Do this exercise on a whiteboard, or use this Miro (digital whiteboard) template.
Step 1.
Have each member of the Leadership Team think of 2 or 3 people who are (or have been) a great fit for your business. These are the people that if you could clone them, you would. (They could be on this team)
Work independently. Put the names on sticky notes. (One name per label)
Step 2.
Present the names you noted to the team and put them on a board. If the same person is nominated, put those notes together.
Step 3.
What are the characteristics and behaviours that this person embodies? What do they do that puts them on the list?
- Their personal qualities or characteristics – how they show up.
- Behaviours they display when communicating or working with others.
- Attitude to their work and customers.
The I-We-It model can be helpful. You can use it to assess whether your set of values address personal behaviours, team behaviours and customer-facing behaviours. Ideally, your set of values should address all three.
List these on the board.
Step 4.
Your core values are up on the board somewhere. Start by grouping them into similar themes. You might find it good to come up with a draft name for the grouped values.
Step 5.
Through discussion and debate, narrow it down and agree to 4 or fewer core values.
Step 6.
If you found it difficult to narrow down to less than 5, try asking the team to think of someone who has not been a good fit, and you had to exit from the business. What were the behaviours that didn’t work?
If you still have more than 4, you need to come at it again. Which are the priorities - the must-haves? Are some nice to have but not a game changer?
If you still have too many give everyone a vote. Have them write down their 4 most important. Do this privately before the votes go up on the board.
This Pathway is Coming Soon!