Team values, sometimes referred to as “team norms,” can create groundbreaking ways of working together. These norms establish the cultural rules that will engender more trust and increased collaboration. What team doesn’t want that? A collective set of values also help teams find their own unique voice, creating a stronger sense of togetherness.

For You

Spend a Sunday afternoon reflecting on the values that you care about most. Open communications? Efficient workflows? Work / life balance? Creativity and innovation? Trust and respect? Reaching goals and milestones? Pick your top five values, and then write a sentence to explain each value.

For Your Team

Meet one-on-one with each team member to share your values and then ask them to reflect on theirs. Encourage them to spend time writing down their top 3-5 values. Then bring all team members together to discuss their values. See if you can land on a list of 5-7 values that everyone feels good about.