Core Values Activity

Repost of my Core Values Activity - originally posted on 2024-06-16

1. Core Values and Core Principles Activity Guide

Core Values Activity Tracks
Part 1. Core Values Journey (~50 minutes) Part 2. Core Values Circle (For Teams)
Introduction Regrouping
Initial Picks - 20 Chosen Throw Everything on the Board
Grouping The Method: Revise, Combine, Delete
The Journey Grouping
1st Toll Round 1
2nd Toll Round 2
3rd Toll Round 3
4th Toll Round 4
5th Toll Round 5
Final Toll

2. Introduction

~2 minutes

  Throughout this activity, you’ll see text

that looks like this

If you’re doing this activity on your own, you’ll just need to read these normally. If you’re leading a group through this activity, these are what you’ll ready aloud to the group.

This activity is designed to help you reflect on and decide the values you wish, or you wish your team, to hold most dear, above all else. It is adapted from an activity I was taught several years ago while I was a Residential Assistant at the University of Oregon. It may feel goofy or challenge you at different times, but as with most work of this kind, the more you put in, the higher quality results you will get at the end. Everyone will be doing this first part individually. In the second part we’ll bring our pieces together.

2.1. Initial Picks

~10 minutes

  Send the following link: list of 500 Core Values
  https://www.threadsculture.com/core-values-examples

Please look through this list of almost 500 example core values. Consider which values you’d like to see most and which you think will help us all be successful this year, whatever that means to you. You have 10 minutes to choose 20 from this list and write them somewhere easy to access. If you do not see a value you wish to include, please write it in as part of your initial 20.

Do not read ahead too quickly or tell your group how many values you’ll work down to yet. Each step participants will need to “Pay” to advance with some of their values. Only tell them how many they need to pay at each step as you read the script. Individuals, please scroll slowly.

  • Start a 10 minute timer.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

3. Grouping

~2 minutes

Look over your initial picks. If you see common themes between the values you’ve chosen, please group them together by writing them again in a list or circling them, whichever is easier. You may have 3 here, 8 there, and only 1 in another group. You have 2 minutes to group common values together.

  • Set a timer for 2 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

4. The Metaphorical Journey

We are all going to go on a journey with our values. At the end of our separate journeys, we will arrive at a mountain inn where we’ll finalize our team’s core values. At each step of your journey there will be a cost. Each time, please take a moment for honest consideration before you decide how you will proceed.

4.1. First Toll

~5 minutes

For the first leg of your journey, you will need to secure plane tickets. They’re practically charging an arm and a leg anymore. Please pay for air travel with 5 of the values you’ve selected. You have 3-5 minutes to decide which ones you’ll cross off from your list.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

4.2. Second Toll

~5 minutes

For the second leg of your journey, you will need to take a bus from the city out into the country. It’s a long ride, but not one that many people take, so demand has stayed low. Please pay for bus travel with 2 of the values you’ve selected. You have 3-5 minutes to decide which ones you’ll cross off from your list.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

4.3. Third Toll

~5 minutes

You’ve arrived at a large river. For the third leg of your journey, you will need to take a ferry across. There is only one ferry on this river and it travels this way only once every week. The ferry driver asks for 7 of your values to cross, but you’re a good negotiator and talk them down. Please pay for the river crossing with 4 of the values you’ve selected. You have 3-5 minutes to decide which ones you’ll cross off from your list.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

4.4. Fourth Toll

~5 minutes

Now across the river, an hour’s walk has brought you to the base of the mountain. An outpost houses guides for those wanting to avoid the dangers of the climb. Please pay for your guide with 2 of the values you’ve selected. You have 3-5 minutes to decide which ones you’ll cross off from your list.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

4.5. Fifth Toll

~5 minutes

Having been guided up the mountain along the safest route, you arrive at a bridge connecting this side with the peak where the inn resides. The high winds in the winter means the bridge requires annual maintenance. Please pay to cross the bridge with 2 of the values you’ve selected. You have 3-5 minutes to decide which ones you’ll cross off from your list.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

4.6. Final Toll

~5 minutes

You have finally arrived at the mountain inn. It’s brisk despite the sun and the fire in the lobby is a welcome sight. The innkeeper sees you have given up a lot on your journey to get here and has lowered the cost of staying. Please pay to stay at the inn with 1 of the values you’ve selected. You have 3-5 minutes to decide which ones you’ll cross off from your list.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

4.7. Regrouping

~5 minutes

You get settled in and return to the lobby. Watching the sun lower over the mountains in the distance, you reflect on your journey and what it took to get here. Please take 2 minutes to look at your list of values and reflect on the ones you gave up along the way and which ones you kept.

  • Set a timer for 3 minutes.

    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

  • Try to look at them with fresh eyes.

  • How do you feel about these values?

  • Do they reflect who you are?

  • Do they reflect who you want to be?

  • Have we left any unanswered questions about who you are?

Just as you start thinking about second dinner, you look over and see a few of your friends walk through the door, undoubtedly having gone along a similar path and having given up similar things to make it here. You all agree to do the next work over food once they’ve unpacked.

5. Core Values Circle (For Teams)

  The number of values in the following example was created for a team of 9 members who will each bring 4 core value candidates to the group discussion. Your team may have a different number of members, so please adjust the target number associated with each round to what will be appropriate for your situation. I’d recommend the first rounds cut the number down quickly, and then go slowly and spend a lot of time considering and discussing when you’re in the final 10.

5.1. Throw Everything On the Board

We’ve each gone on our own difficult journeys, but now we must work through the really tough decisions. First, everyone please read out their final 4 core values from Part 1.

  • As the group shares, write them in a shared Google Doc if over Zoom, on a large whiteboard if in person.

5.2. The Method: Revise, Combine, Delete

To reduce the size of this list we’ll use the following tools:

  • Revise when we like the idea behind the value, but it could be strengthened by changing it to a similar, but more accurate word;
  • Combine when multiple ideas seem to be getting at the same concept; and
  • Delete when we make the difficult decision to eliminate a value from the list.

  I’d recommend starting each round by Combining as many as possible to reduce the time and emotional energy spent on the difficult Delete decisions.

5.3. Grouping

Just like before, we’re going to begin by grouping similar concepts to help the full list feel more organized. We have 10 minutes to get our 36 values into groups.

  • Set a timer for 10 minutes.
    • If more time is needed, provide it.
    • If everyone is ready earlier, that’s okay too.

5.4. Round 1 - Until 20 Remain

  • Use the tools to reduce the list of 36 down to 20.
  • Take breaks from the list work to discuss what’s important to you as needed.

5.5. Round 2 - Until 12 Remain

  • Use the tools to reduce the list of 20 down to 12.
  • Take breaks from the list work to discuss what’s important to you as needed.

5.6. Round 3 - Until 7 Remain

  • Use the tools to reduce the list of 12 down to 7.
  • Take breaks from the list work to discuss what’s important to you as needed.

5.7. Round 4 - Until 5 Remain

  • Use the tools to reduce the list of 7 down to 5.
  • Take breaks from the list work to discuss what’s important to you as needed.

5.8. Round 5 - Until 3 Remain

  • Use the tools to reduce the list of 5 down to 3.
  • Take breaks from the list work to discuss what’s important to you as needed.

5.9. Group Reflection

  • Before reflection, take a break for a few minutes. It’ll make the reflection a lot more productive.
  • Take a few minutes to look at your team’s core values.
  • You’ve probably talked about why these are the ones for quite a while now, but try to look at them with fresh eyes.
  • How do you feel about these values?
  • Do they reflect who you are?
  • Do they reflect who you want to be?
  • Have we left any unanswered questions about who we are?

6. Conclusion and Next Steps

  Congratulations! Determining your core values or your team’s core values is a big undertaking if done right. With your core values in hand, you can use them as a tool whenever you make a decision or as a way to check in with yourself. I’m really into low-barrier-to-entry type beginnings, so beginning with a very short reflection once a day is a good first step.

  • At the beginning of the day, you may ask: What will living in accordance with my (or the team’s) core values look like today? What did it look like yesterday?
  • In the middle of the day, you may ask: Am I living in accordance with my (or the team’s) core values today?
  • After the day is done, you may ask: Did I live in accordance with my (or the team’s) core values today? What about tomorrow?

  Going off of a general feeling is enough for some people. For others, it’s vague enough that after a couple weeks they’ve forgotten they’ve done the activity altogether. For anyone who wants to take this a little further, the next step is to determine your core principles, which are how your core values translate into action. That will be the subject of a future activity guide.