IPEC Domain/Competency

Values and Ethics

Sub-Competencies

VE4.     Value diversity, identities, cultures, and differences.

VE7.     Practice trust, empathy, respect, and compassion with persons, collaborators, and populations.

VE10.   Contribute to a just culture that fosters self-fulfillment, collegiality, and civility across the team.

VE11.   Support a workplace where differences are respected, satisfaction is supported, and well-being is prioritized.

Goals and objectives

By the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Articulate their own values and beliefs about collaborative team work.
• Develop habits of reflection through examination of both internal and external dilemmas and resources.
• Examine how individual values influence team interactions and recognize that values may need to be prioritized differently depending on the context, particularly in collaborative work settings.

Materials

• Values Sort Cards (MSWord) 

Instructions

This activity can be completed individually or in groups. Regardless of format, all participants begin with an individual values sort.

Part 1: Individual Values Sort

Provide each participant with a set of Values Sort Cards. Ask participants to identify 3-5 most important and least important values when engaging in collaborative, team-based work.

Individual Reflection Questions

After participants identify their top values, invite them to reflect on the following questions:

1. Which of your top values most strongly influences how you work with others? Why?
2. How do your top values show up in your behavior during team projects?
3. Which value would be the hardest for you to compromise on in a team or group collaborative project setting? Why?
4. Think of a positive team experience. Which of your values were honored or supported?
5. Think of a challenging team experience. Were any of your values in conflict with the way the team was operating?
6. How might your values shape your expectations of teammates?
7. Which of your values contribute most to building trust and respect within a team?
8. Are there any values you identified as least important that might be highly important to other team members? How do you feel about that?

Debrief

Conclude the individual activity by debriefing with students about most significant learning about how individual values shape teamwork and how might approach teamwork differently after doing this activity.

Part 2: Team Activity

After completing their individual rankings, participants work in small groups. Ideally, they would be in their group project teams (e.g., semester long group project). Have each group/team combine their members’ most important values into one pile and their least important values into a second pile. Then invite the groups to look for patterns and discuss the similarities and differences they notice in their rankings.

Group Discussion Questions

1. What similarities do you notice among the values represented in your group?
2. What differences stand out? What do those differences tell you about the diversity of perspectives within your team?
3. How might differing values strengthen a team's work?
4. What challenges could arise when team members prioritize different values?
5. Which values seem most important for creating an inclusive and respectful team environment?
6. How can we ensure that team members with different priorities still feel heard and valued?
7. What assumptions do people sometimes make about individuals who prioritize different values than their own?
8. How might understanding one another's values help prevent conflict or misunderstandings?

Debrief

Conclude by discussing how awareness of one's own values—and curiosity about the values of others—can contribute to more effective, respectful, and collaborative teamwork.

Closing Reflection

How might awareness of your own values, combined with a willingness to understand the values of others, help you become a more effective team member?

Created by: Taj Rollins and Vesna Hart
Suggested Citation: CHBS IPE and IDE Council. (2026). Empathy Card Game: Value Sort Cards. CHBS IPE & IDE Instructional Toolkit. James Madison University.