Dropbox Design

Team Values
Toolkit
Activities for exploring values
and building team alliancesAbout Culture Kits

The Team Values Toolkit along with all of our Culture Kits are free, adaptable,
and made for anyone who wants to make work better. We’re sharing our tools
to empower and equip you to shape your own work culture. What will you
explore with this Culture Kit? Visit dropbox.design for more.

Contributors
Jennifer Brook, Julie Hawke, Nicole Lavelle, Michelle

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Morrison, Gabrielle Matte, Kelly Arce, Olivia Luo, Beauty

4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Nazzaro, Amy Berkowitz, Justin Tran

Version 4.0 Spring 2019

Team Values Toolkit
Activities for exploring values and building team alliances

Introduction

Kit Contents

Co-creating a team contract is a way to align with your

Activity One: Identifying Personal Values

team on how you want to work together, communicate, make

• Overview

decisions, share information, and work better together.

• Instructions for the Storyteller• Instructions for the Listener

Work habits and collaborative norms form organically, often• Animal cards

without intentional design. Norms that are formed by mostpeople on a team may not always account for or include

Activity Two: Exploring Shared Values andeveryone on a team. How might we approach this process

Documenting Our Alliancein an inclusive way? How might we take personal ownership• Overview

of defining and co-creating partnerships? How might we• Instructions for the Team

work to make these norms shared and explicit?

• Question cards• Alliance worksheet

What would happen if we viewed these team contracts as
products designed around our needs as a group—engaging
in the same discovery, prototyping, testing, and iteration
processes that are used to create any product or service?
This two-part toolkit invites your group to talkabout working together, define ideal conditions for
teamwork, and document shared values in the formof a social contract.
Learn more at dropbox.design

Suggested Use• Before starting a new project with your team• Checking in midway through a project• As you begin to work with new collaborators
Suggested Time
2–3 hour workshop with follow-up conversations
as needed

Printing Instructions & Assembly
To print this toolkit, you will need a printer, paper, andscissors. When you’re ready to print, make sure that you
select these settings on your printer:• Print at actual size (US Letter 8.5 x 11 inches)• Double-sided, for cards only (optional)
For pagination, you can reference the Kit Contents section.

Activity One

Identifying
Individual
ValuesExceptional groups voice andtake ownership of their values

Activity One: Identifying Individual Values
Exceptional groups voice and take ownershipof their values

Overview

Duration

Values—our deeply held and non-negotiable understandings

30-46 minutes

and preferences—are a central element of both theformation and transformation of conflict. The act of voicing
one’s values can be as important as having them. In conflictand collaboration, people want to use their voice to beheard by others and to reinforce a sense of who they are.
Collaboration can be complicated because of the “invisiblelines” that make up personal or group boundaries.
Sharing values makes the invisible visible, giving the speaker
self-determination, authority, and ownership. For the listener,
it opens channels of communication and creates a senseof empathy and understanding. Together, the process of
voicing one’s values and listening to another’s can aid indeveloping relationships, changing norms and behaviors,and legitimizing both similarities and differences.
The purpose of this two-part activity is to reflect and identify
your own values in action, listen to and learn about yourpartner in new ways, and discover where your core valuesalign or diverge.

1/3FormatConversation in pairs

Materials• Animal cards• Timer (optional)

Activity One: Identifying Individual Values
This two-part activity starts a conversation about
what matters most to us when working with others

Instructions

Instructions for the Storyteller

Start by dividing into pairs. Each pair chooses someone

Part 1:to be the Storyteller for Part 1. The Storyteller will follow theBring to mind a project or a job where you were working

instructions in Part 1 and share a personal story with thewith others to get something done, and the experience felt

Listener. Then, swap roles so that each person gets a turn

positive, fulfilling, and full of ease, even if the work itself

as the Storyteller. Move on to Part 2, again making sure each

was challenging.

person has a chance to be the Storyteller and the Listener.
Select an animal card from the deck that represents
There are instructions for both the Storyteller and thesomething about this experience—the way you felt about

Listener. Review these together before you begin.

it or the way you felt while in it—and tell your partner astory describing how the animal or image connects to

Suggested Modifications
5-minute value exploration:
In this quick version, the Storyteller picks a card and tells
their partner, the Listener, a story for Part 1. The Listener’srole is to actively listen and ask questions. Set the timer for
5 minutes and explore!
Morning value meditation:
This version splits up Part 1 and Part 2 into two sessions.
Begin the day by dividing your team into pairs and doing
Part 1 of the activity. The next day, your morning begins bypicking up where you left off, meeting in the same pairs
and doing Part 2. Leave 15–20 minutes for each part; you
may find it helpful to use a timer.

Activity Reflection
After you’ve had an opportunity to share, it can be helpful
to reflect on where your values or working styles align andwhere they diverge. If you’re doing this work with a larger
team, we suggest coming back together at the start of
Activity Two to identify a set of shared group values.

2/3

this experience.
Part 2:
Bring to mind an experience with a project or a job that felt
frustrating, where working with others felt hard, even if thetasks were not that difficult.
Like you did before, select an animal card from the deckthat represents something about this experience, andtell your partner a story about how the animal or image
connects to this experience.
When telling your story, try to use specific examples andinclude details about the experience and its impact on you.
If the Listener repeats back what they heard you say, makesure to confirm, clarify, or correct where appropriate.
Make sure to tell the Listener about any values you hold that
may not have been conveyed in your story, or anything else
you want them to know before moving on.

Activity One: Identifying Individual Values
This two-part activity starts a conversation about
what matters most to us when working with others

Instructions

Instructions for the ListenerStart by dividing into pairs. Each pair chooses someone to

Listen intently, keep the conversation focused on thebe the Storyteller for Part 1 (see: For the Storyteller). The

Storyteller, and ask open-ended questions to draw out

Storyteller will follow the instructions in Part 1 and share atheir story.

personal story with the Listener. Then, swap roles so thateach person gets a turn as the Storyteller. Move on to PartCan you give me an example?

2, again making sure each person has a chance to be theWhy was that important to you?

Storyteller and the Listener.

How was it different from your expectations?
Tell me more about X.

There are instructions for both the Storyteller and the
Listener. Review these together before you begin.

Pay attention to the words, phrases, and metaphors
the Storyteller uses—listen for the values that surface

Suggested Modifications
5-minute value exploration:
In this quick version, the Storyteller picks a card and tells
their partner, the Listener, a story for Part 1. The Listener’srole is to actively listen and ask questions. Set the timer for
5 minutes and explore!
Morning value meditation:
This version splits up Part 1 and Part 2 into two sessions.
Begin the day by dividing your team into pairs and doing
Part 1 of the activity. The next day, your morning begins bypicking up where you left off, meeting in the same pairs
and doing Part 2. Leave 15–20 minutes for each part; you
may find it helpful to use a timer.

Activity Reflection
After you’ve had an opportunity to share, it can be helpful
to reflect on where your values or working styles alignand where they diverge. If you’re doing this work with alarger team, we suggest coming back together at the startof Activity Two to identify a set of shared group values.
3/3

throughout their story. What does this person value in aworking relationship? Using their words, paraphrase andshare back what matters to them—ask for confirmation,clarification, or correction where appropriate.
What I hear you saying is X. Is there anything I missed?
It sounds like you value X. Is that right?

Activity Two

Exploring
SharedValuesExceptional groups work together tomake goals and expectations clear

Activity Two: Exploring Shared Values
Exceptional groups work together to make goals
and expectations clear

Overview

Duration

The co-creation of goals, narratives, and agreements

1-2 hours

is a bedrock of interpersonal and intergroup cooperation.
The positive impact of forming alliances is recognized byconflict resolution theories and techniques.
Establishing a shared social contract is a task that groups
can only achieve by working together. It requires theknowledge and input of all members and inspires a senseof group belonging and cohesion. Negotiating alliances
gives group members a sense of ownership, kickstarts
important conversations, and reinforces collaborative
thinking and behaviors.
The purpose of this two-part activity is to align with yourgroup on how you want to work together, communicate,make decisions, share information, and support each other.

1/3

FormatGroup discussion

Materials• Question cards• Alliance worksheet• Pen• Timer (optional)

Activity Two: Exploring Shared Values
This two-part activity starts a discussion about how
we want to work together and then guides us as wecreate a group contract reflecting our shared values

Instructions

Suggestions for Productive Discussion

To begin, we suggest coming back together as a whole• Give examples whenever possible.

group to identify a set of shared values you’d like to adopt.

• Try to keep responses concise, especially in large groups.

In the group, identify and write down the values you identified• Try to make sure everyone’s voice is represented.

in Activity One and place them on a wall or table. From here,
have each person in the group cast a few votes using amarker or sticky dots to align on 3–5 values that you’d liketo take forward.
With these shared values in mind, use the Question cards toprompt a conversation with the whole group or host smaller
breakout groups to explore individual questions. The goal forthe conversations is to explore and ultimately align with yourgroup on how you want to work together, communicate,make decisions, share information, and support each other.
We encourage you to document these agreements using
the enclosed Alliance worksheet and/or by placing them ina shared team space like an office or digital workspace.

Suggested Modifications
5-minute collaboration exploration:
Have a group member pick a question card and read it aloud.
Set a timer for 5 minutes and make sure everyone has achance to share their answers before the timer runs out.
Teamwork power hour:
Skip Part 2 (Alliance worksheet). Do an hour-long version
of Part 1 (Question cards) by giving your team 10 minutes todiscuss the questions on each question card (use a timer).
Candid contract:
Skip Part 1 and start with Part 2. Give your team 30 minutes(or an hour, or 20 minutes) to answer the questions on
the contract worksheet and draw up an alliance they can
all agree on.
Take a break:Lead your group through Part 1, then wait a week
(or as long as you want) before picking up Part 2.

2/3

Activity Two: Exploring Shared Values
Exceptional groups work together to make goals
and expectations clear

Contributors

Metaphors

Working Styles

Is there an image that describes how we are when

How will we create a supportive working environment?

we’re at our best?

Communication Styles

Decision-making and Alignment

How will we communicate and share information?

How will we make decisions?

Confronting ConflictAccountability

How will we respond to and manage conflict?

How and when will we review our alliance?

Additional Commitments

3/3

Activity One

AnimalCards

Activity One

Identifying Individual Values

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Activity Two

Question
Cards

Activity Two

Exploring Shared Values

Activity Two

Exploring Shared Values

Activity Two

Exploring Shared Values

Activity Two

Exploring Shared Values

What specific and intentional behavior do
we want to encourage (or discourage)?

Decision-Making and Alignment

How do we want to make decisions?
What will we do (or not do) when we
disagree or aren’t aligned?
If disagreement distances us, what
will we do to come back together?

What issue have you not felt heard about so far?
What do you most want others to understand?

What qualities do we wish were more present
in the group? What dynamics might interferewith these qualities?

Making It Ours

What else do we want to define in our contract?

What other conversations do we need or wantto have?

What makes us feel proud of our partnership?

How do you want to feel when we’re
working together?

What unresolved conflicts or problematic
patterns need to be addressed before wecan move forward constructively?
What kind of specific support do you want
to request from the team? How do we wantto support each other as a team?

Working Styles

Confronting ConflictExploring Shared Values

Activity TwoWhen and how often will we review our allianceand update as needed?

How will we make sure new teammates or
teammates who aren’t present can contributeand feel included?

How will we document these agreements?

Making It Real