Team Building Exercise: If You Knew...

Purpose

This simple exercise allows team members to share important information about their life with each other. The aim is to gain a better understanding of why people behave in a certain way and to help putting team members' actions into perspective.

This activity is ideal for a group of delegates who work together.

Objective

Delegates to share some information about themselves with their team members.

What You Need

• A flip chart or whiteboard with the following questions on it:
  • What was the happiest moment in your life?
  • What was your unhappiest experience in life?
  • What motivates you to get up in the morning?
  • What do you use your money for?
  • Who is the most important person in your life?
  • Describe your best friend.

Setup

• Ask delegates to sit around in a semi circle facing the flip chart or whiteboard.
• Randomly select a delegate and ask him to answer the questions on the board. Explain to the chosen delegate that he needs to answer these questions in 10 minutes and encourage him to go into as much detail as possible in the given amount of time.
• Explain to the other delegates that they should not speak or ask any questions when other delegates are answering the questions.

Timing

Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes.

Activity: 10 minutes for each delegate

Group Feedback: 10 minutes.

Discussion

Ask delegates how they feel about sharing these information with their colleagues. Did this activity help them to know their team members better? Do they help explain certain behaviours and actions of co-workers? Would it be helpful to share some personal information with those that we work closely with? Did this session help clear up some of the misunderstandings between team members?