Values elicitation in NLP is a questioning process for uncovering what matters most to a person in a specific context — their values — and the order in which they matter, so that decisions and change can align with them. Values quietly drive motivation and choice; making them explicit is often the fastest route to clarity. This guide covers the questions and how to build a values hierarchy.
What is values elicitation?
Values are the things that are important to you — freedom, security, connection, growth — and they sit near the top of the logical levels, shaping the beliefs and behaviours below them. In any given area of life you hold several values, and they have a priority order. Values elicitation surfaces both: which values are active in a context, and which outrank which when they compete.
Values elicitation at a glance
| What it is | Questioning to uncover what matters most, and in what order |
| Key question | “What’s important to you about ___?” |
| Produces | A values hierarchy — priorities ranked |
| Good for | Decisions, motivation, coaching, resolving inner conflict |
| Context-specific | Values differ by area — work, relationships, health |
The core questions
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| Elicit | “What’s important to you about [work / a relationship / health]?” |
| Expand | “And what else is important about that?” |
| Deepen | “What does having that give you?” |
| Rank | “If you could have A but not B, or B but not A — which?” |
Why rank values into a hierarchy?
Ranking matters because values only reveal their real influence when they compete — the higher one wins, and that’s what drives your decisions. Two people can both value freedom and security, but the one who ranks freedom first will make very different choices from the one who ranks security first. Knowing the order explains past decisions and predicts what will actually motivate someone going forward.
How to elicit values: 3 steps
- Pick the context. Values are context-specific, so name the area — career, relationship, health — before you start.
- List them. Ask what’s important about that context and keep asking “what else?” until it’s exhausted. Common mistake: stopping at the first two or three — the deeper values often surface last.
- Rank by comparison. Pit values against each other two at a time to find the true priority order.
How we use values elicitation in Lisbon
So many “stuck” decisions aren’t really stuck — they’re a values conflict the person hasn’t named. Once we list what matters and rank it, the answer is often already there, obvious and a little uncomfortable. The work isn’t finding new information; it’s letting someone see the order they’ve secretly been living by all along.
Related terms: logical levels, well-formed outcome and meta programs. Back to the full NLP glossary.
Sources: Foundational NLP values and criteria work; related to Robert Dilts’ logical levels.
This glossary is educational and reflects a coaching perspective. NLP complements but does not replace professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is values elicitation in NLP?
It’s a questioning process for uncovering what matters most to a person in a specific context, and the order those values rank in, so decisions and change can align with them.
How do you elicit someone’s values?
Choose a context, then ask “what’s important to you about this?” and keep asking “what else?” until the list is complete. Then compare values two at a time to rank them.
What is a values hierarchy?
It’s your values placed in priority order for a given context. When two values compete, the higher one tends to win — which is what actually shapes your decisions.
Why rank values instead of just listing them?
Because the order is where the real influence lives. Two people who share the same values but rank them differently will make very different choices.
How is values elicitation used in coaching?
To clarify decisions, uncover what will genuinely motivate someone, and resolve inner conflict — often a “stuck” choice is simply an unnamed clash between two values.
