This week let's talk about something super-tactical: fun "games" for making introductions at the beginning of a training session.
Let's think outside the box and share some new ones that are not the run-of-the-mill "Introduce Your Neighbor" or "Find the person in the room with the matching card" - I mean something truly innovative.
Someone You Should Know
Here's one to get us started - I love conducting this one with my clients:
The objective:
Have people connect their fellow participants with someone they should know - someone who has the same hobby/interest/would be a good contact of some sort - it doesn't have to be someone at work but can be
The way it works:
1> Randomly choose people to work in groups of 3 (avoid the easy choice of 3 people sitting next to each other) and ask them to get up and huddle (sitting in their seat is not nearly as energizing)
2> Ask each group to talk about things that are of interest to them and think about someone they know (someone not already known to the other person) that another might enjoy meeting/talking to.
3> After a reasonable amount of time, debrief by asking about:
a. What new things did you learn about the people in your triad?
b. Were you able to make a "someone you should know" connection?
A couple of success stories:
I stood in with a group that didn't have a third. I learned that one of the participants has a cousin in the UK who lives in the same town as a close friend of mine. How fun - she contacted her cousin and I contacted my friend and it turned out the two had gone to school together. The UKers re-connected and the 4 of us have remained in contact ever since.
A triad learned that one of the group was a first-time puppy owner and the other two (who were dog owners) gave her the phone number of a good dog groomer and offered to introduce her to a co-worker whose husband trained dogs. Good connections! :)
HERE'S THE QUESTION FOR YOU:
What fun and innovative introduction games have you played or do you know of?
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