Unique Thing in Common
With a partner, find the 3 most unlikely / unusual / unique things you have in common with each other. Each pair chooses one to share with the group.
Library of facilitation techniques
Get To Know Workshop Activities
Group activities to help people getting familiar with each other.
55 results
Better Connections
We build a stronger relationship with people when we see them as human beings with whom we share similarities in terms of family and life situations. It is very difficult to form strong relationships with people about whom we know very little.
We feel more connected to “full” people. For example, take John, the accountant. If I think of John as an accountant, I might put him into a box of what I think I know about accountants. I might not feel connected to accountants and will treat him accordingly. But when I think of John as a keen mountain climber and outdoor adventurer with two children, one of whom is graduating from university next month, then John becomes human to me, and I can feel connected to him.
Break the ice with the help of your key!
The key ice breaker is a team building favorite and a great exercise to get to know each other in a group or team.
It is easy to understand and set up, can be modified according to the objects participants have, fast way to get info on each other, and surely makes everyone included!
Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms exercise provides a way for participants to introduce themselves and their colleagues, particularly for groups who think they already know each other very well. Almost invariably participants discover something about their colleagues of which they previously had no idea. Occasionally this revelation has an immediate and direct application to another participant's current project or challenge.
Because this activity forces people to use drawings rather than words, it is particularly useful as a dual-purpose introductory exercise in training sessions that deal with such topics as innovation, creativity, and problem-solving.
Diversity Bingo
This game helps participants to get information on each other in a fun, competitive way.
Open Fist
Teams work better when they find things in common. Stronger teams reduce turnover, increase pleasant interactions, and improve productivity.
Passions Tic Tac Toe
This simple game that explores the concepts from these two quotations:
"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you". —Oprah Winfrey.
"Getting to know someone else involves curiosity about where they have come from, who they are." —Penelope Lively, novelist
The Time Machine
Encourage creative thinking and getting to know each other better with a short round of 'time travel' questions to each of your participants.
Name Juggling
Name Juggling is another variation of a try-to-learn-everyone's-name but the game guarantees high energy level as well as some strategic thinking.
Introduce yourself by building your personality
We can express our personality in several ways. We can leave the traditional ways (e.g. telling the basic things about ourselves), and through creation, we can introduce ourselves on a more creative way.
Little Known Facts - I
People enjoy learning little-known facts (LKFs) about each other. (E.g. I have a twin brother / I always need to know which direction North is / etc.). They also enjoy revealing such facts to total strangers--perhaps because it makes them feel like celebrities. Participants guess LKFs about other people by asking Yes/No questions.
Working the Room
A major purpose of an opening activity is to help participants get acquainted with each other. Here's an opener that identifies and rewards participants who would make good politicians.