10 Values Clarification Exercises for Your Employees
Are you in search of some values clarification exercises?
Clear values are the foundation of effective decision-making, strong teamwork, and a positive work environment. For employees, understanding their personal and professional values can enhance alignment with organizational goals. It also fosters a sense of purpose.
In this article, let’s see 10 value clarification exercises for your employees. These activities are designed to help employees reflect on what matters most to them and how it influences their work.
What are Value Clarification Exercises and How Do They Benefit Your Team?
Value clarification exercises are activities that help individuals identify and prioritize their personal principles. These exercises provide a structured approach to self-reflection, allowing employees to gain clarity on what they truly value in life and work.
By participating in values clarification exercises, employees can:
- Develop a deeper understanding of themselves
- Identify the core values that guide their decisions and actions
- Evaluate the alignment between personal and organizational values
- Enhance communication and collaboration with colleagues who have different standards
- Make more intentional and fulfilling choices at work
10 Values Clarification Exercises for Your Employees
Here are some simple and effective values clarification activities you can try with your teams.
#1. The Top 5 Priorities List
This activity helps employees identify and rank their core priorities to better understand their values in relation to their work. It promotes thoughtful discussion and self-awareness.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Paper and pens
Participants: 3-8 people per group
Instructions
- Ask each team member to write down their top five priorities on a piece of paper.
- Encourage them to rank the items in order of importance from 1 to 5.
- Discuss how these priorities influence their decisions and goals, using examples like career growth or work-life balance.
- Have the participants share one or two key insights with their team.
Debrief
Identify recurring themes and how well the participants’ priorities align with organizational values. Discuss how understanding these priorities can shape future tasks and collaborations.
#2. The Values Marketplace
This activity encourages employees to think about their values and exchange ideas with others. It is a great icebreaker and helps build connections among team members.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Sticky notes, markers, and a large sheet of paper or whiteboard
Participants: 3-8 people in a group
Instructions
- On the sheet of paper or whiteboard, draw a large square divided into four quadrants. Label them as “I value,” “I don’t value,” “My team values,” and “My organization values.”
- Ask the team members to write down one value on a sticky note for each quadrant. They can use different colors for easier differentiation.
- Have them place their sticky notes in the corresponding quadrant.
Debrief
Discuss the similarities and differences among values. Also, see how they may impact teamwork and organizational culture. Encourage the participants to reflect on any principles they may want to adopt or prioritize going forward.
#3. Compass Exercise
This exercise helps employees align their values with their professional direction by emphasizing the importance of consistency between personal and organizational goals.
Time: You decide
Materials: Paper and pens or digital note-taking tools
Participants: 3-8 people per group
Instructions
- Ask the group members to think of their personal goals as a “north star” and write them at the top of the paper.
- Below this, have them list professional goals that align with their personal aspirations.
- Encourage the participants to reflect on whether their daily work habits and decisions are pointing them toward their “north star.”
- Let them consider the potential adjustments they can make to stay on course. Then, they can share those details with their group.
Debrief
Focus on how aligning personal and organizational goals can lead to higher satisfaction as well as productivity. Highlight the practical steps employees can take to bring consistency between their values and actions.
#4. Ethics Reflection Journal
This activity encourages employees to reflect on their ethics over time, recognizing their evolution and impact on their professional lives.
Time: Ongoing (5-10 minutes per entry)
Materials: Journals or digital note apps
Participants: Groups of any size
Instructions
- Provide the participants with a journal or suggest a preferred digital tool for logging reflections.
- Ask them to regularly document moments from their workday that felt meaningful, aligned with their ethics, or notably misaligned.
- Offer prompts such as, “What value was most important to me today?” or “How did my actions reflect my core beliefs?”
- Set aside time for the participants to review their entries weekly or monthly as a group to recognize patterns and growth.
Debrief
Encourage the employees to share key insights (if comfortable) in team meetings or one-on-ones. Use this exercise to foster enhanced alignment between their ethics and responsibilities at work.
#5. Values Word Cloud
This collaborative exercise highlights common values within a team and fosters a sense of shared purpose. It is an excellent activity for building cohesion and sparking meaningful discussions.
Time: You decide
Materials: Sticky notes, markers, or an online word cloud tool
Participants: Groups of any size
Instructions
- Ask the participants to think of words or short phrases that represent their core values. Next, let them write as many as possible on sticky notes or enter them digitally into the word cloud tool.
- Collect all the sticky notes or responses and display them on a wall, whiteboard, or screen.
- If using sticky notes, organize similar values together; with digital tools, observe which values appear most frequently in larger font sizes.
- Use the results to guide a discussion about shared priorities and how these values can drive the team’s work.
Debrief
Highlight the most common values and discuss how they resonate with the team’s goals as well as the company’s mission. Reflect on any areas of divergence and explore ways to bridge gaps in value alignment.
#6. Critical Incident Analysis
This exercise encourages employees to reflect on a pivotal moment in their professional lives and identify the values that influenced their decisions. It helps foster self-awareness.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and pens or digital tools
Participants: Groups of 3-6 members
Instructions
- Ask the participants to recall a critical incident in their work that posed a tough decision or challenge.
- Have them write a brief narrative about what happened, focusing on the key factors influencing their decision.
- Encourage them to identify which values played a role in their choice and whether the outcome aligned with those values.
- Facilitate a small group discussion to share stories and learn from each other’s experiences.
Debrief
Analyze the patterns in decision-making and whether they reflect individual and organizational values. Use these insights to emphasize the importance of value clarity in handling future challenges.
#7. Role Models
This exercise helps employees identify and reflect on individuals or organizations they admire in terms of clear values.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: 3-6 individuals per team
Instructions
- Ask the team members to think of someone they consider a role model, either within the organization or outside of it. Alternatively, they can choose an organization as their role model.
- Have them write down the name and briefly explain why this person/organization is influential to them.
- Ask the participants to identify specific values that align with their role model’s actions and behaviors.
Debrief
Encourage the employees to seek opportunities to model these principles in their own work and recognize them in others. Use this exercise to spark meaningful conversations about the importance of living out shared values within the company culture.
#8. Team Charter Activity
This activity enables teams to define their shared values, goals, and norms, establishing a unified framework for working together effectively. It serves as an anchor for the group’s collective efforts and vision.
Time: You decide
Materials: Flip chart paper, markers, or a collaborative digital tool
Participants: Groups of any size
Instructions
- Begin by facilitating a discussion on the purpose and importance of a team charter, emphasizing shared accountability as well as alignment.
- Ask each team to brainstorm and agree on their core principles, writing them down on the flip chart or digital tool.
- Next, have the participants outline the team’s primary goals and how these align with both their principles and the company’s objectives.
- Establish team norms by discussing preferred behaviors, communication styles, and decision-making approaches. Finally, summarize the agreed-upon principles, goals, and norms in a concise document to serve as the team’s charter.
Debrief
Encourage the teams to revisit their charter regularly to ensure continued alignment. Use the charter as a foundation for resolving conflicts, tracking progress, and strengthening collaboration.
#9. Personal Mission Statement
This activity helps employees articulate their individual purpose, connecting it to their professional roles and aspirations.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and pens or digital devices
Participants: Groups of any size
Instructions
- Guide the group members through a short reflection session with prompts such as, “What impact do I want to have in my work?” or “What values drive my professional decisions?”
- Ask them to draft a personal mission statement that incorporates their core values, strengths, and career goals.
- Encourage refinement of the statement by revisiting it periodically to align with evolving goals or insights.
Debrief
Facilitate a group discussion on how personal mission statements can enhance focus, motivation, and job satisfaction. Highlight the connection between personal purpose and impactful contributions to the organization.
#10. The “Ideal Day” Exercise
This creative activity invites employees to visualize their perfect day at work, highlighting the values and activities that make it so.
Time: 10-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and pens or digital tools
Participants: 3-8 individuals per group
Instructions
- Ask the participants to imagine their ideal work day using prompts such as, “What do you do?,” “Who are you surrounded by?,” or “How does it feel?”
- Have them write or draw a visual representation of this ideal day, incorporating specific activities and behaviors inspired by their values.
- Invite everyone to share their creations with their teammates.
Debrief
Discuss how understanding personal values can help create fulfilling and purposeful work experiences. Encourage the employees to identify ways to incorporate more of their principles into their daily tasks and interactions.
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Final Words
When employees understand their standards, they are more likely to feel purposeful and connected to their work. These exercises lead to better teamwork, improved decision-making, and a more cohesive organizational culture. By making values clarification a regular practice, organizations empower their workforce to thrive both individually and collectively. So, try implementing these exercises to have long-lasting effects, creating a more engaged and value-driven workplace.
FAQ: Values Clarification Exercises
You might have these questions in mind.
Can these activities be adapted for virtual teams?
Yes! These exercises can easily be modified for virtual settings by using digital tools or platforms for collaboration and communication. For example, the Personal Mission Statement activity can be done using a shared document or online whiteboard.
How often should these activities be conducted?
The frequency of these activities depends on the goals and needs of your team or organization. For the best results, consider incorporating them into team-building retreats, quarterly reviews, or as part of an ongoing professional development program. Regularly revisiting these exercises ensures that values, goals, and teamwork remain aligned over time.
Are these activities suitable for all organizational levels?
Absolutely! These activities are suitable for employees at different levels, from entry-level staff to senior leadership. Tailor the prompts and discussions to the participants’ roles as well as responsibilities. This will help ensure the exercises remain relevant and impactful for everyone involved.
Can these activities be used for new employees?
Absolutely! These exercises are valuable for both new and existing employees. The reason is they help foster a deeper understanding of personal standards and how these standards align with the organization’s values. These activities can also serve as a great icebreaker for new employees to get to know their colleagues better.
