The Values Stock Market

Values Stock Market exercise is a highly interactive and entertaining activity to focus and explore group norms and values.

In advance, you’ll need a large bunch of blank index cards. Count five cards for every person who will participate in the exercise, ie if you have 15 people in your group, you’ll need 75 index cards.

Next, develop a long list of values, for example: clear communication, trust, equality, honesty, mutual respect, loyalty, shared interests. Write each value on five cards.

For example, if one of the values was “TRUST” there should be a set of five cards with these words written on them. Continue writing one particular value on five cards, until all cards have been used.

Combine all of the cards and shuffle them. Deal five random cards to each person, asking them to not look at their cards until the game starts.

The goal is to be the first person to collect a matching set of five cards. This means that all five cards held by an individual will have the same value written on them.

The following three parameters govern all trades:

• Everyone plays at the same time, ie there are no turns
• All trades must be one for one, with no more than three cards exchanged at a time, ie each person must have five cards at the end of every exchange
• No one is permitted to show or disclose their cards to anyone at any time, ie all trades are conducted blindly (cards face down), so no-one knows what they will receive from another.

Individuals may call out the number of cards they wish to trade to attract another person willing to trade an equal number of cards. Trading continues until the first person announces that they have collected a matching set of five value cards.

Repeat the game or allow trading to continue until everyone collects five matching cards.

Moment of Reflection

• Were any of the values written on the cards demonstrated during the exercise?
• What other values or behaviours were exhibited during the exercise that were not represented on the cards?
• What behaviours would you like to see continue? Why?
• Are there any behaviours your group could do without?

The topics of this publication: integration, reflection, critical thinking, interactions, values, norms