Reading “How to Link Personal Values with Team Values” alongside “Personal Values and Performance in Teams: An Individual and Team-Level Analysis” reminded me of a class activity I participated in during one of my very first classes at NC State about three years ago. In my Introduction to Sustainability course, the class was provided with a printed group of dozens of values. We were first tasked to prioritize those values for ourselves. The result of this initial step was entirely unique sets of values across the entire class. Similarly, we each completed the Clifton Strengths Assessment, resulting in completely distinct combinations.
The importance of bringing awareness and consideration to the individuals within a team was tested in these two sources. One publication concluded that personal values do not have an influence on individual performance within a team and would not be considered “significant predictors of peer-evaluated performance” (Glew, 2009, p. 686). Building off of these findings, “How to Link Personal Values with Team Values” details the process of reflecting on personal values and collaborating to agree upon team values that every member can commit to (Jaffe & Scott, 1998, pp. 24-30). This other publication focused more closely on four personal values that were pre-selected and how they connected to performance, whereas the other generated values directly from the team’s own personal values. While they both had different purposes in delivery, a trend remains on the influence of personal values dynamics within a team or organization. From my own reflections and analyses, I am taking away the importance of communicating personal values to create a stronger understanding of team members and foster shared norms, similar to the process I started in my Introduction to Sustainability course.
Glew, D. J. (2009). Personal Values and Performance in Teams: An Individual and Team-Level Analysis. Small Group Research, 40(6), 670–693. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496409346577
Jaffe, D. T., & Scott, C. D. (1998). How to link personal values with team values. Training & Development, 52(3), 24–30