THREADS

GUIDE TO
CORE
VALUES
 CREATING YOUR CORE VALUES
3 HRS

NEED HELP CREATING YOUR CORE VALUES?

WE CAN HELP FACILITATE THIS FOR YOU!

Culture Challenges Addressed:

Don’t have Core Values that reflect your company or organization?

5 Takeaways:
• Core Values - statements and definitions
• Measurables - criteria for each core value
• Rollout plan - including stories to support the “Why” for each
value
• Documentation - a record of the creation process
• Enhanced Relationships - as you establish the foundation of
your culture

The Core Values Exercise will walk you through the steps of establishing,
enhancing and/or recommitting to, the core values of your organization.
With the team(s) of your choosing, Threads will facilitate a hands on
workshop, which will dive to the core of what makes your the company
who you are. Once established, your core values will guide your
organization in setting clear expectations to recognize, coach and/or hold
accountable to your culture.

Want to get started? Email us at contact@threadsculture.com to get a

free coaching quote!

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 CORE VALUES

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

• Finding the right Core Values is a key part of measuring your

culture.

VALUES

RESULTS

• Your core values unite your organization because they apply

to everyone, regardless of job description.

• This guide will walk you through how to uncover the real core
values of your organization and how to apply them to
your review and hiring processes.

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 CORE VALUES GAME

USE WHEN AN ORGANIZATION

• Doesn’t have published core values.

• Is interested in updating or defining core values.
• Wants to confirm their published core values are accurate.

OBJECTIVES

• Identify and define an organization’s core values.

• Produce data to create review criteria based on the
organization’s core values.
• Produce data to create interview questions that determine if
applicants have the organization’s core values.

PARTICIPANTS

• Moderator – Responsible for leading the game. Can be an

executive coach or the CEO of the organization.
• Up to 10 participants from the company.

• IMPORTANT – Participants should be the employees that
the CEO believes most exemplify the organization’s
core values regardless of job title. Do not assume this
is automatically the management team.

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 CORE VALUES GAME

GAME TYPE – AFFINITY MAP

• Identify and define an organization’s core values.

• Produce data to create review criteria based on the
organization’s core values.

BEFORE: AFTER:

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 CORE VALUES GAME

MATERIALS

• White Index Cards (if sorting on a table)

• Post-It Notes (if sorting on a wall)
• Pens (different colors for each person works best)

TIME

• For one person you need 30-60 minutes.

• For larger groups up to 10 people you will need 1-2 hours.
• Larger groups need more time for discussion during the
sorting process.

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 STEP #1 - QUESTION

CORE VALUES QUESTION

• Write or post the following question so it is visible to all

people doing the exercise.
• You can give each person a handout with the question. You can
also write the question on a whiteboard or flip chart at
the front of the room.

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 STEP #2 - CREATE LIST

BUILDING THE CORE VALUES LIST

• Have each person take 5-10 minutes to answer the question.

• Instruct them to write down everything that comes to mind
when they read this question.
• Each person should write only one idea per index card or
post-it note.

HOW MANY CARDS TO I NEED?

• For one person you need a minimum of 20-25 ideas and a

maximum of 40-50.
• For a group it works best to have a maximum of 100 ideas. Too
many ideas will make sorting crowded and difficult.

WHAT IF IDEA FLOW IS SLOW?

• Try inverting the question: Ask everyone, “What is your

company not? What does our competition do that
we would never do?”
• Tell the participants to think of the things their organization is
“NOT” and then write the opposite.

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 STEP #2 - CREATE LIST

DISPLAY THE IDEAS

• Gather all the cards or post-it notes from the participants.

• Mix the cards up and place them all on the table face up.
• Every card should be visible to the participants, like the
picture shown below.

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 STEP #3 - SORTING

ORGANIZE CARDS IN 5 GROUPS

• Instruct the participants to start sorting the cards in to similar

groups.
• For example, if someone wrote “teamwork” on a card and
someone else wrote “We help each other out” then you
would place those cards together.
• DO NOT cover any cards. All cards should be visible for the
entire sorting process.
• DO NOT discard or hide duplicates. If the same idea or
thought is repeated on multiple cards, that indicates
significance.

COMMON ISSUES

• Ideas that don’t fit. Move any ideas that don’t have a
place in to a “parking lot” on the side of the sorting area.
They may not be important or they may find a home
as the sorting process continues.
• Too Many Groups. Five groups is the ideal number. Ten is the
max. These groups will become your core values. If you
have too many groups, have participants vote on the 5
most important.

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 STEP #3 - SORTING

FINAL GROUPS

• After sorting, your initial list of cards should be organized in

5-7 groups like the picture shown below.
• Each group includes its own set of different, but related ideas.

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 STEP #4 - DEFINE

CHOOSE YOUR CORE VALUES

• Choose a key word or concept that summarizes each group of

cards.
• The key word or concept you chose from each group is one of
your core values.
• The organization can have confidence these are the right core
values because the ideas that make up each group are
(1) weighted by significance (# of cards) and (2) are
made up of what you have identified as most important
about your organization.

DEFINE YOUR CORE VALUES

• Defining your core values will help everyone who works at

your organization clearly understand and remember
each one.
• Definitions should use actual terminology found in each
group of cards as much as possible.
• It is easier to communicate your core values when the
definitions are in your own words.

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 STEP #5 - APPLY

CORE VALUES IN YOUR REVIEWS

• Your Core Values and definitions are shown on every Threads

review form.
• Use the ideas from the cards to help you create review
criteria to measure each of your core values.

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 STEP #5 - APPLY

CORE VALUES IN YOUR INTERVIEWS

• Refine your interview process to determine if potential hires

will work with your core values in mind.
• Use the ideas from the cards to help you create interview
questions to measure each of your core values.

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 NOTES

If you have any further questions feel free to head over to

our webiste or email us at contact@threadsculture.com.

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 COACHING SERVICES
CREATING YOUR CORE VALUES THE EXPECTATIONS PLAYBOOK COMMUNICATING FROM
3 HRS 1 HR YOUR CORE
1 HR
The Core Values Exercise will walk Regardless of your position, as an
you through the steps of establishing, employee, you want to know what Consistent flow of open and honest
enhancing and/or recommitting to, the is expected of you. This hands on communication is key to a dynamic,
core values of your organization. With workshop will walk you and your high performing culture. This session
the team(s) of your choosing, Threads team through the steps of creating focuses on what it takes to give and
will facilitate a hands on workshop, measurable results criteria for every receive effective feedback, leaving you
which will dive to the core of what position in your organization. and your team(s) prepared for the level
makes your the company who you are. of communication required to build a
Once established, your core values will dynamic and thriving culture.
guide your organization in setting clear PRE-REVIEW PEP TALK
expectations to recognize, coach and/or 0.5 HRS
hold accountable to your culture. REVIEWS DONE RIGHT
Review day is a big day for employees 1 HR
and managers alike. It is the day when
BEST CULTURE WINS all of the hard work or lack thereof is Conducted prior to your review period,
1 HR formally captured and communicated. your Threads Coaches will share best
Conducted in either group or individual practices for creating and conducting
High performing cultures are not sessions, your Threads Coaches will performance reviews. In addition, we
determined by who has the most flavors work with you to ensure you are ready will work with your leaders to ensure
of free soda! What it really takes may to deliver and communicate real results. their reviews are an accurate reflection
surprise you. Designed to inspire of employee performance and culture
action, this presentation will share alignment and completed on time.
personal experiences on what it takes REVIEW YOUR REVIEW PROCESS
to make and break a thriving culture. 1 HR
IT’S NOT THE RATING SCALE
Organizations commit a significant 1 HR
THE CORE VALUES COMMITMENT amount of time and money on their
1 HR review process. Because of this, one This presentation points out the
would think that this process would downfall of traditional scales and the
At the end of the day, what makes be solid, effective and looked upon as fallacies in the upgrades that have
or breaks an initiative is how well a treasured event. In fact, it is just the happened over the course of time. Dive
it is supported and modeled, by the opposite - reviews suck! They suck for into the Threads rating scale, with real
leaders of the organization. In this leaders and employees alike! During examples of how the scale, when used
session, leaders will discuss the level this session, we will review your review correctly, will bring desired results.
of commitment it takes to create and process and identify what is keeping
support a thriving culture - creating a people from making this a valuable and
symbol that will signify their unity and sought after process. YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS
commitment. 1 HR

THE TRUTH ABOUT DIFFICULT Feedback is an essential part of the

BRINGING CORE VALUES TO LIFE CONVERSATIONS success of an individual, team and
1 HR 2 HRS organization. Not only is important to
hear feedback, it is also important to
“I’ll believe it when I see it!” Designed to encourage and inspire, capture it in the form of documentation.
Putting your values front & center, this session focuses on the 3 kinds of In this session, we will discuss all
infusing them into all aspects of conversations you’ll have: the one with aspects of giving and receiving
the organization, is key to culture yourself, the one with others and the feedback, including best practices for
enhancement. From concept to one you allow others to have with you. documenting.
communication, our Threads Coaches
will share the importance of visuals,
imagery and storytelling, as they
pertain to your core values and will Learn more about Threads Coaching or email us at contact@
guide your steps into this crucial threadsculture.com or call us at 319-236-0100
and often forgotten component of
engagement.
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©2018 Threads, Inc