Values

What is the aim of the exercise?

To further one’s understanding of his or her values. This allows a better understanding of one’s self, thus facilitating alignment, life decisions and providing strong fundamental values to grow as a leader.

In what context is this exercise useful?

​This is useful both for individuals and groups.

Equipment and tools needed: If digital, Zoom with breakout rooms. If physical, you need a room, pen and paper. Some way to play focus music.

Activity & Format

Time

Instructions

Facilitation Notes

Intro & check-In

10 min

• Introduction of facilitators

• Present agenda

• Check-in on participants mood, expectations, or other.

Start with answering the check-in question by yourself and let everyone share and then hand the word over to someone else

Topic introduction and instructions

5 min

• What are values

• Why are they important

• Explain about values exercise (give link to participants)

Values exercise

10 minutes

• Invite participants to do the value tree exercise

• Once done, they can start thinking about their values

If possible, ask participants to do this exercise before meeting. I added the task here, as there’s often at least one person that didn’t do it…

While people work individually, I suggest you play some background music. Ideally some ‘focus’ music.

Elaborating on values

20 minutes

• Ask each participant to reflect upon their results and select their ‘top 5’ values that came out of the test (no specific order required)

For each of the 5, ask participants to reflect deeper about these values, following questions can help:

• Why is this value important to me?

• How does each value concretise itself in my life?

• Linking to an important life decision they made, how do such values express themselves? Optimally, participants should think about a decision they are satisfied with and one that they are dissatisfied with.

• Time allowing: comparing the two important life decisions, or an important life decision to come, how do such values ‘score’ according to this decision (e.g., score on 10) and why?

Before allowing them to dive deeper in this task, ask if there are any questions and if the task is well understood.

To help guide participants, the facilitator(s) should do the exercise before the workshop and prepare answers to the suggested questions. The aim is to provide an example / ideas for the participants when they proceed with the exercise.

While people work individually, I suggest you play some background music. Ideally some ‘focus’ music.

BREAK

10 mins

Invite people to move, get some water, toilet, etc.

Can be used as extra time for participants to reflect further individually

Discussing values in small groups / small circles

20 mins

• Divide participants in groups of 2 people

• Invite participants to discuss about their values and the elaboration part they reflected upon

The following questions can help participants to discuss:

• What values did the test come up with?

• Do you agree with such results, what do you feel about them?

• How do you live such values in your life? Provide an example for at least one of them.

Before allowing them to dive deeper in this task, ask if there are any questions and if the task is well understood.

Facilitators should hover around the different groups, entering their breakout room or circle to make sure everything is okay. Answer unforseen questions.

Discussing values all together in the main room / circle.

10 mins

• Invite each groups to share their key takeaways from their discussion (ideally one person per group speaks up, and others can jump in if they want to add something)

To break the ice if no one is jumping in, you can make an observation that you perceived from visiting the group during breakouts.

Check-out

5 mins

• Debrief the exercise, recall of importance of values

• Provide logistical info about next planned workshop (if any)

• Check-out suggestion: Get each person to say how they feel in one word after this workshop

• Thank people for joining