Training Team Building Activity: Predictions

........................................

Predictions

Overview:

This is a fascinating way to help students become acquainted with one another. It also is an interesting experiment in first impressions.

Procedure:

1. Form subgroups of 3 or 4 students (who are relative strangers to each other).

2. Tell students that their job is to predict how each person in their group would answer certain questions you have prepared for them. Here are some all-purpose possibilities:

a. What type of music do you enjoy?

b. What are some of your favorite leisure activities?

c. How many hours do you usually sleep nightly?

d. How many siblings do you have and where are you in the sibling order?

e. Where did you grow up?

f. What were you like as a younger child?

g. Are your parents strict or lenient?

h. What jobs have you had?

3. Have subgroups begin by selecting one person as its first “subject.” Urge group members to be as specific as possible in their predications about that person. Tell them not to be afraid of bold guesses! As they guess, ask the “subject” to give no indication of the accuracy of the predictions attempted. When others finish their predictions about the “subject,” the “subject” should then reveal the answer to each question about him or herself.

4. Have each group member take a turn as the focus person.

Variations:

1. Create questions that require students to make predications about each other’s views or beliefs (rather than factual information). For example, ask: “What’s the most important quality a friend should have?”

2. Eliminate the predictions. Instead, invite students, one by one, to answer the questions immediately. Then, ask subgroup members to reveal what facts about each other “surprised” them (based on their first impressions).