Values Auction
Participants bid on values using limited resources, revealing what matters most to them and the team.
Values Auction is an interactive activity that helps individuals and teams clarify priorities. Participants receive a fixed amount of "money" (play money or points) and bid on various values in an auction format. Values might include: innovation, work-life balance, recognition, autonomy, teamwork, stability, growth, integrity, etc. How people spend their limited resources reveals their true priorities. This exercise generates rich discussion about alignment, trade-offs, and what the team values most.
Objective
Clarify individual and team values through competitive resource allocation.
- List of 15-20 values
- Play money or point system
- Auction tracking sheet
- Auctioneer (facilitator)
How to Play
Distribute Resources
3 minGive each participant the same amount of play money or points (e.g., $1000 or 100 points).
Explain Auction Rules
5 minPresent values one at a time. Participants bid competitively. Highest bidder "wins" that value. No pooling money!
Run the Auction
30 minAuctioneer presents each value with brief description. Open bidding. Track who wins each value and at what price.
Reflection Discussion
15 minDiscuss: Which values went highest? Lowest? What surprised you? What does this reveal about team priorities?
Team Values Alignment
12 minIdentify shared high-value items. Discuss how to operationalize these values in team behavior.
Pro Tips
Customize values list to be relevant to your team, organization, or project context.
Variations
Try these variations to adapt the game for different contexts and group sizes.
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