Create Connection: Card Exercise

1. Prep work: print and cut attached printable cards.
2. Prior to start of gathering or during a break, randomly lay cards on a table.
3. Explain that we are going to use cards and questions to engage in brief conversations to get to know each other more.
4. Share the color code for the cards.
   • Purple Cards: Questions that encourage self-reflection.
   • Green Cards: Questions that are fun and light.
   • Blue Cards: Questions that dig deeper.
5. Ask team members to select one card.
   • Let people know they can choose their own adventure.
   • They have 100% choice and agency to answer the question in a way that is comfortable, with an answer that is as deep or as broad as they choose.
6. Ask team members to first read their question silently.
7. Next, invite participants to pair up.
8. Give pairs two minutes (approximately one minute each) to ask their question to each other and listen to the response.
9. After two minutes, invite the pairs to swap cards and find a new partner.
10. Repeat the process.
    • Ask each other the questions on their cards.
    • Listen, share, and swap cards after two minutes.
11. Repeat for 3–5 rounds or until most team members have interacted with several people.

1. Explain that we are going to use cards and questions to engage in brief conversations to get to know each other more.
2. Share the color code for the cards.
   • Purple Cards: Questions that encourage self-reflection.
   • Green Cards: Questions that are fun and light.
   • Blue Cards: Questions that dig deeper.
3. Share the Digital Card link (attachments) in Chat.
   • Select from Original deck or Future Focused deck of questions.
4. Create random small groups (2–3) for break out rooms.
5. Ask the small groups to take turns asking and answering the first two to three questions in the digital deck.
   • One person asks the first question and another answers.
   • After first question is asked and answered, the person who answered moves to the “Next” card and asks the next question.
   • Repeat the process depending on how many people are in the group.
   • Let people know they can choose their own adventure.
   • They have 100% choice and agency to answer the question in a way that is comfortable, with an answer that are as deep or as broad as they choose..
6. Give small groups three to four minutes — they monitor — to ensure each person has a chance to ask and answer a question.
7. Repeat the process.
   • Ask each other the questions on their cards.
   • Listen, share, and move to next card.
8. Repeat for three to four rounds or until most team members have interacted with several people.

Bring the group back together for a three to five minute debrief and ask:

• What was your favorite question or answer (without disclosing who said it)?
• What is something new you learned about our team through this exercise?
• What did you notice about the connections made through the questions and dialogue?