The name for this fun five-ten minute ice breaker activity is taken from a commercial that everyone on your team has probably seen at least a dozen times…
It’s the “Capitol One Challenge…”
But you don’t have to give me credit for the idea!
(so punny!)
Okay – enough with the bad jokes.
Here’s your easy ice breaker:
Plan on investing just a few minutes at the beginning of your next weekly or monthly meeting to inspire a little laughter and enjoy a really quick and easy opportunity to build stronger bonds and relationships among your teammates.
Actually, the real name of this easy ice breaker activity is “What’s in your wallet?”
As you have likely read in one of my previous blogs (or heard in one of my conference teamwork keynotes), the two things that create team unity are:
- Connecting to a compelling common goal, and
- Connecting to the people on your team
This ice breaker activity works with new and established teams, because it allows them to share something that thy feel is important to them.
That sharing – along with the conversations and future questions / interest and awareness that it will create – is a powerful catalyst for connection on your team.
Here’s how “What’s in Your Wallet?” works:
Have your people arrange themselves into groups of two or three.
Partners is fun, but groups of three can sometimes make it an even more fun experience, as people learn and share more tan with just one person…
After they are in those groups, simply say the following:
“Your job now is to take out your wallet and find the ONE item that BEST represents what is important to you right now… and then share a short story to explain why…
You each have one minute to share…”
Then let them go at it!
You will find yourself smiling and laughing as you watch them laugh and talk together about the things that they feel are most important…
Maybe it is a picture of their family.
Maybe it is a dog that is getting older.
Maybe it is a credit card that needs to be paid off.
Maybe it is a ticket to a concert they attended (or will attend soon).
Whatever it is, your teammates will know something after a quick and easy five minute conversation that they probably did not know before – and that is one more connection and reason to share and care about others.
Even if you don’t have the time or resources for all-staff team building events on a regular basis, it is vital that you design opportunities for your people to laugh together and learn about each other.
This “What’s in Your Wallet?” ice breaker is a fun and fast way to create some of those valuable connections.
If you are looking for more Do-it-yourself ideas, check out my “Inspiring Interactions Team Building Handbook!”
Here’s to you and your team creating more and stronger connections!
