How to Facilitate a Team Exercise to Define Core Values for Your Business

Core values are the guiding principles that shape a company’s culture, decision-making, and behavior. Establishing shared values provides clarity for employees, reinforces company goals, and builds a sense of unity. To ensure these values resonate, involving the team in their creation is essential.

This article outlines how to facilitate a team exercise to develop shared or core values, including frameworks, practical examples, and actionable steps.

Why Core Values Matter

Core values influence:

Culture: Define the behavior and environment within the organization.
Decision-Making: Serve as a reference point for choices at all levels.
Brand Identity: Shape how the business is perceived by customers and partners.
Employee Alignment: Unify teams by providing a shared purpose and direction.

When created collaboratively, these values reflect the organization authentically, fostering employee buy-in and ownership.

Step-by-Step Guide to Develop Core Values as a Team

1. Set Clear Objectives for the Exercise

Before starting, define what you aim to achieve. Are you revising existing values, creating them from scratch, or aligning on implicit values? Communicate the importance of this process and how it will impact the company’s culture and strategy.

Tip: Schedule a dedicated workshop or team meeting to avoid distractions and allow for deep discussions.

2. Gather Diverse Participants

Include employees from various levels, departments, and tenures to capture a wide range of perspectives. Leadership should participate to provide vision and guidance but not dominate the discussion.

Tip: Limit the group size to 10–15 people for effective collaboration, or use smaller breakout groups if working with a large team.

3. Use a Framework to Guide Discussions

Several frameworks can help structure the exercise:

A. The R.I.S.E Framework (Relevance, Integrity, Sustainability, Excellence)

Relevance: Ensure values align with the company’s mission and industry.
Integrity: Reflect ethical principles and authenticity.
Sustainability: Choose values that can endure and scale with growth.
Excellence: Emphasize high standards and aspirations.

B. Golden Circle (Why, How, What)

Ask:

Why does your company exist?
How does your company achieve its goals?
What principles guide the way you work?

C. Values Pyramid

Foundation: What beliefs are non-negotiable?
Behavior: How do these beliefs manifest in daily actions?
Impact: How do these values shape the company’s legacy?

4. Facilitate Brainstorming Sessions

Encourage the group to reflect on questions such as:

What does our company stand for?
What principles guide our decisions?
What behaviors do we want to encourage?
How do we want to be perceived by employees, customers, and stakeholders?

Methods:

Silent Brainstorming: Ask participants to write down their ideas individually before sharing.
Group Collaboration: Use a whiteboard or digital tools like Miro or MURAL to collect and organize ideas.
Word Clustering: Group similar words or themes to identify patterns and priorities.

5. Narrow Down and Prioritize

After brainstorming, refine the list to 5–7 core values. Too many values can dilute focus, while too few may not fully capture the company’s essence.

Techniques:

Voting: Allow team members to vote on their top choices.
Discussion: Facilitate a conversation to ensure the final values resonate with everyone.
Test for Authenticity: Ask, “Would we still uphold this value if it caused us to lose money or face criticism?”

6. Define Each Core Value

For each chosen value, create a clear and concise definition. Include examples of behaviors that align with the value to make it actionable.

Example:

Innovation: “We embrace change and continuously seek creative solutions to challenges.”
Ownership: “We take responsibility for our work and strive for excellence in every task.”

7. Validate with the Larger Team

Share the draft values with the broader organization to gather feedback and ensure alignment. This step reinforces inclusivity and transparency.

Tip: Use surveys or small group discussions to collect input efficiently.

Practical Example of a Core Values Exercise

Scenario: A growing tech startup wants to define its core values.

Preparation: Leadership explains the importance of defining values and schedules a workshop with a cross-functional team.
Brainstorming: Participants reflect on key questions (e.g., “What do we value in teamwork?”). Words like “innovation,” “collaboration,” and “integrity” emerge.
Clustering: The team groups similar ideas, leading to themes like “creativity,” “ownership,” and “trust.”
Prioritization: The team votes and narrows the list to six values: Innovation, Ownership, Collaboration, Integrity, Customer-Centricity, and Growth.
Definition: The group writes definitions and examples for each value, such as:

Customer-Centricity: “We prioritize the customer’s needs in every decision we make, ensuring their success and satisfaction.”

Validation: The company shares the draft values during an all-hands meeting for final input.

Tips for Success

Make It Collaborative: Involve as many voices as possible to ensure authenticity.
Keep It Realistic: Choose values the team can live by daily, not just aspirational ideals.
Revisit Periodically: Core values should evolve as the company grows and adapts to new challenges.
Live the Values: Leadership must model the values consistently to reinforce their importance.

Conclusion

Developing shared core values is a critical step in defining a company’s identity and culture. By involving the team in the process and using structured frameworks, businesses can ensure their values resonate and drive meaningful alignment.

These values don’t just sit on a wall—they become a living, breathing part of the organization, guiding decisions, fostering unity, and shaping its future success.