At my best: ASPIRE Culture Cards is the edge of your team talks

Build a culture where everyone can flourish

Imagine a place where everyone feels valued and appreciated; where everyone is able to contribute; where everyone feels like they belong.

The ASPIRE Culture Cards:  A practical tool designed to build that culture. 

For use in the workplace, classroom or community, these cards are a simple but powerful way to facilitate conversations that will change behaviour.
Underpinned by Dr Sue Roffey's ASPIRE model, this is a robust tool with many potential uses.  Complete with instructions and ideas to get you started, as well as more exercise guides online, the ASPIRE Culture Cards can be used in 1-1s or with groups, for short conversations or to provide structure to meetings and workshops. 

Easy to use, impactful and flexible, the ASPIRE Culture Cards will help you to build cultures where everyone can thrive.

What's in the box?

• 6 x Principle Cards, each with a helpful definition 
• 36 x Statement Cards, covering beliefs, feelings and behaviours 
• 12 x Blank Cards to tailor your conversations 
• An Introductory Booklet to get you started.

What does ASPIRE stand for?

ASPIRE is an acronym for Agency, Safety, Positivity, Inclusion, Respect, Equity - six principles that, if embedded, create cultures where people can thrive.

How do I use the cards?

When you buy the ASPIRE Culture Cards, you'll find some instructions in the pack.  You'll also get access to our User Hub (via a QR code). There you'll find a range of additional resources to get you up and running.

Using conversation cards in a meeting or in a team is a great way to break the ice and create deeper conversations. When participants are given cards and talk together in smaller groups (2-3 people), either walking or sitting, it provides a number of clear benefits:

• It creates psychological safety and equal speaking time: In large groups, it is often the same few people who take the floor. When you sit or walk in smaller groups of 2-3 people, it is much easier for more introverted or reserved colleagues to speak up. It creates a safe space where everyone's voice is heard.
• It provides higher engagement and energy: The format, where you can walk around the room (a "walk and talk"), activates the body and increases blood flow to the brain. It creates physical variety in the meeting, prevents 'meeting fatigue' and significantly raises the general energy in the room.
• It strengthens the relational bonds across the board: Conversation cards often force participants to talk about topics or angles that they do not normally touch on in a busy everyday life. It builds trust, empathy and stronger personal relationships, which directly strengthens the team's subsequent collaboration and communication.
• It provides targeted focus without derailments: Professionally designed conversation cards help keep the focus on the chosen topic or theme. The questions act as a common thread that prevents the conversation from getting off track or ending in indifferent small talk, while at the same time keeping the framework feeling informal.
• It breaks down silos in the organization: If you deliberately put together groups across departments or familiar cliques – or let people mix on the floor – professional and social silos break down. It opens up new perspectives and a broader shared understanding in the team or company.