Values Exploration and Excavation
The purpose of a Values Excavation is to identify the values currently creating inclusion and/or exclusion within a culture. Often, values of white supremacy and heteropatriarchy are creeping in, even if our intention is to value diversity and to work toward equity and inclusion.
When organizations make the invisible visible, they can identify the behaviors and values necessary for building the culture they envision, and they can name the barriers to introducing more inclusive and equitable values and behaviors.
This work is the foundation for operationalizing the values, creating accountability, and setting a high standard for values alignment.
Process
Through group and one-on-one processing sessions, we will:
- Identify the patterns of behavior that represent how work gets done
- Name the values that those behaviors represent
- Examine each value, and identify ways in which it creates inclusion and/or exclusion
- Imagine what values we can add as antidotes and disruptors to exclusion
- See the barriers preventing the introduction of more inclusive values
Deliverables
A Values Excavation provides tangible data along with careful observations and reflections that help you understand how people are experiencing your organization’s culture. From our work with a core team of your leaders, we provide:
Values & Culture Overview
Draft Values Statement
Narrative Summary
Socializing Your Values
Once you have completed the Values Excavation and can begin naming your desired values, an organization-wide retreat is often the best way to help your whole team understand and embody those values. Living out your values requires communication, buy-in, relationships, and trust. We can help you present your values to your team and invite them to discover together how everyone will uphold them.
Read about how we can help you create supportive systems and structures to operationalize your values in your day-to-day functions.