--- title: "Values Icebreaker" description: "Small groups agree on one core value they think matters most for their session, then compare their choice with a value previously hidden on a flipchart by the facilitator." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/values/" --- # Values Icebreaker Small groups agree on one core value they think matters most for their session, then compare their choice with a value previously hidden on a flipchart by the facilitator. **Time:** 15 minutes. Based on the 5-minute subgroup discussion from TrainerBubble, expanded to 15 minutes to include framing, small group sharing, reveal, and brief debrief. **People:** 4 to 24. Small groups of 3 to 5 people, followed by whole-room debrief. ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Surface participant expectations and group norms at the start of a session. **Use it when:** Use at the start of a workshop, project kickoff, or team meeting to set common behavioral expectations. **Skip it when:** Skip when the group already has established team agreements or when participants need a quick logistical check-in rather than norm setting. ## Materials and tools - 1 easel flipchart and paper pad - Marker pens for the facilitator - 1 index card or blank half-sheet of paper per small group - 1 pen per small group - Masking tape (optional, to pin under-sheet if needed) ## Before participants arrive 1. Before the session begins, write one single word representing a key session value (such as Curiosity, Candor, or Focus) on the second sheet of the flipchart. 2. Cover it with a blank top sheet so the written word is fully hidden from view. 3. Distribute one card and pen to each small group table. ## Say this to open Before we begin today, I wrote one single value on the hidden flipchart page behind this top sheet. It represents an attitude I believe will help us make the most of our time together. In your small groups, talk for five minutes and decide on the single value your table believes matters most for this session. Write your chosen word clearly on the index card at your table. ## How to run it ### 1. Introduce the challenge (2 minutes) Explain the task using the opening script. Point out the covered flipchart. Confirm each small group has a card and a pen. A neutral example of a value word is Respect or Openness. ### 2. Small group discussion (5 minutes) Small groups of 3 to 5 people discuss candidate values and select exactly one word to write on their card. Give a 1-minute warning before time expires. Stop when cards are written or time is up. ### 3. Hear group values (4 minutes) Ask a spokesperson from each group to read their table word aloud and share one sentence explaining why they picked it. Facilitator writes each group word on the visible top flipchart sheet. ### 4. Reveal facilitator value and debrief (4 minutes) Flip up the top sheet to reveal the hidden value word. Explain in two sentences why you chose it. Ask up to two debrief questions to bridge the group words and facilitator word into working session norms. ## Debrief questions - How do the values on your tables complement the word on the revealed chart? - Which of these words should we adopt as our working ground rules for today? **Finished output:** A visible list of small-group values alongside the facilitator value, recorded on the flipchart as shared working norms. ## Remote Write the facilitator word in a password-protected digital document or on a hidden digital whiteboard frame. Split participants into breakout rooms of 3 to 5 for 5 minutes. Each room types one value into the public chat upon returning. Reveal the hidden board frame or screen-share the hidden note, then run the debrief in the main room. ## Hybrid Pair in-person participants with local tablemates and remote participants into a dedicated online breakout room. Have the remote group submit their value via shared digital chat while table groups read theirs aloud. Position the camera to show the physical flipchart reveal to remote participants, and paste the revealed word in the chat. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may contribute ideas orally or write them silently on the table card. - Any participant may decline to be the table spokesperson without providing a reason. ## If the session gets stuck **Groups get stuck debating multiple words and cannot agree on one.** Remind them to pick any single word that fits reasonably well rather than searching for perfection; they can mention runner-up words during the share. **A group feels their word was wrong because it does not match the facilitator word.** Clarify that the facilitator word is simply another perspective, not an answer key, and add their word to the shared working norms. ## Terms used here - Value: A guiding principle or standard of behavior that guides how people interact during the session. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in TrainerBubble training materials under the title 'Values, Free Icebreaker'. Retained the core mechanic from TrainerBubble: pre-writing a value on a hidden flipchart sheet, having small groups decide their own value in 5 minutes, sharing reasons, and revealing the facilitator value. Added exact step timings, subgroup sizes (3 to 5), materials list, neutral examples, remote/hybrid adaptations, and concrete debrief questions. [TrainerBubble](https://www.trainerbubble.com/downloads/values/?currency=USD) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/values/