Manifestos/Principles
Values Mapping
Teams often say they value "innovation" and "collaboration." But what do those words really mean? Values mapping makes the abstract concrete. Map out what each value looks like in practice. Identify value conflicts. Determine which values drive decisions versus sounding good in the mission statement. Team dysfunction often hides in the gap between stated and lived values.
Duration
2 hours
Group Size
5-12
Category
Manifestos/Principles
Difficulty
Easy
- Surface your team's actual values, not aspirational ones.
- Identify conflicts between competing values (e.g., speed vs. quality).
- Create shared definitions, so everyone agrees what "customer-first" means.
- Reveal gaps between espoused values and actual behavior.
- Explicit team values with concrete behavioral examples.
- Identified conflicts between competing values.
- Shared vocabulary for discussing what matters and why.
The aspiration trap: Teams often list aspirational values instead of real ones. "We value transparency"—do you, though? Push for evidence. When did you last share bad news proactively? If they can't provide examples, it's aspiration, not reality. Both matter, but don't confuse them.
Handling conflict: Values mapping often surfaces disagreements people have been avoiding. Someone might think speed is everything, while someone else believes quality is non-negotiable. This conflict is the point, not a problem. Name it. Don't resolve it immediately—just make it visible.
Leadership presence: If leaders participate, others might self-censor. If leaders don't participate, they miss crucial insight. I usually have leaders share their values first, then explicitly give permission for disagreement. Watch for people looking at the leader before speaking.
The 'should' problem: People will write what they think they should value. Ask: Where do you actually spend your time? What gets rewarded here? What gets punished? Behavior reveals values more than intentions do.
Handling conflict: Values mapping often surfaces disagreements people have been avoiding. Someone might think speed is everything, while someone else believes quality is non-negotiable. This conflict is the point, not a problem. Name it. Don't resolve it immediately—just make it visible.
Leadership presence: If leaders participate, others might self-censor. If leaders don't participate, they miss crucial insight. I usually have leaders share their values first, then explicitly give permission for disagreement. Watch for people looking at the leader before speaking.
The 'should' problem: People will write what they think they should value. Ask: Where do you actually spend your time? What gets rewarded here? What gets punished? Behavior reveals values more than intentions do.
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