A team building activity that encourages, motivates, and builds trust

We blocked out an hour of the day and sat down in our conference room. Each person had a printed 8.5x11 with their name at the top. We passed our sheet to the person on our left and spent 3-5 minutes writing out the encouraging, positive, and value-added attributes we saw in the person listed at the top of the sheet. When everyone was done writing, we passed the sheet to the left and continued the process. If someone agreed with something that was written before them, they put a checkmark next to the item and continued writing.

When the papers ended back up with their owner (all were completely filled), we reviewed the final product, and passed around one more time because people wanted to see what was written and what was checked. We took some time to process as a team - asking what rang true and what was surprising. In the end, each of us knew in a fuller way the external picture of what we bring to the table. We all left with smiles on our faces.

Before you rush to do this yourself, consider if this type of workshop is really the best fit for your team. In cases where internal conflict reigns, or where there is a lack of humility, passive-aggressive comments would derail the goal of this exercise.

One of the most encouraging parts of reading everyone’s comments was the recognition that our team was mature enough to do this assignment the right way. Some people on the team, gifted with thoroughness and thoughtfulness no doubt, had even written out their thoughts before the meeting in preparation for the time.

While each of us left encouraged, the real test going forward is finding ways to take the things we see in each other and honing our best characteristics to become a better team. “Humility”, “Quiet Confidence”, and “High Energy” are excellent strengths - what can we do with them? How can we improve them? How do we create a company culture that is fertile ground for us to continue to grow?

Regardless, we’re excited to see what the future holds. This exercise helped knit us closer together and show us where we can continue to best contribute.