Big Values ​​List: The Beginning of a Team Purpose

In the uncertain and complex times that we are living, the search for something that lasts over time and gives us a sense of belonging is one of the biggest challenges of management and teams

According to the latest Mercer Global Talent Trend study, 76% of workers surveyed state that they lack a purpose at work, which directly impacts their connection and motivation towards the organization. global-talent-hr-trends.html

Together with the Tribu, the HR consulting team that I joined a while ago, we wanted to advance in the construction of a shared purpose. This team is made up of 6 consultants, all with a lot of experience in some organizations, who decided to take the path of independence.

We already worked knowing our motivations with Moving Motivators and given the personal and work moments that have occurred with the pandemic, we came to the reflection that this definition would help us to reinforce our desire to work together.

To start this process we wanted to look at the values ​​of each one and that would be the basis for this definition through the Big Values ​​List practice

This is a list of 250 values ​​that you can use to generate individual and group reflection on your personal values, which can be the starting point to develop exercises on culture and purpose. You can learn more in the following link: value-storie

How did I carry out this practice?

To start off, we individually reviewed the Big Values ​​List for a few minutes and focused on choosing the ones that currently represented us the most.

Then we shared the chosen values ​​to finally focus on the two that were common to almost everyone: helping and learning.

To complement this activity we use the IKIGAI model to review more elements in the construction of this purpose: what we love to do and what we are good at.We connect our values ​​selected from the list with what drives us and what we are passionate about, from there to build a team purpose that considers the individuality of each member

We also incorporate some questions about the context and what we are observing from our customers as well as questioning the products and services we can offer.

At the end of the activity, we wrote a couple of purpose alternatives to finally choose the one with which we feel most represented and the one that generated the most inspiration.

The team generated powerful reflections around this exercise and I believe that the greatest learning has to do with putting our personal values ​​on the table as the basis for any group construction.

Not everyone is so clear about it, so I think that for a next opportunity it could be very useful to share the Big Values ​​List in advance so that it can be reviewed and thought about with more time

As a facilitator, I learned how important it is to start considering the history, passions, and interests of each participant to build a truly representative purpose. Facilitating this activity is a challenge to focus and time since it is a topic that generates motivation and participation. Next time I think I will need to have more time control to have a focused and effective meeting.

I invite you to use this practice if you want to install the Culture and Purpose conversation with your team, try to generate examples and stories about them that allow you to take these statements to the daily routine of the team. It can certainly help you find those personal and deep aspects that can keep us together these days.