While reading “How to link personal values with team values,” the activity with the values cards really stood out to me. It reminded me of a leadership exercise I participated in during my summer internship abroad. We started with a large set of 50 different values, and the goal was to narrow them down to our core priorities. First, we each wrote our 7 most important values on separate sheets of paper. Then, with a trash can placed in the center of the room, we eliminated one value at a time until we reached our top 3. The process was fast-paced, forcing us to act quickly rather than overthink our choices.

One thing I didn’t expect was how surprising my final top 3 values were. I went in thinking I knew what mattered most to me, but the exercise really pushed me to reflect and rethink my priorities. It was a moment of quick introspection that made me realize what truly drives my decisions and actions.

I also appreciated the discussion in the article about how values influence behavior and interactions within a team. Seeing the connection between personal values and team dynamics reinforced why identifying my core values is so important. I’m excited to start applying these insights in future team settings and in the workforce. This article was perfectly timed to highlight the practical importance of value-based teamwork.

Jaffe, D. T., & Scott, C. D. (1998). How to link personal values with team values. Training & Development, 52(3), 24–30.