Welcome, and thank you for stepping into this role today.
What you're about to run isn't just an activity, it's a chance for someone to see themselves a little more clearly, maybe for the first time in a while. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up, follow this guide, and be genuinely present with the people in front of you.
Your role matters more than you might think. The person leading the group shapes how safe people feel to be honest, how much they're willing to notice, and whether today becomes something they actually remember. That's you. Whatever happens in this group today happens because you chose to hold it well.
If this is your first time facilitating, that's okay. This guide has been designed to support you through every part of the session, from what to say to what to do. Follow it one step at a time, and you'll do just fine.
This guide is written primarily around the Printable PDF, since that's the most common way to run a session. Everything below still applies if you're using the Group Values Board instead, just adapt the SAY lines and instructions to whichever format is in front of your group.
Three things to hold onto the whole session:
Your main adjustment for this group: keep it energetic and fast. Move quickly between scenarios, keep the energy up, and don't over-explain, this group will disengage faster than they'll ask for more detail.
The future is full of choices no one can predict in advance. Participants may not know what job they'll have, who they'll meet, what opportunities will come up, or what problems they'll face.
But they can get better at knowing:
That's what this module practises. Every round is really asking one of these four questions in a different way.
Your job as facilitator is simply to help participants move through these four steps. You don't need to be an expert on values, you just need to run the steps.
This module isn't really about picking the "right" value. It's about noticing decision making criteria you already have.
Values are just decision making criteria, the things that quietly decide what you do when a choice actually costs you something. You're not asking "what should you value?" You're showing each participant: you already make these calls constantly, today just slows one of them down enough to see it clearly. Understanding your own decision making criteria helps you make better choices in life, because you're acting from something you actually know about yourself instead of guessing in the moment.
This helps participants practise:
For youth, this can help when choosing friends, subjects, CCAs, jobs, relationships, and how to spend limited time.
The words in the SAY boxes are written at a level any participant can follow. Read them exactly as written, or put them in your own words as long as the meaning stays the same.
Optional, if it feels natural: share a small example of a values tension in your own life, e.g. "I once had to choose between a group project idea I actually believed in and the safer option everyone else wanted. I went with the safer one, and I still think about that." Keep it in your own words. Young people don't need a facilitator with all the answers, they need one who's actually made a call like this before.
| Round | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scenario Picking — Mandatory | Everyone raises a hand for A or B on 8 quick scenarios, tallied as we go | 25–26 min |
| 2. Values Ranking (Auction) — Optional | The group allocates tokens across 10 values, the top 3 by token count win | 15–17 min |
| 3. Storytelling — Optional | Stories are told live, one at a time, about the value the group fought hardest for | 16–18 min |
| 4. Final Reflection — Mandatory | Each person writes their declaration and first action | 10 min |
Short bridge moments between rounds (about 1 minute each) aren't listed as separate rows above, but they matter, they're written out in full at the point you need them below.
You are working with youth from a range of backgrounds, including some who may have experienced difficult things. You are not expected to handle everything alone. Your job is to notice, respond calmly, and get the right person involved.
| Signal | Looks like | Do |
|---|---|---|
| STOP | Someone discloses self-harm, abuse, or is in acute distress or disconnected from what's happening around them | Stop the activity and get the lead adult. Signal your lead facilitator or the on-site teacher right away. Do not ask follow-up questions about what happened. |
| SLOW | Someone looks upset, withdraws, or shares something unexpectedly personal, but is not in crisis | Reduce pressure. Let them pass. Check in later. Ease off, let them skip a turn, and check in with them quietly and privately after the round. |
| MONITOR | Someone seems flat, checked out, or their mood shifts and you're not sure why | Keep going gently. Tell the lead adult afterwards. Reduce the pressure on them to speak, and mention it to your lead facilitator afterward. |
You are the first person in the room. What you do in the first 30 seconds of a difficult moment matters more than having the perfect words. Stay calm, stay warm, and hand it to the right adult. A school teacher should be present at every session, if for any reason they're not in the room, know who you'd go to instead before you start.
Purpose: Every choice runs through decision making criteria you already have, even the small ones. This round makes that visible eight times in a row, fast. Round question: can I recognise what influences my choices?
| # | Scenario | Option A → Value | Option B → Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You finally have a whole Saturday free. Which would you rather do? | Spend the day with your closest friends. → Belonging | Spend the day learning something you've always wanted to try. → Growth |
| 2 | Your team has two ideas. | Try a creative idea that might not work. → Creativity | Choose a safer idea that has a better chance of succeeding. → Responsibility |
| 3 | You're at a friend's gathering and someone new turns up who doesn't know anyone else there. | Invite them to join in even if it feels a bit awkward. → Courage | Give them space and wait until they seem comfortable approaching others. → Respect |
| 4 | You're the only person in your group who disagrees with the plan everyone else is excited about. | Say what you actually think, even if it changes the mood in the room. → Authenticity | Hold back, out of respect for how invested everyone else already is. → Respect |
| 5 | You're halfway through a personal project and it isn't going the way you hoped. | Drop it and try a completely different approach. → Freedom | Push through and finish what you started, because you committed to it. → Responsibility |
| 6 | You're stuck on a tricky problem with a deadline coming up. | Work it out on your own, even if it takes longer. → Independence | Go find out how other people have solved something similar and pick up a faster way. → Growth |
| 7 | You've been working hard towards a personal goal. A close friend suddenly needs your help on the same day. | Continue working towards your goal. → Purpose | Put your plans aside to help your friend. → Belonging |
| 8 | Something you care about needs someone to speak up for it publicly. | Be the one who takes the risk and speaks up. → Courage | Keep working toward it quietly, your own way, without the spotlight. → Purpose |
Opening welcome: "Hi everyone, I'm [your name], and I'll be facilitating today's session. Today we're going to do a few activities around the choices we make. There are no right or wrong answers, just choose what you'd actually do. As we go, we'll see if we can spot a few things that seem to matter to you when you're making a choice. You might notice something you didn't realise was important to you. I'm not here to tell you what you should value, we're just going to have some fun and see what we find out."
Starting the round: "Okay, we're going to start with some quick choices. I'll read out two options. If option A is you, raise your hand. Then I'll read option B, and if that one's you, raise your hand instead. Don't think about what you think you should choose, just go with what you'd actually do. Ready?"
Before the first scenario: "Remember, there's no right answer. Don't worry about explaining yourself yet, just raise your hand for the one that's true for you."
After everyone answers: "Okay, let's see what everyone picked." (reveal both values)
After revealing the values: "Interesting. A was [value] and B was [value]. Anyone want to share why they picked theirs?"
If nobody answers: "No worries. Let's make it easy. What was the first thing that came to mind when you picked it?"
If someone gives a long answer: "Yeah, that's interesting. Let's see if the next one gives us a different answer."
At the mid-point, after scenario 4: "Okay, halfway there. Which one was the easiest for you? And which one was harder to choose? You might already be noticing that some choices are easier for you than others."
"So, what did you notice? Did you keep choosing the same kind of thing? Or did your answer change depending on the situation? That's what we're looking for, our choices can tell us quite a lot about what matters to us."
"When you're stuck between two choices, ask yourself, 'what matters to me here?' It can make a hard choice a bit clearer."
"You won't always know what's going to happen in the future. But if you know what matters to you, it's easier to make a decision when something unexpected comes up."
Closing question: "What did today's choices tell you about the decision making criteria you already use?"
"So far, we've just been making choices. Now we're going to make those choices a bit harder. This time you won't be able to choose everything, you'll have to decide what matters most."
Purpose: You can't have everything at once. What the group actually spends effort on shows real priorities, not the ones anyone would say out loud. Round question: can I prioritise when I can't have everything?
| Value | In Everyday Words |
|---|---|
| Authenticity | Being true to who I am |
| Freedom | Having the freedom to choose my own path |
| Independence | Thinking and deciding for myself |
| Respect | Valuing myself and others |
| Belonging | Feeling accepted and connected |
| Growth | Always learning and improving |
| Creativity | Expressing myself and solving problems |
| Courage | Facing challenges and speaking up |
| Responsibility | Owning my choices and actions |
| Purpose | Living a life that has meaning |
| # | Opportunity Cards | Challenge Cards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | You meet someone who inspires you. | You suddenly have much less free time. |
| 2 | You are invited to join an exciting project. | Your progress is slower than you expected. |
| 3 | An experienced person offers to mentor you. | Your first idea doesn't work. |
| 4 | Someone believes in you before you believe in yourself. | You receive feedback that your plan needs improvement. |
| 5 | You receive funding for a small project. | You begin to doubt yourself. |
| 6 | You win a competition related to your dream. | You wonder whether your dream is still worth pursuing. |
| 7 | You become much more confident. | An opportunity you were hoping for doesn't happen. |
| 8 | You learn a skill much faster than expected. | You have to work with people who think differently from you. |
| 9 | You have a conversation that changes your perspective. | You need to choose between two good opportunities. |
| 10 | You have an unexpected breakthrough. | Your priorities suddenly change. |
Each person gets their own token budget and adds tokens to whichever values matter to them, one at a time, going around the group. This works on the Printable PDF (personal token strip + shared results sheet) or the Group Values Board.
| Participants | Tokens Each |
|---|---|
| 2 | 6–8 |
| 3 | 8–10 |
| 4 | 10–12 |
| 5 | 14–16 |
| 6 | 16–18 |
Tokens are added one at a time, regardless of group size, this keeps it simple and lets everyone see where the group's attention is going as it builds. Groups above 6 should split into two tables (see Do This) rather than stretching the budget further, a single round gets harder to follow once more than 6 people are adding tokens over each other.
Opening: "This round is a bit different. You have a limited number of tokens, so you can't put one on everything. You'll use your tokens to mark the values you think you'd really want to keep. The question isn't 'which value sounds nicest,' it's 'which one would I actually put my tokens on.' Hold onto today's card while you decide, [read the card], you're marking what you'd actually want to protect if this happened to you."
Before starting: "You don't have to put a token on something just because you like it. Save your tokens for the ones that matter most to you."
Explaining the mechanic: "Here's how it works. I'll come to each of you in turn, you tell me which value you want a token on, and I'll mark it down. You can put more than one token on the same value if it really matters to you, or spread them across a few. Once your tokens run out, you're done for this round."
As you go around the group: "Okay, [name], that's [number] tokens on [value] now. You've got [number] left."
If one person keeps putting tokens down before others have had a turn: "Let's pause there for a second and hear from someone who hasn't gone yet."
If a value gets no tokens at all: "Nobody's put anything on this one. That's fine, let's keep going."
This isn't about who "wins." Whether a value ends up with tokens from lots of different people, or a lot of tokens from just one or two, it counts the same either way. What matters is the total each value ends up with. The three values with the highest totals become the whole group's top three, not personal prizes for whoever added the most.
"That was quite different from Round 1. Before, you could choose whatever you wanted. This time you had to give something up. What did you notice about what you were willing to spend your tokens on?" (listen to one or two answers) "That's useful, because sometimes we only find out what really matters to us when we have to choose between two things we want."
"You can use this when you have too many things competing for your time. Ask yourself, 'if I can't have everything, what do I want to protect?'"
"Life will give you more options than you have time for. Knowing what matters to you helps you decide what to say yes to, and what to say no to."
Closing question: "When it came down to it, what did you actually spend on, and did that surprise you?"
"We've seen what you choose, and what you're willing to spend on. Now let's look at something else: do your actions actually match what you say matters to you?"
Purpose: Your decision making criteria show up in what you do, not just what you say. This round makes one value from the Auction concrete through a real story. Round question: can I recognise my values in my actual behaviour?
Setting the number of storytellers: "For this round, we're going to hear real stories, live, one at a time. Let's decide how many of you are going to share today."
Opening: "The value we're telling stories about is [value], that's the one this group fought hardest for in the Auction. Think of a real moment where this showed up for you. It doesn't have to be an amazing story, it can be something really small."
Give an example: "For example, if the value was responsibility, I might say: 'I had a group project and nobody was organising it, so I made a plan and got everyone moving.' That's enough, it doesn't need to be a dramatic story."
Starting the stories: "Okay, who wants to go first?"
If someone says "I don't know": "That's okay. Think about the last time you had to make a choice involving this value, what did you actually do?" If still nothing: "It can be something really small, think about school, friends, family, or even something you did for yourself."
Before sharing: "You don't have to share anything personal. Just share an example you're comfortable talking about."
"What did you notice when you thought of a real example? Was it easy to find one? Or did you realise that sometimes what we say is important to us and what we actually do aren't quite the same?" Then: "That's not a bad thing. It's actually useful to notice."
"If something really matters to you, look for small ways to act on it. You don't need to make a huge change, start with one thing you can actually do."
"Knowing what matters is useful. But being able to act on it is even more useful, especially when things get difficult."
Closing question: "What's one story that proves this value is already part of the decision making criteria you use, not just something you wish were true?"
"Okay, we've looked at what you choose, what you prioritise, and what you actually do. Let's put it together."
Purpose: Every participant lands what came up today into their own written declaration and first action. Round question: can I turn what I noticed today into a choice I can actually use?
Why are we ending this way? Discovering something about yourself is useful, but it becomes more useful once you can name it and act on it. The first two questions below help someone put their insight into words. The last question turns it into something they actually do.
Opening: "Take a few minutes to look back at everything we did today, the choices you made, what you bid on, and the story you told. We're going to turn that into something you actually walk away with."
While writing: "Don't worry about getting the wording perfect. Just write what's true for you right now."
Declaration: "Now write one sentence: 'I want to remember that ___.' Fill in one thing you now know about yourself that you didn't have clearly named before today."
Action: "Then choose one small thing you can actually do. Something you could finish in under fifteen minutes. And write down one person it would help to know this about you."
Closing sequence: "So after everything you've done today, what do you think matters most to you?" (let a few people answer) "And what's one thing you want to do differently because of that?" (let a few people answer) "That's it. You don't have to figure out your whole future today, you've just made it a bit clearer. Thanks everyone."
"A declaration only really does anything once someone else hears it. Try actually telling the person you named this week, not eventually, eventually usually means never."
"Naming something about yourself clearly is different from just sort of knowing it. Once you can put it into a sentence, you can actually use it, to explain a decision, or to notice when you're drifting from it."
Closing question: "Looking at what you noticed in all three rounds today, what's sitting at the centre of the decision making criteria you use right now?"
Welcome, and thank you for stepping into this role today.
What you're about to run isn't just an activity, it's a chance for someone to see themselves a little more clearly, maybe for the first time in a while. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up, follow this guide, and be genuinely present with the people in front of you.
Your role matters more than you might think. The person leading the group shapes how safe people feel to be honest, how much they're willing to notice, and whether today becomes something they actually remember. That's you. Whatever happens in this group today happens because you chose to hold it well.
If this is your first time facilitating, that's okay. This guide has been designed to support you through every part of the session, from what to say to what to do. Follow it one step at a time, and you'll do just fine.
This guide is written primarily around the Printable PDF, since that's the most common way to run a session. Everything below still applies if you're using the Group Values Board instead, just adapt the SAY lines and instructions to whichever format is in front of your group.
Three things to hold onto the whole session:
Your main adjustment for this group: don't assume everyone communicates or participates the same way. Build in time for different response methods, AAC devices, a support person relaying, gestures, and treat all of them as equally valid answers.
The future is full of choices no one can predict in advance. Participants may not know what job they'll have, who they'll meet, what opportunities will come up, or what problems they'll face.
But they can get better at knowing:
That's what this module practises. Every round is really asking one of these four questions in a different way.
Your job as facilitator is simply to help participants move through these four steps. You don't need to be an expert on values, you just need to run the steps.
This module isn't really about picking the "right" value. It's about noticing decision making criteria you already have.
You're not asking "what should you value?" You're showing each participant: you already make these calls constantly, in whatever way works for you, today just slows one of them down enough to see it clearly.
This helps participants practise:
For PWD participants, this can help when deciding what support they want, what they want to say yes or no to, and how to communicate what matters to them.
The words in the SAY boxes are written at a level any participant can follow. Read them exactly as written, or put them in your own words as long as the meaning stays the same. If a participant communicates differently (AAC device, a support person relaying for them, gestures), give them the same time and weight as anyone calling out a spoken answer.
Optional, if it feels natural: share a small example of a values tension in your own life. Keep it in your own words, don't force it if it doesn't feel true to you.
| Round | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scenario Picking — Mandatory | Everyone raises a hand (or otherwise indicates) for A or B on 8 quick scenarios, tallied as we go | 25–26 min |
| 2. Values Ranking (Auction) — Optional | The group allocates tokens across 10 values, the top 3 by token count win | 15–17 min |
| 3. Storytelling — Optional | Stories are told live, one at a time, about the value the group fought hardest for | 16–18 min |
| 4. Final Reflection — Mandatory | Each person writes (or otherwise records) their declaration and first action | 10 min |
Short bridge moments between rounds (about 1 minute each) aren't listed as separate rows above, but they matter, they're written out in full at the point you need them below.
You are working with adults with disabilities, some of whom may have experienced difficult things related to how others have treated them. You are not expected to handle everything alone. Your job is to notice, respond calmly, and get the right person involved.
| Signal | Looks like | Do |
|---|---|---|
| STOP | Someone discloses self-harm, abuse, or is in acute distress or disconnected from what's happening around them | Stop the activity and get the lead adult. Signal your lead facilitator or the on-site support worker right away. Do not ask follow-up questions about what happened. |
| SLOW | Someone looks upset, withdraws, or shares something unexpectedly personal, but is not in crisis | Reduce pressure. Let them pass. Check in later. Ease off, let them skip a turn, and check in with them quietly and privately after the round. |
| MONITOR | Someone seems flat, checked out, or their mood shifts and you're not sure why | Keep going gently. Tell the lead adult afterwards. Reduce the pressure on them to speak, and mention it to your lead facilitator afterward. |
You are the first person in the room. What you do in the first 30 seconds of a difficult moment matters more than having the perfect words. Stay calm, stay warm, and hand it to the right adult. A support worker or lead facilitator should be present at every session, know who that is before you start.
Purpose: Every choice runs through decision making criteria you already have, even the small ones. This round makes that visible eight times in a row, fast. Round question: can I recognise what influences my choices?
| # | Scenario | Option A → Value | Option B → Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You finally have a whole free day. Would you rather? | Spend it with people close to you. → Belonging | Spend it learning or trying something you've always wanted to. → Growth |
| 2 | Your group has two plans for a project. | Back a bold idea that might not work. → Creativity | Choose the safer plan that's more likely to succeed. → Responsibility |
| 3 | Someone new joins your group and doesn't yet know how things work here. | Help them get oriented right away, even if it takes extra effort. → Courage | Let them find their footing and ask when they're ready. → Respect |
| 4 | You disagree with a decision your group is excited about. | Say what you actually think, even if it changes the mood in the room. → Authenticity | Hold back, out of respect for how invested everyone else already is. → Respect |
| 5 | Something you've been working on your own way isn't going how you hoped. | Change direction and try a completely different approach. → Freedom | Keep going and see it through, because you committed to it. → Responsibility |
| 6 | You're stuck on something tricky and there's a deadline coming up. | Work it out your own way, even if it takes longer and looks different from how others do it. → Independence | Pick up a faster way of doing it that you learn from someone else in the moment. → Growth |
| 7 | You've been working toward something that matters to you. That same day, someone close to you needs your help. | Continue with your own plans. → Purpose | Set your plans aside to be there for them. → Belonging |
| 8 | Something you care about needs someone to speak up for it publicly. | Be the one who takes the risk and speaks up. → Courage | Keep working toward it quietly, your own way, without the spotlight. → Purpose |
Opening welcome: "Hi everyone, I'm [your name], and I'll be facilitating today's session. Today we're going to do a few activities around the choices we make. There are no right or wrong answers, just choose whatever you'd actually do, however works best for you. As we go, we'll see if we can spot a few things that seem to matter to you when you're making a choice. You might notice something you didn't realise was important to you. I'm not here to tell you what you should value, we're just going to have some fun and see what we find out."
Starting the round: "Okay, we're going to start with some quick choices. I'll read out two options, indicate however works best for you, a raised hand, a gesture, or however you usually let us know. Don't think about what you think you should choose, just go with what you'd actually do. Ready?"
Before the first scenario: "Remember, there's no right answer. Don't worry about explaining yourself yet, just indicate the one that's true for you."
After everyone answers: "Okay, let's see what everyone picked." (reveal both values)
After revealing the values: "Interesting. A was [value] and B was [value]. Anyone want to share why they picked theirs?"
If nobody answers: "No worries. Let's make it easy. What was the first thing that came to mind when you picked it?"
If someone gives a long answer: "Yeah, that's interesting. Let's see if the next one gives us a different answer."
At the mid-point, after scenario 4: "Okay, halfway there. Which one was the easiest for you? And which one was harder to choose? You might already be noticing that some choices are easier for you than others."
"So, what did you notice? Did you keep choosing the same kind of thing? Or did your answer change depending on the situation? That's what we're looking for, our choices can tell us quite a lot about what matters to us."
"When you're stuck between two choices, ask yourself, 'what matters to me here?' It can make a hard choice a bit clearer."
"You won't always know what's going to happen in the future. But if you know what matters to you, it's easier to make a decision when something unexpected comes up."
Closing question: "What did today's choices tell you about the decision making criteria you already use?"
"So far, we've just been making choices. Now we're going to make those choices a bit harder. This time you won't be able to choose everything, you'll have to decide what matters most."
Purpose: You can't have everything at once. What the group actually spends effort on shows real priorities, not the ones anyone would say out loud. Round question: can I prioritise when I can't have everything?
| Value | In Everyday Words |
|---|---|
| Authenticity | Being true to who I am |
| Freedom | Having the freedom to choose my own path |
| Independence | Thinking and deciding for myself |
| Respect | Valuing myself and others |
| Belonging | Feeling accepted and connected |
| Growth | Always learning and improving |
| Creativity | Expressing myself and solving problems |
| Courage | Facing challenges and speaking up |
| Responsibility | Owning my choices and actions |
| Purpose | Living a life that has meaning |
| # | Opportunity Cards | Challenge Cards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | You meet someone who inspires you. | Something you rely on suddenly isn't available or stops working. |
| 2 | You're invited to take part in something meaningful to you. | Progress is slower than you hoped. |
| 3 | Someone offers to share what they know with you, or you're asked to share what you know with someone else. | Your first plan doesn't work out. |
| 4 | Someone believes in you before you fully believe in yourself. | You get feedback that what you're doing needs to change. |
| 5 | You get support, practical or otherwise, for something that matters to you. | You begin to doubt yourself. |
| 6 | You're recognised for something you've contributed. | You wonder whether something you care about is still worth pursuing. |
| 7 | You feel more confident than you have in a while. | Something you were looking forward to doesn't happen. |
| 8 | You pick up a new skill, or a new way of doing something, faster than you expected. | You have to work with people who see things very differently from you, or don't understand your situation. |
| 9 | You have a conversation that changes how you see things. | You have to choose between two things you both care about. |
| 10 | You have an unexpected moment of clarity. | Your priorities suddenly change. |
Each person gets their own token budget and adds tokens to whichever values matter to them, one at a time, going around the group, indicating however works best for them. This works on the Printable PDF (personal token strip + shared results sheet) or the Group Values Board.
| Participants | Tokens Each |
|---|---|
| 2 | 6–8 |
| 3 | 8–10 |
| 4 | 10–12 |
| 5 | 14–16 |
| 6 | 16–18 |
Tokens are added one at a time, regardless of group size, this keeps it simple and lets everyone see where the group's attention is going as it builds. Groups above 6 should split into two tables (see Do This) rather than stretching the budget further, a single round gets harder to follow once more than 6 people are adding tokens over each other.
Opening: "This round is a bit different. You have a limited number of tokens, so you can't put one on everything. You'll use your tokens to mark the values you think you'd really want to keep. The question isn't 'which value sounds nicest,' it's 'which one would I actually put my tokens on.' Hold onto today's card while you decide, [read the card], you're marking what you'd actually want to protect if this happened to you."
Before starting: "You don't have to put a token on something just because you like it. Save your tokens for the ones that matter most to you."
Explaining the mechanic: "Here's how it works. I'll come to each of you in turn, you let me know which value you want a token on, however works best for you, and I'll mark it down. You can put more than one token on the same value if it really matters to you, or spread them across a few. Once your tokens run out, you're done for this round."
As you go around the group: "Okay, [name], that's [number] tokens on [value] now. You've got [number] left."
If one person keeps putting tokens down before others have had a turn: "Let's pause there for a second and hear from someone who hasn't gone yet."
If a value gets no tokens at all: "Nobody's put anything on this one. That's fine, let's keep going."
This isn't about who "wins." Whether a value ends up with tokens from lots of different people, or a lot of tokens from just one or two, it counts the same either way. What matters is the total each value ends up with. The three values with the highest totals become the whole group's top three, not personal prizes for whoever added the most.
"That was quite different from Round 1. Before, you could choose whatever you wanted. This time you had to give something up. What did you notice about what you were willing to spend your tokens on?" (listen to one or two answers) "That's useful, because sometimes we only find out what really matters to us when we have to choose between two things we want."
"You can use this when you have too many requests on your time or energy competing at once. Ask yourself, 'if I can't have everything, what do I want to protect?'"
"Life will give you more options than you have time or energy for. Knowing what matters to you helps you decide what to say yes to, and what to say no to, on your own terms."
Closing question: "When it came down to it, what did you actually spend on, and did that surprise you?"
"We've seen what you choose, and what you're willing to spend on. Now let's look at something else: do your actions actually match what you say matters to you?"
Purpose: Your decision making criteria show up in what you do, not just what you say. This round makes one value from the Auction concrete through a real story. Round question: can I recognise my values in my actual behaviour?
Setting the number of storytellers: "For this round, we're going to hear real stories, one at a time. Let's decide how many of you are going to share today."
Opening: "The value we're telling stories about is [value], that's the one this group fought hardest for in the Auction. Think of a real moment where this showed up for you. It doesn't have to be an amazing story, it can be something really small."
Give an example: "For example, if the value was responsibility, I might say: 'I had a group project and nobody was organising it, so I made a plan and got everyone moving.' That's enough, it doesn't need to be a dramatic story."
Starting the stories: "Okay, who wants to go first?"
If someone says "I don't know": "That's okay. Think about the last time you had to make a choice involving this value, what did you actually do?" If still nothing: "It can be something really small, think about friends, family, work, or even something you did for yourself."
Before sharing: "You don't have to share anything personal. Just share an example you're comfortable talking about."
"What did you notice when you thought of a real example? Was it easy to find one? Or did you realise that sometimes what we say is important to us and what we actually do aren't quite the same?" Then: "That's not a bad thing. It's actually useful to notice."
"If something really matters to you, look for small ways to act on it. You don't need to make a huge change, start with one thing you can actually do."
"Knowing what matters is useful. But being able to act on it is even more useful, especially when things get difficult."
Closing question: "What's one story that proves this value is already part of the decision making criteria you use, not just something you wish were true?"
"Okay, we've looked at what you choose, what you prioritise, and what you actually do. Let's put it together."
Purpose: Every participant lands what came up today into their own written declaration and first action. Round question: can I turn what I noticed today into a choice I can actually use?
Why are we ending this way? Discovering something about yourself is useful, but it becomes more useful once you can name it and act on it. The first two questions below help someone put their insight into words. The last question turns it into something they actually do.
Opening: "Take a few minutes to look back at everything we did today, the choices you made, what you bid on, and the story you told. We're going to turn that into something you actually walk away with."
While writing: "Don't worry about getting the wording perfect. Just write, or indicate however works best for you, what's true for you right now."
Declaration: "Now write, or indicate, one sentence: 'I want to remember that ___.' Fill in one thing you now know about yourself that you didn't have clearly named before today."
Action: "Then choose one small thing you can actually do. Something you could finish in under fifteen minutes. And tell me one person it would help to know this about you."
Closing sequence: "So after everything you've done today, what do you think matters most to you?" (let a few people answer) "And what's one thing you want to do differently because of that?" (let a few people answer) "That's it. You don't have to figure out your whole future today, you've just made it a bit clearer. Thanks everyone."
"A declaration only really does anything once someone else hears it. Try actually telling the person you named this week, not eventually, eventually usually means never."
"Naming something about yourself clearly is different from just sort of knowing it. Once you can put it into a sentence, you can actually use it, to explain a decision, or to notice when you're drifting from it."
Closing question: "Looking at what you noticed in all three rounds today, what's sitting at the centre of the decision making criteria you use right now?"
Welcome, and thank you for stepping into this role today.
What you're about to run isn't just an activity, it's a chance for someone to see themselves a little more clearly, maybe for the first time in a while. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up, follow this guide, and be genuinely present with the people in front of you.
Your role matters more than you might think. The person leading the group shapes how safe people feel to be honest, how much they're willing to notice, and whether today becomes something they actually remember. That's you. Whatever happens in this group today happens because you chose to hold it well.
If this is your first time facilitating, that's okay. This guide has been designed to support you through every part of the session, from what to say to what to do. Follow it one step at a time, and you'll do just fine.
This guide is written primarily around the Printable PDF, since that's the most common way to run a session. Everything below still applies if you're using the Group Values Board instead, just adapt the SAY lines and instructions to whichever format is in front of your group.
Three things to hold onto the whole session:
Your main adjustment for this group: give people more time to think and share. Slow your own pace down, don't rush to fill silences, and expect stories to take longer than the suggested time.
The future is full of choices no one can predict in advance. Participants may not know what job they'll have, who they'll meet, what opportunities will come up, or what problems they'll face.
But they can get better at knowing:
That's what this module practises. Every round is really asking one of these four questions in a different way.
Your job as facilitator is simply to help participants move through these four steps. You don't need to be an expert on values, you just need to run the steps.
This module isn't really about picking the "right" value. It's about noticing decision making criteria you already have.
You're not asking "what should you value?" You're showing each participant: you've been making choices like these throughout your life, today just slows one of them down enough to see the pattern clearly.
This helps participants practise:
For seniors, this can help when deciding how they want to spend their time, what commitments to keep, what relationships matter, and what they want their next stage of life to look like.
The words in the SAY boxes are written at a level any participant can follow. Read them exactly as written, or put them in your own words as long as the meaning stays the same. Pace this slower than you would for a younger group, and don't be afraid of silence while someone thinks.
Optional, if it feels natural: share a small example of a values tension in your own life. Seniors will often have far richer examples of their own to offer once they see you go first, don't worry about your example being small by comparison.
| Round | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scenario Picking — Mandatory | Everyone raises a hand for A or B on 8 quick scenarios, tallied as we go | 25–26 min |
| 2. Values Ranking (Auction) — Optional | The group allocates tokens across 10 values, the top 3 by token count win | 15–17 min |
| 3. Storytelling — Optional | Stories are told live, one at a time, about the value the group fought hardest for | 16–18 min |
| 4. Final Reflection — Mandatory | Each person writes their declaration and first action | 10 min |
Short bridge moments between rounds (about 1 minute each) aren't listed as separate rows above, but they matter, they're written out in full at the point you need them below.
You are working with seniors, some of whom may be navigating health changes, loss, or reduced independence. You are not expected to handle everything alone. Your job is to notice, respond calmly, and get the right person involved.
| Signal | Looks like | Do |
|---|---|---|
| STOP | Someone discloses self-harm, abuse, or is in acute distress or disconnected from what's happening around them | Stop the activity and get the lead adult. Signal your lead facilitator or the on-site staff member/caregiver right away. Do not ask follow-up questions about what happened. |
| SLOW | Someone looks upset, withdraws, or shares something unexpectedly personal, often grief or health-related, but is not in crisis | Reduce pressure. Let them pass. Check in later. Ease off, let them skip a turn, and check in with them quietly and privately after the round. |
| MONITOR | Someone seems flat, checked out, tired, or their mood shifts and you're not sure why | Keep going gently. Tell the lead adult afterwards. Reduce the pressure on them to speak, mention it to your lead facilitator afterward, and check whether they simply need a short rest. |
You are the first person in the room. What you do in the first 30 seconds of a difficult moment matters more than having the perfect words. Stay calm, stay warm, and hand it to the right adult. A staff member or family caregiver should be present at every session, know who that is before you start.
Purpose: Every choice runs through decision making criteria you already have, even the small ones. This round makes that visible eight times in a row, fast. Round question: can I recognise what influences my choices?
| # | Scenario | Option A → Value | Option B → Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You finally have a whole Saturday free. Would you rather? | Spend the day with people close to you. → Belonging | Spend the day learning something you've always wanted to try. → Growth |
| 2 | You've set aside time for something that matters to you. That same day, someone close to you needs your help. | Continue with your own plans. → Purpose | Set your plans aside to help them. → Loyalty |
| 3 | You're stuck on something tricky, with a deadline coming up. | Work it out on your own, in your own time. → Independence | Go find out how other people have approached something similar. → Curiosity |
| 4 | You're the only person in a group who disagrees with a plan everyone else is excited about. | Quietly stay true to what you believe without making a scene. → Authenticity | Speak up, even though it might be uncomfortable. → Courage |
| 5 | Something you set out to do isn't going the way you planned. | Change course and try something different. → Freedom | Keep going and see it through, the way you always have. → Responsibility |
| 6 | You're offered a chance to try something new in a group setting. | Step up and take the risk in front of everyone. → Courage | Take it on quietly, in your own way, first. → Independence |
| 7 | Someone close to you needs help with something small but urgent. | Drop what you're doing to help right away. → Responsibility | Finish what you're doing first, because it matters to you too. → Purpose |
| 8 | You're in a group conversation and everyone agrees on something you quietly don't. | Speak your true view, even if it changes the mood. → Authenticity | Stay quiet to keep the group's harmony. → Belonging |
Opening welcome: "Hello everyone, I'm [your name], and I'll be facilitating today's session. Today we're going to do a few activities around the choices we make. There are no right or wrong answers, just choose whatever you'd actually do. As we go, we'll see if we can spot a few things that seem to matter to you when you're making a choice. You might notice something you've always known about yourself, or something you hadn't quite put into words before. I'm not here to tell you what you should value, you already know that better than I do, we're just going to have a bit of fun and see what we find out together."
Starting the round: "Okay, we're going to start with some quick choices. I'll read out two options. If option A is you, raise your hand. Then I'll read option B, and if that one's you, raise your hand instead. Don't think about what you think you should choose, just go with what you'd actually do. Take your time, there's no rush. Ready?"
Before the first scenario: "Remember, there's no right answer. Don't worry about explaining yourself yet, just raise your hand for the one that's true for you."
After everyone answers: "Okay, let's see what everyone picked." (reveal both values)
After revealing the values: "Interesting. A was [value] and B was [value]. Anyone want to share why they picked theirs?"
If nobody answers: "No worries. Let's make it easy. What was the first thing that came to mind when you picked it?"
If someone gives a long answer: "That's interesting. Let's see if the next one gives us a different answer."
At the mid-point, after scenario 4: "Okay, halfway there. Which one was the easiest for you? And which one was harder to choose? You might already be noticing that some choices are easier for you than others."
"So, what did you notice? Did you keep choosing the same kind of thing? Or did your answer change depending on the situation? That's what we're looking for, our choices can tell us quite a lot about what matters to us."
"When you're stuck between two choices, ask yourself, 'what matters to me here?' It can make a hard choice a bit clearer."
"You won't always know what's going to happen ahead of you. But if you know what matters to you, it's easier to make a decision when something unexpected comes up."
Closing question: "What did today's choices tell you about the decision making criteria you already use?"
"So far, we've just been making choices. Now we're going to make those choices a bit harder. This time you won't be able to choose everything, you'll have to decide what matters most."
Purpose: You can't have everything at once. What the group actually spends effort on shows real priorities, not the ones anyone would say out loud. Round question: can I prioritise when I can't have everything?
| Value | In Everyday Words |
|---|---|
| Authenticity | Being true to who I am |
| Freedom | Having the freedom to choose my own path |
| Independence | Thinking and deciding for myself |
| Belonging | Feeling accepted and connected |
| Loyalty | Being there for the people who matter |
| Growth | Always learning and improving |
| Curiosity | Exploring new ideas and experiences |
| Courage | Facing challenges and speaking up |
| Responsibility | Owning my choices and actions |
| Purpose | Living a life that has meaning |
| # | Opportunity Cards | Challenge Cards |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | You meet someone who inspires you. | You suddenly have much less time or energy than you expected. |
| 2 | You're invited to take part in something meaningful to you. | Progress is slower than you hoped. |
| 3 | Someone experienced offers to share what they know with you, or you're asked to share what you know with someone else. | Your first plan doesn't work out. |
| 4 | Someone believes in you before you fully believe in yourself. | You get feedback that what you're doing needs to change. |
| 5 | You get support, practical or financial, for something that matters to you. | You begin to doubt yourself. |
| 6 | You're recognised for something you've contributed. | You wonder whether something you care about is still worth pursuing. |
| 7 | You feel more confident than you have in a while. | Something you were looking forward to doesn't happen. |
| 8 | You pick up a new skill faster than you expected. | You have to work with people who see things very differently from you. |
| 9 | You have a conversation that changes how you see things. | You have to choose between two things you both care about. |
| 10 | You have an unexpected moment of clarity. | Your priorities suddenly change. |
Each person gets their own token budget and adds tokens to whichever values matter to them, one at a time, going around the group. This works on the Printable PDF (personal token strip + shared results sheet) or the Group Values Board.
| Participants | Tokens Each |
|---|---|
| 2 | 6–8 |
| 3 | 8–10 |
| 4 | 10–12 |
| 5 | 14–16 |
| 6 | 16–18 |
Tokens are added one at a time, regardless of group size, this keeps it simple and lets everyone see where the group's attention is going as it builds. Groups above 6 should split into two tables (see Do This) rather than stretching the budget further, a single round gets harder to follow once more than 6 people are adding tokens over each other.
Opening: "This round is a bit different. You have a limited number of tokens, so you can't put one on everything. You'll use your tokens to mark the values you think you'd really want to keep. The question isn't 'which value sounds nicest,' it's 'which one would I actually put my tokens on.' Hold onto today's card while you decide, [read the card], you're marking what you'd actually want to protect if this happened to you."
Before starting: "You don't have to put a token on something just because you like it. Save your tokens for the ones that matter most to you."
Explaining the mechanic: "Here's how it works. I'll come to each of you in turn, you tell me which value you want a token on, and I'll mark it down. You can put more than one token on the same value if it really matters to you, or spread them across a few. Once your tokens run out, you're done for this round. Take your time, there's no rush."
As you go around the group: "Okay, [name], that's [number] tokens on [value] now. You've got [number] left."
If one person keeps putting tokens down before others have had a turn: "Let's pause there for a second and hear from someone who hasn't gone yet."
If a value gets no tokens at all: "Nobody's put anything on this one. That's fine, let's keep going."
This isn't about who "wins." Whether a value ends up with tokens from lots of different people, or a lot of tokens from just one or two, it counts the same either way. What matters is the total each value ends up with. The three values with the highest totals become the whole group's top three, not personal prizes for whoever added the most.
"That was quite different from Round 1. Before, you could choose whatever you wanted. This time you had to give something up. What did you notice about what you were willing to spend your tokens on?" (listen to one or two answers) "That's useful, because sometimes we only find out what really matters to us when we have to choose between two things we want."
"You can use this when too many things are competing for your time. Ask yourself, 'if I can't have everything, what do I want to protect?'"
"Life will keep giving you more than you have time for, and that doesn't change with age. Knowing what matters to you helps you decide what to say yes to, and what to say no to."
Closing question: "When it came down to it, what did you actually spend on, and did that surprise you?"
"We've seen what you choose, and what you're willing to spend on. Now let's look at something else: do your actions actually match what you say matters to you?"
Purpose: Your decision making criteria show up in what you do, not just what you say. This round makes one value from the Auction concrete through a real story. Round question: can I recognise my values in my actual behaviour?
Setting the number of storytellers: "For this round, we're going to hear real stories, one at a time. Let's decide how many of you are going to share today."
Opening: "The value we're telling stories about is [value], that's the one this group fought hardest for in the Auction. Think of a real moment where this showed up for you. It doesn't have to be an amazing story, it can be something really small."
Give an example: "For example, if the value was responsibility, I might say: 'A few years ago my family was deciding something together, and nobody wanted to make the final call, so I said I would.' That's enough, it doesn't need to be a dramatic story."
Starting the stories: "Okay, who wants to go first?"
If someone says "I don't know": "That's okay. Think about the last time you had to make a choice involving this value, what did you actually do?" If still nothing: "It can be something really small, think about family, friends, or something you did for yourself."
Before sharing: "You don't have to share anything personal. Just share an example you're comfortable talking about."
"What did you notice when you thought of a real example? Was it easy to find one? Or did you realise that sometimes what we say is important to us and what we actually do aren't quite the same?" Then: "That's not a bad thing. It's actually useful to notice."
"If something really matters to you, look for small ways to act on it. You don't need to make a huge change, start with one thing you can actually do, and telling this story to someone at home this week is one easy place to start."
"Knowing what matters is useful. But being able to act on it is even more useful, especially when things get difficult."
Closing question: "What's one story that proves this value is already part of the decision making criteria you use, not just something you wish were true?"
"Okay, we've looked at what you choose, what you prioritise, and what you actually do. Let's put it together."
Purpose: Every participant lands what came up today into their own written declaration and first action. Round question: can I turn what I noticed today into a choice I can actually use?
Why are we ending this way? Discovering something about yourself is useful, but it becomes more useful once you can name it and act on it. The first two questions below help someone put their insight into words. The last question turns it into something they actually do.
Opening: "Take a few minutes to look back at everything we did today, the choices you made, what you bid on, and the story you told. We're going to turn that into something you actually walk away with."
While writing: "Don't worry about getting the wording perfect. Take your time, and just write what's true for you right now."
Declaration: "Now write one sentence: 'I want to remember that ___.' Fill in one thing you now know about yourself that you didn't have clearly named before today."
Action: "Then choose one small thing you can actually do. Something you could finish in under fifteen minutes. And write down one person it would help to know this about you, maybe someone in your family."
Closing sequence: "So after everything you've done today, what do you think matters most to you?" (let a few people answer) "And what's one thing you want to do differently because of that?" (let a few people answer) "That's it. You don't have to figure out your whole future today, you've just made it a bit clearer. Thanks everyone."
"A declaration only really does anything once someone else hears it. Try actually telling the person you named this week, not eventually, eventually usually means never."
"Naming something about yourself clearly is different from just sort of knowing it. Once you can put it into a sentence, you can actually use it, to explain a decision, or to notice when you're drifting from it."
Closing question: "Looking at what you noticed in all three rounds today, what's sitting at the centre of the decision making criteria you use right now?"