In reading the article “How to Link Personal Values With Team Values”, I was reminded of the formation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee in my workplace. When the committee was first being formed, those who expressed interest were asked to review the department’s values. We then centered our efforts on developing ideas for the new committee’s values, drawing inspiration from the established values of the department. Following a process similar to the one outlined in the article, committee members first identified the values they personally viewed as central to our work, then came together to define the shared values as a group, and finally prioritized the list of values collectively. These values serve as the guiding principles for the committee’s work, and we make it a point to revisit them regularly to ensure our actions remain aligned with them, to reaffirm our shared purpose, and to adapt when new challenges or perspectives arise.

The end of the article shows the AT&T southwestern management team’s values statement, and three of the values stood out to me: communication, teamwork, and achievement. I share these same values and understand effective group work is highly reliant on these three areas. Clear communication ensures that ideas are shared openly, tasks are understood, and conflicts are resolved constructively. Teamwork allows individuals to contribute their strengths while building trust and mutual respect. Together, these areas drive achievement, enabling groups to reach goals that would be difficult for individuals alone. However, when a team member is excluded, the group risks losing valuable perspectives and creating division. This undermines collaboration and reduces the overall quality and effectiveness of the group’s work. Overall, I can understand the importance of linking personal values with a team’s values and how this can contribute to the success of organizations like Levi Strauss, AT&T, and Nordstrom.

Jaffe, D. T., & Scott, C. D. (1998). “How to Link Personal Values With Team Values”, Training & Development, 52(3), p. 24, https://moodle-courses2527.wolfware.ncsu.edu/pluginfile.php/476433/mod_resource/content/3/Jaffe_Link_Personal_Values_Team_Values.pdf