Knowing me, knowing you

New team and need to get to know each other?

Know each other already and ready to go deeper?

Just wanting a fun “get to know each other” icebreaker?

Here,  Will Sudworth shares team tools for getting to know each other in different situations.

Picking the Right Tool for the Right Job

Just like you’d pick a hammer for a nail, or a screwdriver for a screw, so you pick the right team tool for the situation.

We’ve grouped the tools into four different situations you can be in, and then explain a little more about the tool before giving you a link to instructions and resources.

We’ll keep adding to the list as we create more tools. Let us know if you have a tool you’d like to add.

Why invest time in getting to know each other?

At the simplest level, it’s a huge win if team members feel that they can just pick up the phone to each other.

At the next level, knowing each other builds trust and psychological safety, which are precious commodities in a team to be nurtured. You know that you have trust and psychological safety when people speak-up.

Going a little further, knowing each other enables one-to-one coaching focused on you being the best version of yourself (and not trying to be someone else). This coaching can be from the team leader or – even better – co-coaching between team members.

At the deepest level, in getting to know others we learn more about ourselves, which increases our ability to lead and deliver and develop.

Four Different Situations

We’ve grouped our team tools into four different situations that your team might be in.

Check out each situation and click on a tool to explore it further.

Situation 1:
All/Most of the team are new to each other

1-slide per person, inside & outside work, with pictures ?
Timing? 20 mins for each 3 people. 45 mins prep.

The #1 gold standard psychometric. Requires a qualified coach.
Timing? 45 mins prep. Best in four batches of 15-30 mins each.

Situation 2:
Only some of the team are new to each other

1-page per person, 3 questions. Can prep in meeting itself.
Timing? 30-min team session.

Situation 3:
The team know each other and ready to go deeper

The #2 gold standard psychometric.
red¹⁰ uses a fun guessing game revealing positive feedback
Timing? 20min for each 3 people + 30-min start/end. 45mins prep

A relatively new Organimetric.
red¹⁰ uses a fun guessing game revealing positive feedback
Timing? 20min for each 3 people + 30-min start/end. 45mins prep

1-slide per person, answering the 5 questions Lencioni says build trust
Timing? 10 mins per person in team meeting. 45 mins prep.
Ask us for the template

Situation 4:
The team need some fun icebreakers where they discover a little more

1 photo per person of a room in their house
Timing? 10 mins per batch of 3.

1 photo per person of them as a baby
Timing? 10 mins per batch of 3.

1 “most meaningful” song per person
Timing? 10 mins per batch of 3.