Connection Before Content
Creating a strong team during staff orientation
By Roz and Jed Buck
Photos: Jed Buck
In his 2008 book, Community: The Structure of Belonging, Peter Block writes, “We must establish a personal connection with each other. Connection before content. Without relatedness, no work can occur.” In planning for 2021 staff training, it is more important than ever to keep this concept in mind, given the lack of connection that many have felt over the past 15 months.
We are NOT talking about trust falls, blindfolds, and walking through hot coals. We are suggesting meaningful, personal connection and understanding that builds a team before the stress of summer sets in.
Start At The Beginning
Most people today have become comfortable with gathering online via Zoom and other platforms. Now is the time to take advantage of this change by convening online for some “connection before content” time.
Think about how you usually begin staff training. Do you wait for everyone to arrive before a long introduction of camp leaders and plans for orientation? Do new staff members wait around awkwardly? Instead, make every moment count and facilitate an activity like “How Are We Alike” as staff members arrive.
How Are We Alike
Have a key staff member in place to run each group. It is best to put staff members in random groups upon arrival so friends are willing to meet new co-workers.
Each group has a sheet (see photo) with which they must list as many ways as possible that EVERYONE in the group have in common. As new members enter, make sure everything listed still applies.
Debrief/discussion points:
Ask each group how many ways all members have in common.
Ask each group about the most unusual thing the members have in common.
Ask each group what most creative idea they have in common.
Ask the whole group why it thinks this activity was selected.
When we meet new people and discover what we have in common, what are we really doing?
Getting to know each other
Beginning to form friendships/relationships/personal connections/community
How does anyone discover what they have in common with other people in a group?
Asking questions, and for campers, learning how to ask the right questions is an important key to making new friends.
Camp is all about youth development, so professionals should be focused on building life skills. One of the most important skills to teach and practice is how to make friends. If campers begin to form friendships on the first day of camp, they will have an amazing summer—all while developing a life skill that is essential to happiness.
Don’t stop there; be sure to make connection before content part of the full orientation schedule. Here are a few more ideas, and most can be tried in-person or online.
Me Too
Priscilla Shumway shared this activity several years ago at a Bob Pike Group Creative Training Techniques Conference. It works best in smaller groups of 6 to 12 participants:
Participants form a line or circle with everyone facing the same direction.
The first person takes one step forward and shares something personal. An example might be “I play a musical instrument” or “I speak a foreign language” or “I have never flown in an airplane,” etc.
Everyone else who shares that characteristic takes a step forward and responds, “Me Too!”
The facilitator can follow up with a question related to the common answers, such as “What instrument do you play?” or “Which languages do you speak?”
After the discussion has finished, campers return to their original places.
Continue down the line/around the circle until everyone has said something about themselves.
“Me Too” is easily adapted for online play. Simply ask people to unmute one at a time and share something personal. Those who have that characteristic in common can raise their hands so they can easily be seen on-screen. Follow-up questions can be answered one at a time by unmuting or by everyone using chat at the same time.
Guest Of Honor
This is a simple and fun activity for getting participants to know each other. It can be used at a specific time or during any down-time.
One person is selected to be the “Guest of Honor.”
Each person in the group asks questions about the guest of honor, who then answers the questions.
Give everyone a turn to ask a question.
Depending on the age of the participants and the comfort level, questions can be in a range:
What is your favorite pizza topping?
What is your favorite TV show?
When is your birthday?
What town do you live in?
What is your favorite vacation location?
What is the most important goal you’re currently working towards?
What is the best thing about your current job?
What is the biggest mistake you have ever made?
This activity also works well online. After choosing the “Guest of Honor,” everyone in the group can put their question or questions into chat. Either the Guest of Honor or a facilitator/moderator can choose which questions to answer.
In both cases, participants will likely discover things they have in common with one another, get to know each other better, and form connections. It also demonstrates how to ask the right questions to begin forming connections and friendships.
Candy Connections
Who doesn’t love candy? This is a fun get-to-know-you activity using different types of candy. The best part … everyone gets to eat theirs as a reward!
In advance, put a variety of candy in plastic bins. We typically use about eight different varieties. This version used candy that was nut-free. Always check for updates to make sure all of the items are still nut-free if that is important.
Inform participants of how many pieces of candy they should select (we typically use three).
The candy should be different types and hopefully what they like.
Participants select them, but do NOT open any yet.
Participants find partners using selected methods for sharing information:
Find one partner and answer all three questions.
Find multiple partners and answer one question per partner.
Form circles and everyone answers a question.
Form an inner and outer circle; rotate to answer with different partners.
Participants introduce themselves to their partners and share personal information associated with each piece of candy.
Here are the questions to ask. Notice that some of these guide and gently challenge participants to share more personal thoughts and experiences. Some types of candy have a few options … pick whatever resonates for you!
For each question, share:
Kisses: Name something you love and explain why.
Dark chocolate kisses: Name something you love to do.
Starburst: What is your star quality?
Starburst: Name your favorite celebrity (star) and explain why.
Starburst: Explain a rock-star accomplishment of which you are most proud.
Starburst: Name a famous person you have met.
Starburst: Name a famous person you would like to meet and explain why.
Smarties: Name something in which you excel.
Skittles: What adds color/excitement to your life?
Dots: Name your favorite color and explain why.
Jr. Mints: Name something small that makes you happy.
York Peppermint Patties: Name something that refreshes or invigorates you.
Charleston Chews: Name a city you would like to visit for the first time.
Jolly Ranchers: Describe something that makes you laugh.
Milk Duds: Name something that you don’t like.
Lifesavers: Name your hero and explain why.
Rolos: Name something unique about you that people can’t tell from looking at you.
Sugar Babies: Describe one of your favorite memories from growing up.
Twizzlers: Tell your favorite (appropriate) joke.
Tootsie Roll: Name your favorite music artist or song.
Whoppers: Name your favorite food.
Dum Dums: Describe a mistake you’ve made and will never make again.
At the end of each round or full activity, everyone can enjoy their candy!
Roz and Jed Buck have done what many married couples consider “the impossible”—they have worked together, side by side, for almost 20 years. From 2004 to 2016, they owned and directed Meadowbrook Day Camp, a large, private day camp in New Jersey, where they loved making a difference in the lives of their campers and enjoyed training a staff of more than 400 each summer. In 2016, they launched Roz and Jed Training & Consulting. They speak at conferences and provide private workshops both in-person and online, sharing their messages using two voices, customized content, and real-life experience. Reach them at Jed@RozandJed.com, www.RozandJed.com and Facebook.com/RozandJed.