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Aim
Use this exercise to help a team get to know each other better. They might be surprised at how much they don’t know about their colleagues, even if they have worked with them for a long time!
This exercise involves a fun questionnaire that team members answer and then share with other members of the group. Allow around 30 minutes to complete it.
It would be great as an icebreaker to get a teambuilding session off to a good start, or as an energiser to restore energy during a session.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to …
- Find out more about other team members
- Share amusing/personal stories
- Make skills and experience known to others
- Promote team-building
- Boost motivation
Preparation
Distribute the task sheet a few days in advance and ask participants to complete and return it to you the day before the exercise. You can access it by clicking Download Worksheet at the botton of the page. Write up the most interesting responses from the sheets on flipchart paper. Note: it is not necessary to include the responses to all 10 questions; pick and mix responses based on how interesting, shocking or revealing they are.
Suggested Resources
- Task sheet for each participant
- Flipchart paper and pens
What to Do (20 minutes)
- Reveal the prepared flipchart sheets one at a time.
- Read out the snippets of information and invite participants to try to guess who is responsible for these answers. Note though, that only three names may be suggested between the entire group, so participants should give it some thought.
- Repeat this process with each of the prepared flipchart sheets.
Review Activity and Apply Learning (10 minutes)
Discuss with participants what they thought about the activity. Did they find out anything about other team members that they found really interesting, amusing, shocking or surprising? Do they feel that they have got to know each other a little better? Perhaps they have even found out about some valuable skills and experience that could be put to good use in the team. If so, encourage them to discuss how they will do this.
Getting to Know Each Other Better
Use this exercise to help you and your fellow team members get to know each other better. You might be surprised at how much you don’t know about them, even if you have worked with them for a long time!
Task
Complete this questionnaire and return it to the facilitator the day before the activity.
Name:
1. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
2. Who was your first role model?
3. What are your hobbies and interests?
4. What is your pet hate?
5. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?
6. Favorite film, book or song.
7. Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us?
8. What annoys you most about yourself?
9. What do enjoy most about going home, or finishing up, at the end of the working day?
10. What’s your greatest talent?
Download Worksheet
