A New Year, A Commitment to Core Values

Up to this point, the work has been personal. We’ve reflected on individual values and begun conversations as a team. Now, it’s time to shift our focus to the collective.

This week asks an important question: What does this team stand for when no one is watching?

Core values are not aspirational words for a slide deck. They are the behaviors that show up under pressure, in decision-making, and in how people treat one another—especially when it would be easier not to.

Step 1: Identify What “Great” Looks Like at Its Best

For leaders, begin by facilitating a Peak Performance storytelling session.

Invite your team to reflect on a moment when they felt genuinely proud of their work together. This might be a successful project, a difficult challenge overcome, or a time the team supported one another in a meaningful way.

As they share, listen closely. You’re not just hearing stories - you’re listening for patterns.
Were people proud because the team moved quickly? Because they showed courage? Because they were thoughtful, kind, or collaborative?

These recurring themes are clues. They point to the values your team already lives when it is at its best.

Step 2: Define Your Core Values Together

Next, shift the conversation from reflection to choice.

Introduce an activity called The Value Auction. Provide the team with a list of potential values, including any organizational or corporate values that apply (such as Integrity, Innovation, or Speed).

Give the team a shared “budget” of 100 points. Their task is to collectively decide how to allocate those points across the values they believe are essential for this team to deliver excellence in the year ahead.

This is not a solo exercise. The power is in the discussion - negotiating priorities, challenging assumptions, and articulating what truly matters.

The outcome should be clear and focused: narrow the list to three to five core values that the team agrees represent its DNA.

Step 3: Bring the Values to Life

Once your core values are defined, the work is not finished—it’s just beginning.

As a team, agree on where and how these values will show up in daily work. This might include:

• Referencing them during team meetings when discussing decisions or challenges

• Using them as a shared language for feedback—both positive reinforcement and coaching conversations

• Recognizing and celebrating wins that clearly demonstrate the values in action

When values are consistently named, reinforced, and practiced, they become more than words. They become a standard for how the team collaborates, creates, and succeeds together.

This week is about making intentional choices - about who you are as a team, and how you want to show up in the year ahead.