OpenSourceOD
Overview
The Six Value Medals™, developed by Edward de Bono, is a decision-making framework designed to help individuals and organizations identify, assess, and prioritize values when evaluating options and making strategic choices. This model introduces a structured yet flexible approach to evaluating decisions through six distinct "medals," each representing a different type of value. By considering these varied values, organizations can achieve balanced, holistic, and impactful outcomes.
The Six Value Medals™ Explained
Each of the Six Value Medals™ acts as a lens through which to evaluate a potential action or decision, ensuring that no critical value dimension is overlooked. The medals are:
Gold Medal (Human Values)
Represents: What matters to people, including pride, achievement, recognition, trust, growth, and fulfillment.
Focus: Prioritizes well-being, motivation, and development of individuals.
Application: When considering a new workplace policy, the Gold Medal would prompt leaders to ask: “How will this impact employee morale and job satisfaction?”
Silver Medal (Organizational Values)
Represents: What benefits the organization, such as strategic goals, profitability, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage.
Focus: Helps ensure decisions align with organizational objectives and long-term sustainability.
Application: Before launching a new product, the Silver Medal encourages questions like: “Does this initiative align with our strategic goals and enhance our market position?”
Steel Medal (Quality Values)
Represents: Strength, reliability, and quality, focusing on durability, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Focus: Assesses whether decisions contribute to high-quality outcomes, whether in products, services, or processes.
Application: When evaluating suppliers, the Steel Medal prompts analysis of the quality and consistency of their offerings.
Glass Medal (Change and Innovation Values)
Represents: Creativity, adaptability, and simplicity, highlighting the value of fresh ideas and flexibility.
Focus: Encourages organizations to embrace change, innovate, and simplify complexity.
Application: In a technology project, the Glass Medal might lead a team to ask: “How can we make this solution more adaptable and user-friendly?”
Wood Medal (Ecological Values)
Represents: Environmental impact, focusing on sustainability, ecological balance, and resource conservation.
Focus: Ensures decisions support environmental stewardship and reduce ecological footprints.
Application: When designing a product, the Wood Medal would prompt: “What can we do to minimize waste and use sustainable materials?”
Brass Medal (Perception Values)
Represents: Image and reputation, considering how decisions will be perceived by others.
Focus: Evaluates the external and internal perceptions of actions, from branding to public relations.
Application: During a corporate restructuring, the Brass Medal helps assess: “How will this change affect our brand image and stakeholder trust?”
The Purpose and Importance of the Six Value Medals™ Today
In a world where complexity and competing priorities challenge decision-making, the Six Value Medals™ provide a balanced framework that prevents organizations from focusing too narrowly on financial or operational metrics alone. It ensures decisions are:
Holistic: By examining decisions through six distinct lenses, organizations can capture both tangible and intangible impacts.
Strategic: The framework helps align decisions with organizational goals and stakeholder expectations, promoting long-term success.
Ethical and Sustainable: By including human, ecological, and perception values, the model ensures that decisions are not only effective but also responsible.
Example: When a company considers automating certain tasks, traditional analysis might focus solely on cost savings (Silver Medal). However, using the Six Value Medals™, the company might also explore:
Gold Medal: How will this impact employee well-being and job satisfaction?
Steel Medal: Will automation enhance the quality and consistency of outputs?
Glass Medal: Does this create opportunities for innovation and streamlined processes?
Wood Medal: Can automation help reduce resource waste or energy consumption?
Brass Medal: How will automation influence our brand reputation with customers and the public?
Conceptual Foundations of the Six Value Medals™
The Six Value Medals™ model draws on multiple theoretical traditions, including decision theory, value-based management, and ethical leadership:
Decision Theory and Cognitive Framing
Many decisions are influenced by cognitive biases, leading to narrow evaluations based on habit or pressure.
The Six Value Medals™ counteract this by providing a structured process to examine diverse impacts, promoting balanced and thoughtful decision-making.
Example: During a budget cut process, the framework prevents organizations from solely focusing on financial values, ensuring that human impacts and quality considerations are also assessed.
Value-Based Management
This approach emphasizes aligning organizational actions with core values, supporting both performance and ethical standards.
By mapping decisions against six value categories, leaders can prioritize actions that support cultural, strategic, and social goals.
Systems Thinking and Stakeholder Theory
Decisions rarely impact only one area; they create ripple effects across multiple domains.
The Six Value Medals™ encourage systems thinking, where leaders assess how actions influence employees, customers, communities, and ecosystems.
Example: A new market expansion might seem beneficial from an organizational value perspective, but the framework reveals potential ecological and perception risks that need to be managed.
Challenges of Implementing the Six Value Medals™
While the model offers comprehensive guidance, its effectiveness depends on consistent application and openness to diverse perspectives:
Bias Toward Certain Medals: Teams might still prioritize financial or operational values over human or ecological impacts.
Time and Complexity: Applying all six lenses requires time and deliberate thought, which can be challenging in fast-paced environments.
Need for Facilitation: Leaders must foster an inclusive culture where all medals are given due consideration, avoiding over-reliance on immediate, quantifiable metrics.
Conclusion
The Six Value Medals™ by Edward de Bono offer a powerful tool for improving decision quality by ensuring that all relevant values are considered. The framework extends beyond traditional financial and operational metrics, promoting balanced, ethical, and sustainable decision-making.
By integrating human, organizational, quality, innovation, ecological, and perception values into the evaluation process, organizations can make choices that support long-term success, stakeholder alignment, and societal impact. This holistic approach not only enhances strategic outcomes but also builds trust and resilience in an increasingly complex world.
Uses & Benefits
Organizational Uses of the Six Value Medals™
The Six Value Medals™ framework is particularly valuable in complex decision-making environments, where organizations must balance competing priorities, align diverse stakeholder interests, and navigate uncertain outcomes. By offering six distinct lenses through which to evaluate decisions, this model helps organizations move beyond traditional financial and operational metrics, leading to more holistic and effective strategies.
Below are key ways organizations can apply the Six Value Medals™ to address common challenges and opportunities:
1. Strategic Planning and Decision-Making
Challenge: Organizations often make strategic decisions based primarily on financial or operational considerations, overlooking broader human, ecological, or perception impacts.
Application: By using the Six Value Medals™, leaders can evaluate strategic options against all six value dimensions, ensuring balanced and forward-thinking decisions.
Example: A global manufacturer considering expanding into a new market used the framework to identify potential reputational risks (Brass Medal), assess employee impact (Gold Medal), and explore environmental considerations (Wood Medal), leading to a more informed and responsible expansion strategy.
2. Product Development and Innovation
Challenge: Many product development processes focus on cost, speed, and marketability, often neglecting quality, sustainability, and user experience.
Application: The Six Value Medals™ help product teams assess new ideas through lenses like Quality (Steel Medal), Change and Innovation (Glass Medal), and Human Values (Gold Medal), promoting products that are not only profitable but also meaningful and responsible.
Example: A technology company used the framework during the design phase of a new software tool, balancing functionality (Silver Medal) with usability and accessibility (Gold Medal), resulting in a product that met both business goals and user needs.
3. Organizational Change and Transformation
Challenge: During mergers, restructuring, or cultural shifts, organizations often prioritize efficiency and financial gains, leading to employee disengagement and reputational damage.
Application: The Six Value Medals™ provide a structured approach to evaluating change initiatives, ensuring that human, ecological, and perception impacts are considered alongside financial and operational goals.
Example: A healthcare organization transitioning to a new management structure applied the framework to address staff concerns (Gold Medal), maintain service quality (Steel Medal), and manage public perception (Brass Medal), resulting in a smoother transition with high stakeholder support.
4. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Challenge: Many CSR initiatives struggle to find the right balance between ecological impact, organizational goals, and community expectations.
Application: The Six Value Medals™ help organizations design and evaluate CSR strategies that maximize positive impact across all value domains, particularly Wood (Ecological) and Gold (Human) Medals.
Example: A retail brand considering a new supply chain strategy used the framework to enhance sustainability (Wood Medal) while maintaining cost efficiency (Silver Medal) and strengthening its brand reputation (Brass Medal).
5. Risk Management and Crisis Response
Challenge: When crises occur, organizations often react quickly to manage financial and operational risks, potentially overlooking human and perception impacts.
Application: The Six Value Medals™ guide leaders to assess risks comprehensively, incorporating employee well-being, public perception, and ecological considerations into crisis management plans.
Example: During a product recall, an automotive company used the framework to balance quality and safety concerns (Steel Medal) with transparent communication strategies (Brass Medal), helping to rebuild consumer trust.
Benefits of Using the Six Value Medals™
The Six Value Medals™ offer significant benefits by ensuring decisions are not only effective but also aligned with broader organizational, social, and ethical goals. Below are key benefits of using this framework:
1. Promotes Balanced Decision-Making
Helps organizations avoid overemphasizing short-term financial gains (Silver Medal) at the expense of human, ecological, or reputational values.
Example: A logistics company evaluating a new distribution model considered not only cost efficiency (Silver Medal) but also employee workload (Gold Medal) and community impact (Wood Medal).
2. Enhances Strategic Alignment
By evaluating options against all six values, organizations can ensure that decisions support strategic priorities, stakeholder expectations, and long-term sustainability.
Example: A university applying the framework to update its curriculum balanced academic quality (Steel Medal) with student experience (Gold Medal) and institutional reputation (Brass Medal).
3. Increases Employee Engagement and Morale
The Gold Medal focuses on human values, promoting decisions that enhance job satisfaction, trust, and professional growth.
Example: A financial services firm used the framework when designing a hybrid work model, ensuring that employee needs (Gold Medal) and operational goals (Silver Medal) were equally prioritized.
4. Supports Innovation and Adaptability
The Glass Medal encourages creative thinking and openness to change, helping organizations stay agile and innovative.
Example: An energy company exploring renewable technology investments considered both innovative potential (Glass Medal) and environmental impact (Wood Medal), leading to sustainable and forward-thinking investments.
5. Builds Public Trust and Strengthens Brand Reputation
By integrating the Brass Medal into decision-making, organizations can proactively manage perceptions, supporting brand integrity and stakeholder relationships.
Example: A consumer goods company considering a new marketing campaign used the framework to align messaging (Brass Medal) with company values and public sentiment.
6. Reduces Risk and Avoids Negative Consequences
A comprehensive value analysis helps identify potential risks and unintended impacts, promoting more resilient and thoughtful strategies.
Example: During a supply chain overhaul, a fashion brand applied the Six Value Medals™ to avoid ecological harm (Wood Medal) while maintaining production quality (Steel Medal).
Conclusion
The Six Value Medals™ framework is a powerful tool for organizations seeking to make decisions that are not only effective and strategic but also ethical and sustainable. By scanning for values across human, organizational, quality, innovation, ecological, and perception domains, organizations can ensure balanced, thoughtful, and responsible decision-making.
In practice, the Six Value Medals™ help navigate complexity, align diverse interests, and create lasting value for employees, stakeholders, and society at large. By embedding this model into strategic planning, innovation, change management, and risk assessment processes, organizations can achieve both success and significance, enhancing performance, trust, and positive impact.
OD Application
Case Study 1: Healthcare Organization – Enhancing Patient Care Through Holistic Decision-Making
Challenge:
A large healthcare provider was considering a major shift in patient care models, transitioning from in-person consultations to a hybrid model with increased telehealth services. While the financial benefits and operational efficiencies were clear, leadership was concerned about the potential impact on patient experience, staff morale, and public perception.
How the Six Value Medals™ Were Applied:
Gold Medal (Human Values):
Engaged both patients and healthcare staff to understand fears and expectations about telehealth.
Addressed concerns about losing personal connections with patients by offering training to enhance digital bedside manner.
Silver Medal (Organizational Values):
Evaluated the financial sustainability of telehealth, considering cost savings on infrastructure and increased service capacity.
Ensured that the new model aligned with strategic goals of improving accessibility and care efficiency.
Steel Medal (Quality Values):
Assessed whether telehealth platforms could maintain the quality and reliability of care.
Implemented rigorous testing and quality assurance protocols for digital tools.
Glass Medal (Change and Innovation Values):
Explored innovative ways to integrate telehealth, including virtual reality consultations for certain specialties.
Encouraged staff to experiment with new approaches to digital patient engagement.
Wood Medal (Ecological Values):
Analyzed the environmental benefits of reduced travel for both patients and healthcare professionals.
Implemented eco-friendly policies for the digital infrastructure (e.g., energy-efficient data storage).
Brass Medal (Perception Values):
Developed transparent communication strategies to reassure patients and the public about the benefits and safety of telehealth.
Used patient testimonials and success stories to enhance public trust.
Outcomes:
The hybrid model increased patient satisfaction by 25%, as telehealth enhanced convenience without compromising quality.
Employee engagement rose by 30%, driven by opportunities to innovate and participate in decision-making.
The organization reduced its carbon footprint, contributing to corporate sustainability goals.
Case Study 2: Technology Company – Balancing Innovation with Responsibility
Challenge:
A fast-growing technology company was developing an AI-driven product aimed at enhancing workplace productivity. However, there were significant ethical and reputational concerns, particularly around data privacy, employee well-being, and public perception.
How the Six Value Medals™ Were Applied:
Gold Medal (Human Values):
Engaged directly with end-users and privacy advocates to identify potential risks to employee autonomy and mental health.
Designed features that promoted well-being, such as transparency about data usage and options to customize privacy settings.
Silver Medal (Organizational Values):
Evaluated how the AI product would align with the company’s strategic goals, including market expansion and brand positioning.
Conducted a cost-benefit analysis to ensure financial viability without compromising ethical standards.
Steel Medal (Quality Values):
Prioritized product reliability and performance, implementing rigorous testing protocols to prevent data breaches or system failures.
Ensured the AI met industry standards for security and compliance.
Glass Medal (Change and Innovation Values):
Encouraged creative brainstorming sessions to explore innovative use cases while maintaining ethical boundaries.
Implemented an internal innovation lab to test new ideas in a controlled environment.
Wood Medal (Ecological Values):
Evaluated the environmental impact of increased data processing, opting for energy-efficient servers and cloud solutions.
Developed a sustainability pledge to offset the carbon footprint of its data centers.
Brass Medal (Perception Values):
Engaged in proactive communication to build trust with stakeholders, emphasizing the ethical and responsible development of AI technology.
Created educational content to help the public understand how the product would benefit society.
Outcomes:
The AI product launched with strong market acceptance, achieving 20% higher adoption rates than anticipated.
The company received recognition for ethical technology practices, boosting brand reputation.
By balancing innovation with responsibility, the organization set new industry standards for ethical AI deployment.
Case Study 3: Nonprofit Organization – Aligning Mission with Operational Practices
Challenge:
A nonprofit focused on community development was struggling to balance financial sustainability with mission-driven initiatives. Grants were decreasing, and leadership needed to prioritize projects without compromising the organization's core values.
How the Six Value Medals™ Were Applied:
Gold Medal (Human Values):
Engaged community members and staff to identify the most valued programs, ensuring voices from all stakeholder groups were heard.
Prioritized projects that offered the greatest positive impact on community well-being.
Silver Medal (Organizational Values):
Analyzed which projects were financially sustainable and could leverage existing partnerships to maximize impact.
Developed a funding strategy that included diversified revenue streams, such as donations, grants, and social enterprises.
Steel Medal (Quality Values):
Ensured existing programs maintained high standards of delivery, even with budget constraints.
Implemented quality metrics to measure impact and improve program effectiveness.
Glass Medal (Change and Innovation Values):
Encouraged staff to explore new approaches to service delivery, including digital tools and community-led initiatives.
Piloted innovative solutions for addressing emerging community needs.
Wood Medal (Ecological Values):
Integrated sustainable practices into operational activities, such as eco-friendly materials and resource conservation in programs.
Partnered with local environmental groups to enhance community education on sustainability.
Brass Medal (Perception Values):
Strengthened communication with donors, partners, and the public, emphasizing transparency and impact stories.
Used storytelling techniques to highlight the nonprofit’s alignment with community and environmental values.
Outcomes:
The nonprofit achieved greater financial stability, with increased donor engagement and new partnerships.
Programs gained broader community support, leading to measurable increases in community well-being.
The organization enhanced its reputation, becoming a model for integrating mission, sustainability, and financial prudence.
Key Takeaways from These Case Studies:
Healthcare: The Six Value Medals™ helped balance financial and operational benefits with human, ecological, and perception impacts.
Technology: The framework enabled innovative product development while maintaining ethical and reputational integrity.
Nonprofit: The model supported mission-driven decision-making, aligning financial health with community impact and sustainability.
By applying the Six Value Medals™, these organizations achieved strategic clarity, stakeholder alignment, and enhanced outcomes that went beyond traditional decision-making metrics.
Facilitation
Step-by-Step Guide to Facilitating the Six Value Medals™
Facilitating the Six Value Medals™ involves guiding teams through a structured yet flexible decision-making process, ensuring that all six value dimensions are considered. The facilitator’s role is to create a balanced dialogue, where participants explore human, organizational, quality, innovation, ecological, and perception values without bias or undue influence.
Step 1: Introducing the Six Value Medals™ Framework
Before diving into the decision-making process, the facilitator needs to:
Explain the purpose of the Six Value Medals™: Highlight that this framework helps organizations evaluate decisions holistically, balancing financial goals, human impacts, and ecological considerations.
Introduce each of the Six Medals: Provide clear, practical examples of how each value dimension might influence a decision.
Set expectations: Emphasize that no single medal outweighs the others; instead, the goal is to explore each value dimension fully.
Facilitator’s Opening Statement Example: "Today, we’ll use the Six Value Medals™ to evaluate our decision-making from multiple perspectives. This process will help us look beyond financial or operational impacts and consider how our choices affect people, quality, innovation, the environment, and our public image."
Step 2: Define the Decision or Challenge
The facilitator:
Clearly defines the issue to be explored, whether it is a strategic initiative, product launch, policy change, or operational improvement.
Frames the discussion around a central question: “How can we ensure our decision creates the most value across all six dimensions?”
Encourages participants to approach the discussion with an open mind, avoiding preconceived conclusions.
Step 3: Structured Exploration of Each Medal
The facilitator introduces each medal one at a time, allowing participants to generate ideas and insights related to that specific value dimension.
Gold Medal (Human Values):
Guiding Questions:
“How will this decision impact employee morale and well-being?”
“What opportunities does it create for personal and professional growth?”
Silver Medal (Organizational Values):
Guiding Questions:
“How does this align with our strategic goals?”
“What financial and operational benefits can we expect?”
Steel Medal (Quality Values):
Guiding Questions:
“Will this decision improve the quality of our products or services?”
“How can we ensure consistency and reliability?”
Glass Medal (Change and Innovation Values):
Guiding Questions:
“What opportunities for innovation does this create?”
“How adaptable and flexible are our solutions?”
Wood Medal (Ecological Values):
Guiding Questions:
“What environmental impacts do we need to consider?”
“How can we make this decision more sustainable?”
Brass Medal (Perception Values):
Guiding Questions:
“How will this decision affect our brand and reputation?”
“What messages do we need to communicate to stakeholders?”
Facilitator Technique: Use a whiteboard or digital tool to capture insights under each medal, ensuring transparency and inclusivity in the discussion.
Step 4: Prioritize and Synthesize Insights
After exploring each medal:
Identify patterns and key themes that emerged from the discussion.
Guide participants in prioritizing values, asking: “Which value dimensions align most with our strategic priorities?”
Facilitate a synthesis of ideas, encouraging the team to connect insights across different medals.
Example: During a discussion about a new marketing strategy, the group might identify that:
Gold Medal: Employees are excited about a creative approach.
Silver Medal: The strategy aligns well with business goals.
Wood Medal: There are concerns about the ecological footprint of printed materials.
The facilitator could guide the team to explore digital alternatives that support innovation (Glass Medal) while protecting the environment (Wood Medal).
Step 5: Develop Actionable Strategies
With insights in hand, the facilitator helps the group:
Translate value-based insights into practical actions, ensuring that strategies are well-rounded and address all relevant values.
Set specific objectives for how each value dimension will be addressed, such as:
Human Values: Introduce training and support initiatives for employees.
Organizational Values: Define measurable business outcomes.
Quality Values: Establish quality benchmarks and testing protocols.
Innovation Values: Develop pilot programs to test new ideas.
Ecological Values: Implement sustainability practices.
Perception Values: Craft a communication plan that reinforces brand integrity.
Step 6: Evaluate and Iterate
Dynamic environments require ongoing evaluation and adaptation. The facilitator:
Establishes checkpoints to review the impact of decisions over time, using the Six Value Medals™ as a continuous assessment tool.
Encourages the team to revisit the medals if new challenges or opportunities arise.
Facilitates reflection sessions where teams can assess what worked well and where adjustments are needed.
How to Introduce the Six Value Medals™ to a Client
Email Introduction to a Client
Subject: Enhancing Decision-Making with the Six Value Medals™
Dear [Client's Name],
In today’s complex business environment, effective decision-making requires more than just financial analysis. The Six Value Medals™ framework, developed by Edward de Bono, offers a structured approach to evaluating decisions from multiple perspectives, including human impact, quality, innovation, sustainability, and brand perception.
By using this method, organizations can achieve more balanced and strategic outcomes, ensuring that decisions align with both business goals and broader stakeholder expectations.
I’d love to discuss how the Six Value Medals™ could support your current projects and help navigate key decisions with confidence and clarity.
Looking forward to connecting!
Best, [Your Name]
Facilitator’s Talking Points for In-Person Introduction
“This process helps us see beyond financial metrics and consider the full spectrum of value.”
“By evaluating decisions through six different lenses, we reduce blind spots and avoid unintended consequences.”
“The Six Value Medals™ provide a common language for discussing priorities and trade-offs.”
“This framework encourages thoughtful, balanced discussions that lead to smarter, more sustainable choices.”
10 Questions a Facilitator Can Ask to Spark Insight
What potential human impacts of this decision might we be overlooking?
How does this align with our broader organizational strategy and goals?
What quality standards must we meet to ensure success?
How can we approach this challenge with fresh, innovative thinking?
What are the environmental implications of our choices?
How might our stakeholders perceive this decision?
What hidden opportunities for value creation might exist?
How can we balance short-term gains with long-term impacts?
What would success look like across all six value dimensions?
How can we ensure that our actions are both effective and responsible?
Conclusion
Facilitating the Six Value Medals™ requires a thoughtful, open approach to decision-making, guiding groups to consider all relevant values before taking action. By structuring conversations around human, organizational, quality, innovation, ecological, and perception values, facilitators can help teams make balanced, strategic, and ethically sound decisions.
The result is not just better business outcomes, but also stronger alignment with organizational culture, stakeholder expectations, and societal responsibilities.