Tightrope Game Worksheet

INSTRUCTIONS
How to Play:
Individual or group activity. Identify the values that are in tension
in your organization and draw them in opposite boxes on the
worksheet. Think about the people in your organization who are
very successful and mark where they fall on the balance between
these opposing values. Use the worksheet to identify the balance
between competing values. For example, where does your
organization stand between “experimentation” and “execution,”
“regional differences are respected” and “one firm mentality,” or
“humble” and “confident”?

Best for:
Complex cultures that could be described as “nuanced,” “hard to
navigate,” “requires experience to learn,” or “seemingly full of
contradictions.” Organizational values are rarely absolute–they
are usually balanced by an opposite value. One way to visualize
culture is to name the values in tension and the desired balance.

©2019 XPLANE | www.xplane.com

Tightrope Game Worksheet Name:

Culture values are rarely absolute—they are usually balanced by an opposite value. Understanding culture means knowing the
values in tension and the relative balance. In every organization, the thing that makes people successful is their ability to walk Date:
the tightrope between extremes. What are natural tensions in your organization that your best people are great at balancing?

©2019 XPLANE | www.xplane.com