Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. These beliefs shape an organization's culture and actions, and serve as a guide for decision-making. Establishing core values is an important part of team building, and a group core values exercise can help teams identify and agree on their shared values.
Steps for Facilitating a Team Core Values Exercise
Step 1: Gather Information
Before beginning the exercise, it is important to gather information about the team. Talk to team members individually to learn about their values, what motivates them, and what they believe the team's core values should be.
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Step 2: Explain the Exercise
Before beginning the exercise, explain to the team what you will be doing and why it is important. Explain that the goal of the exercise is to identify and agree on core values that will guide the team’s decisions and actions.
Step 3: Brainstorm Values
Once the team understands the purpose of the exercise, encourage them to brainstorm potential values. Encourage them to think big and consider values that are important to them both as individuals and as a team.
Step 4: Discuss and Refine Values
Once the team has generated a list of potential values, have a discussion to refine and narrow down the list.
Step 5: Agree on Core Values
Once the team has discussed and refined the list of values, have them agree on the final list of core values. Explain the importance of committing to these values and ask the team to document the values and post them in a visible place.