Sharing our circumstances with our teams can reduce stress when we are physically distancing ourselves from others. Spending a little bit of time at the beginning of a team meeting to connect, builds a sense of community and encourages empathy too, and it doesn’t hurt to laugh a little. Laughter releases endorphins which help us cope with stress.
Team Surviving the Quarantine is a Team building activity for fun and provides insights into how everyone on the team is coping. Simply, ask everyone to take a photo for #Quarantine2020. The photos can be anything that represents #Quarantine2020 to them. While I encourage people to be creative and use their sense of humor, any photo is acceptable because it is a matter of self-expression.
Recently, I tried this with a team of 12. Some sent funny pictures, many shared their pets and children, and food was common too. Some of those pictures are included below with their permission.
Prepare in advance:
- Provide the following instructions to the team.
- Collect the photos and create a PowerPoint Deck so you can quickly go from photo to photo. (It takes too long for each person to share their screen one-by-one).
- (Optional) Create a collage with all the images and share them as a fun keepsake.
Instructions to facilitate this team building activity:
- Use a timer and give each person 2-3 minutes to explain their photo and tell the team how they are doing. Perhaps one high and one low of being quarantined.
- Reveal the photos as each person shares.
Here is an example of a collage from a team:
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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2 Responses
This is a great way to create an instant connection between your team members. I have been starting meetings with “show and tell – quarantine edition,” but I like the brevity of a collage. Thanks for sharing!
Pictures are worth a thousand words! 🙂