9 Dimensions Team Building Activity

9 Dimensions Team Building Activity
9 Dimensions Team Building Activity
9 Dimensions Team Building Activity

9 Dimensions is a powerful activity designed to build relationships and trust among team members. I just used this with my Mastermind group and everyone raved about it, so I hope you find it helpful too!

 Download activity instructions guide and worksheets

There are 2 variations of this icebreaker. The first version is for teams who want to get to know each other better. The second version is for teams who want to explore how they are working together as a team.

Variation #1 – My 9 Dimensions

Purpose: To build relationships by evaluating and sharing about significant life areas.

1. Give each participant a copy of the My 9 Dimensions worksheet and a sheet of dot stickers (with red, green, yellow and blue dots).

The 9 dimensions for this variation are: Adventure, Career / Profession, Community Service, Creative Outlets, My Environment, Family & Friends, Health & Fitness, Personal Growth, Spirituality.

2. Instruct participants to evaluate their current status for each dimension in the grid.

Participants should place a colored dot (using the key below) on each of the 9 dimensions. Only give them two minutes with no time to overthink it. Tell them, “Just go with your gut.”

  • Green Dot = I’m crushing it!
  • Yellow Dot = I need to work on this a little.
  • Red Dot = Yikes, I need to work on this a lot!
  • Blue Dot = This is not a priority right now.

3. Ask participants to share about one dimension they put a green dot, and one that they put a yellow or a red dot.

Give each person 2 minutes to share (allow them to disclose at their own comfort level).

4. Optional debrief questions below (5 minute debrief may be sufficient).

  • What did you learn about each other (or our team)?
  • How can we support each other to improve our red and yellow areas?

Variation #2 – My Team's 9 Dimensions

Purpose: To build relationships by evaluating and sharing about significant life areas.

1. Give each participant a copy of the My Team's 9 Dimensions worksheet and a sheet of dot stickers (with red, green, yellow and blue dots).

The 9 dimensions for this variation are: Communication, Attitude, Trust, Role Clarity, Alignment about Processes, Accountability, Supportive Relationships, Meeting Deadlines, Quality of Work.

2. Instruct participants to evaluate their perception of the team's current status for each dimension in the grid.

Participants should place a colored dot (using the key below) on each of the 9 dimensions. Only give them two minutes with no time to overthink it. Tell them, “Just go with your gut.”

  • Green Dot = I’m crushing it!
  • Yellow Dot = I need to work on this a little.
  • Red Dot = Yikes, I need to work on this a lot!
  • Blue Dot = This is not a priority right now.

3. Ask participants to share about one dimension they put a green dot, and one that they put a yellow or a red dot.

Give each person 2 minutes to share (allow them to disclose at their own comfort level).

4. Optional debrief questions below (10-30 minute debrief).

  • In which dimensions do we have the most variation in our perspectives?
  • Which yellow and/or red area(s) do we want to improve the most?
  • What can we do to improve our yellow and/or red areas?

The beauty of this activity is people can choose how much they want to disclose. Regardless of how open each participant is, the team will learn more about each other and/or how the team is doing.

Also, this is totally flexible because you can change the 9 dimensions to work for your specific group.

Please share any additional ideas you have in the comments section below.

 Download activity instruction guide and worksheets

Happy team building!

About the Author: Leigh Ann Rodgers, Founder of Better Teams and Forward, is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator with 20 years of experience in the human development field. Leigh Ann is a skilled meeting facilitator, trainer, and coach working across the globe to help leaders cultivate teams that are happy and high-performing.

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