Values Tour

The precondition for running this activity is that the group or company already HAS a set of values -- this is not an activity to define values but rather to explore, refresh and remember them. 

The best setting for this activity is an in-person workshop (see attachments for the story of how we used it at SessionLab's 2024 team retreat) but it can also be run online. Tips for how to run it online are at the bottom of this page. 

• Write out each of the values on a piece of paper. 
• Divide the group into random teams of 4-5 people. Assign each team a value.
• Explain that groups will now have 20 minutes to find a physical place that they think represents something about their assigned value. Invite them to decorate their chosen location with one or more objects they consider to be symbols or metaphors of the value. 
• Give groups time to pick their place and decorate it. This will naturally lead to some discussion about what the value means and represents. 
• Once all groups are decided, go for a tour of all the values, with each group explaining what their "station" means and represents.

This activity makes values really memorable. It's hard to forget we have a value of "transparency" once we've associated it with windows and glasses! 
It can naturally form a good start to a longer workshop on values, for example following into a discussion on what is working and what is not working well in the team's embodiment of their values. 

Online

You can run the same activity online by placing groups in breakout rooms and inviting them to find objects around their working spaces and/or moving around to show a particular space in one of the member's home offices.