60 minute session: Team values

Session Focus: Identifying personal and shared team values.

About Values: Your values answer three big questions: What do I stand for? What makes me feel fulfilled? What truly matters?

Session Goal: Identify personal and shared values, then commit to working in alignment with those values.

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1. Warming Up – The Elevator Experiment (10 minutes)

Don’t worry – you’ll be let out in 20 minutes – BUT you’re stuck in an elevator.

There are two other people with you. You notice one energises you, the other drains you. Note down the characteristics of both characters. Share back the 1-2 characteristics of each of these two fictional people. [unpack: this is a window into the traits we value in ourselves and others].

2. Guided Solo Reflection – (10 minutes)

(i)Think back on work over the last 12 months. What are the 2-3 work moments you are proudest of.

(ii)What values did you demonstrate across those moments? (note down 1-2).

(iii)Of the values noted, which 1-2 most meaningfully informs how you work when you’re working at your best (e.g. tenacity, creativity, care).

3. Sharing Values – (15  minutes)

Ask each team member to share the one value of theirs that they feel is most important to the team’s happiness and success this year – and why (e.g. “curiosity, because there’s so much change ahead..”).

4. Common Ground – (15 minutes)

Capture the value each person shared on a shared document /post it notes. What are the key themes? Remove repetition, and find ways to capture the collective values into 3 key words (care, ambition, rigour). These are guiding values for how the team works at its best.

5. Commit and Close - (10 minutes)

Share ideas for how the team can live those 3 values, and individually commit to an action (e.g. I’m going to apply more rigour by seeking feedback on my proposals earlier).

Calendar to check back in on the values in 30 days.