I’ve written in the past that I have specific requirements/expectations. I thought I would give you one that I do find can be topic neutral and doesn’t seem to have as much of a triggering impact to a wide variety of people.
I got this idea form Team First Development using improv games in team environments.
This one is very simple. Each person makes up a superhero name and describes their special power. Now you could do lots of variations:
- Have each person also draw their superhero
- Have each person share their special power specific to a work topic (manager, team member, etc)
- Have each person create a name tent card/badge to keep at their desk
- Have each person also highlight a special power they wish they had (in addition to the one they have)
- Have each person find a partner/duo where the super powers are aligned/support one another
Honestly, I could list tons more variations. Why I really like this one: Most people have insecurities and tend to focus on what they don’t do well vs what special powers they do have. This exercise has the benefit of connecting people (learning more about each other) as well as reminding oneself of the talents you have.
On the downside, this is not a repeat activity for the team – unless you throw some variations on to the last round.
What is your special power?
