why you ignored that gut feeling? Welcome to the world of values—the invisible compass that shapes your decisions, reactions, and even your stress levels. In this episode of A Job Done Well, James and Jimmy are joined by Dr. Jackie Le Fèvre, a values specialist with a PhD in the subject (yes, really), to peel back the layers on what values actually are, why they matter, and how understanding them can transform your work life.
Jackie, who started her career as a zoologist before diving into the psychology of human behaviour, breaks down how values act as emotional shortcuts—helping us navigate a world overflowing with information, demands, and corporate nonsense. They’re not just abstract ideas; they’re the lens through which we see the world, the filter that tells us what’s worth our energy and what’s not. And here’s the kicker: when we ignore them, we’re not just unhappy—we’re stressed, drained, and even physically unwell. Ever put off a simple task because it felt like scraping your nails on a chalkboard? That’s your values talking.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Jackie shares how becoming conscious of your values can turn conflict into clarity, self-doubt into self-compassion, and even help you reframe tasks you’d rather avoid (yes, James, that includes posting videos on LinkedIn). From journaling to noticing what makes your heart sing—or sink—she offers practical ways to uncover what truly matters to you.
So if you’re tired of feeling like a cog in someone else’s machine, or just want to understand why you react the way you do, this episode is your wake-up call. Values aren’t just for corporate mission statements—they’re your secret weapon for surviving (and thriving) in the workplace.
Jackie has written a bunch of LI posts and short articles on different aspects of values, including reflections on different tools for exploring values https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-le-fèvre/
Read a little about Jackie’s preferred tool (the AVI) and access it on this page of her website https://magmaeffect.com/exploring-values/
Building on the ‘good/bad/ugly’ question in the podcast, listeners might enjoy this (slightly tongue in cheek) blog Jackie wrote for Easier Inc on 28.5 ways NOT to do core values https://www.easierinc.com/blog/28-5-ways-not-to-do-values/
Building on a fascination with animal behaviour, Jackie is a zoologist turned psychologist who confesses to often finding people puzzling. Her current practice is focused on harnessing values insights for meaning and motivation. Working with individuals, groups, teams and sometimes whole organisations, Jackie strongly refutes the suggestion that values is ‘soft stuff’ that cannot be usefully codified.
Jackie holds a Certificate in Education (Post Compulsory), a level 7 qualification in leadership and management, and a PhD in occupational psychology from the University of Hertfordshire, where she is also a Visiting Lecturer on the Master’s programmes in Business, Work and Occupational Psychology. She is an accredited practitioner and licensor with the Minessence Values Framework, a founder of the Global Values Appliance, a member of the UK Values Alliance, and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Relationships between values, connection, and well-being are a particular research interest of Jackie’s, alongside developing methodologies that enable individuals to access their values without lengthy questionnaires.
Contact Details:
Telephone: +44 (0) 788 69 22 438
Email: jackie@magmaeffect.com
LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-le-fèvre/
Web: www.magmaeffect.com
[00:03] James: Hello, I’m James.
[00:05] Jimmy: Hi, I’m Jimmy, and welcome to A Job Done Well, the podcast that helps you improve your performance and enjoyment at work.
[00:15] James: Good afternoon. How are you?
[00:17] Jimmy: I am very well, James. How are you?
[00:18] James: I’m doing fabulously, thank you very much. Although the weather is miserable out there. Let’s talk about the important topics.
[00:45] James: Today we’re having a conversation about values. I went to a conference the other day and a lady called Jackie Le Fevre presented a fascinating talk about values, so I managed to sweet-talk her into joining us. Welcome to the podcast, Jackie.
[00:59] Jackie: Thank you very much indeed. Absolutely delighted to be here.
[01:02] Jimmy: Well, Jackie, if James found something fascinating and he was trying to sweet-talk you, I’m worried on a number of levels. James isn’t known for sweet-talking.
[01:15] Jackie: Professional. I reassure you.
[01:35] James: I’d also like to point out the other reason I’ve invited Jackie is because, like me, Jackie is an intellectual. Jackie has a PhD in values.
[01:47] Jimmy: Really?
[01:48] Jackie: I do indeed. Yes.
[02:06] Jackie: I started out professionally as a zoologist. I studied animal behaviour and evolutionary biology. I spent a couple of years reintroducing chimpanzees to the wild, worked in nature conservation in the UK for quite a few years before going into broader voluntary and community sector work. In 2004, I set up my business, Magma Effect. I’ve been a freelance values specialist ever since. And as you say, I took my nerdism to new heights in 2020 and studied for a PhD. I looked specifically at conscious connection to values and the benefits people report from that.
[02:55] James: So how about I start with a very simple question, Jackie. What are values?
[03:00] Jackie: Values are ideas. At their simplest level, that’s what they are. But values are emotionally rich, energy-laden ideas. They are ideas about things that matter. You’ve probably heard the phrase “core values” or “priority values”—those are the values that matter so much, they’re part of who we think we are. They determine what it means to be true to yourself. Who am I in this situation? What matters most? So what shall I do next? They’re drivers of decisions, behaviour, action, and attitude. They’re powerful.
[03:52] James: And presumably, therefore, we all have them.
[03:54] Jackie: We all have them. It’s part of what it is to be human. Values are universal. We all have them. The bit I love is that we each have our unique, distinctive pattern of values. It’s almost like values are part of our sense of self-DNA. Whilst we may share some values, we also have values that are unique to us.
[04:52] Jimmy: Jackie, I said at the outset, there’s a huge amount of value in understanding your values, but what are the benefits of understanding your values?
[05:06] Jackie: Our values are in our unconscious in a steady state. They do their important job there. But research shows that when we’re conscious of them—when we know what they look like, what they sound like, what they mean to us—we can deliberately use them in decision-making. For example, I was once asked to speak at a conference. My value of “transformative communication” was screaming, “Yes! Share what you know!” But my value of “personal authority” was saying, “No, the title of the talk doesn’t align with my truth.” I had to choose which value to honour.
[06:58] Jackie: If I hadn’t been aware of my values, I wouldn’t have recognised that tension.
[08:37] Jackie: Values help us navigate life without overthinking. They’re like a scoring system or filter for the information coming at us.
[09:18] Jackie: From an evolutionary perspective, values help us act quickly in a complex world. They’re heuristics—rules of thumb—that free up our conscious brain for the unpredictable.
[12:20] James: So values are our way of processing and making decisions.
[12:39] Jackie: Absolutely.
[14:19] James: So where do our values come from, and how do we make them explicit?
[14:31] Jackie: We don’t fully know neurologically, but values are shaped by what we witness—our parents, teachers, community. They’re modeled by the systems we’re part of. They can also change with experience. For example, if you value loyalty but get betrayed, you might shift to valuing caution instead.
[16:37] Jackie: Values act as a lens for how we see the world and navigate life.
[16:59] Jackie: The fascinating thing is, we can change our values deliberately. If a value isn’t serving us—like empathy that paralyses us—we can shift to something more helpful, like being of service without absorbing others’ pain.
[19:06] Jackie: There’s no one right way to uncover your values. You can journal about what makes your heart sing or sink, or notice which words or stories resonate with you emotionally.
[22:20] James: So understanding our values helps us avoid conflict and stress.
[22:54] Jackie: Yes. When we dishonour our values, we produce more stress hormones, which undermine our immune system.
[23:52] James: So if I hate posting videos on LinkedIn, is that because it conflicts with my values?
[24:53] Jackie: You might value humility over self-promotion. The key is to reframe the task: instead of “self-promotion,” think “sharing helpful content.” That aligns with your values of being useful to others.
[25:56] Jimmy: Understanding our values helps us be kinder to ourselves and find workarounds.
[26:38] Jackie: Absolutely. It’s about reframing—understanding the driver behind your reaction so you can shift your perspective.
[27:06] Jackie: You can find me on LinkedIn. I’ve pinned posts answering common questions about values, like “Can my values change?” or “Does it matter if my values differ from others’?”
[28:10] Jimmy: We’ve made two episodes out of this conversation. Stay tuned for part two on team and organisational values!
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