Purpose

Value Cards is intended to help a team identify what it is they find valuable. Establishing values is a critical early activity for any new team. The values that the team members decide to adopt will help lay the foundation for their overall strategy for achieving their mission, goals and objectives. It will also help lay the foundation for the processes and procedures they employ, and the ways in which they interact with one another and with people outside the team.

Who Benefits?

This experience is suitable and intended for all members of identified high-involvement teams. It is especially appropriate as an early activity for any new team.

About the Experience

The Value Cards process is a series of structured activities designed to help team members analyze their views on various work-related values that help or hinder effective team functioning. The members identify commitments they want to make in connection with their identified values and then devise action plans to follow through on their commitment. As a result of this process team members may decide to develop or alter strategy, processes, procedures or patterns of interaction. (Note: Changing the entire culture of a team that has existed for a considerable time is beyond the scope of this process.)

This Value Cards process aims to help team members do the following:

• Gain a clearer view of the extent to which their work-related values influence or will influence the way in which they work,
• Identify and discuss those values that help and hinder effective team functioning,
• Promote the development of team norms that will lead to positive benefits for both the members themselves and their customers, both internal and external.

Duration: 4 hours                                                                                           Team Size: 8-16