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In this guide, we explain how to build trust in your team using group exercises. We have activities for groups of all sizes.
📚 This guide is part of a series on how to facilitate meetings.
Introduction
These exercises aim to build trust in a group. They involve sharing personal stories and feelings with each other, or helping people connect in a less verbal way.
Generally, people gain trust for each other when they take risks together and 'succeed'. What success looks like will depend on the situation. For example, not hitting the floor in Trust falls, or getting a supportive response to the story they tell.
Risk is a tricky thing to get right. People need to leave their comfort zone, but not stretch themselves to the point of panic! Consider:
Different types of activity: Be aware that people will vary massively in terms of which activities bring a helpful level of risk. For example, we all have very different experiences of talking about our feelings, making physical contact or being 'silly' and playful. Use a balance of different types of activities to help different people get the benefit.
Let participants choose their level of risk: Make sure that the participants have as much control as possible over how they engage. Let people know what an exercise involves, so they can make an informed choice about whether to join in. If people are sharing personal information, choose open-ended questions where participants can decide what they want to share about themselves. If people are doing an exercise in groups or pairs, encourage them to start with a discussion about how to make it work for them.
Peer pressure: Even when a group as whole seems to be comfortable with something, there are likely to be individuals for whom it is more difficult. These people may feel peer-pressured to join in, possibly past a level that is actually helpful for them. Use modelling and encouragement to make it easier for people to pick their own level.
Consider any access requirements that participants have told you about. Trust building exercises could be counterproductive if you set them up so that not everyone has the choice whether to join in!
Personal object game
1 –2 minutes per person; 5 - 20 people
This game gives people the chance to get to know each other, by talking about an object that is important to them.
Process
Sit in a circle around a large sheet of paper.
Ask everyone to take an item out of their pocket or bag - something that has some personal significance to them - place it on the paper and draw round it with a marker pen. Once they have drawn round it they can put it away again.
Take turns to pick one of the outlines. The person whose outline it is explains what the item is and why it's significant to them.
Things to be aware of
Not everyone will be carrying a personal object that they want to talk about! You could tell the group about this exercise in advance, so they can choose an object to bring from home. Alternatively, just acknowledge that the objects people have with them may be a bit 'random!' This could put less pressure on people to produce an interesting object, or to talk about personal things!
Picture yourself
20 - 40 minutes; 6 - 20 people
Another 'get to know you' exercise that combines creating pictures, having conversations in pairs, and a shorter whole group introduction section.
Process
Hand out materials for a making a collage / image. This could be old magazines, fabrics, natural materials, coloured paper, pens, scissors. Ask people to create a picture that expresses some aspects of who they are. Or if people already know each other, it could be a picture showing some aspects of how they are. The picture doesn't have to be self-portrait! It doesn't even have to be a picture of a person - it could be metaphorical. For example, you could draw a washing machine on the spin cycle, to represent being busy and stressed!
When everyone has finished ask people to pair up and explain their pictures to their partners.
The partners then introduce themselves or each other to the group using the picture.
Things to be aware of
As with Pair introductions, when people introduce their partner to the group, there is a risk of misrepresenting them. We prefer to give people the choice.
It is also likely that some people will feel uncomfortable drawing / doing 'art'. Others may have difficulties using pens / scissors. Make sure to offer different options for creating the image. For example, you could encourage people to rip paper instead of cutting. You could also offer a gallery of images, that people can choose something from that relates to them. These could be pictures of people, animals, objects or landscapes.
A journey of discovery
15 - 30 minutes; any number of people, depending on space
People take turns to take their partner on an eyes-closed walk around an outdoor space, exploring natural objects with all their senses, other than sight.
Process
Go outside into a garden, park or countryside.
Form into pairs. Give people the chance to talk about what things they are comfortable to touch, and what they aren't. (For example, "Please don't give me anything slimy!"
One person closes their eyes, the other guides that person by the hand and takes them to a range of different objects to touch, smell etc.
Swap roles after a set time.
Things to be aware of
There are a number of elements of this game that won't be comfortable for everyone. For some it might be closing their eyes in public, for others being led around by the hand, for others touching objects without knowing what they are going to be. Allow time, and give examples of ways the exercise could be varied, to help people spell out to their partner what things they're OK with, and what things they're not. For example, if someone didn't want to be led around by the hand, their partner could just collect objects for them to explore with their eyes closed.
Trust circle
10 - 15 minutes; 10 - 20 people per group
A game that involves building trust without talking. Everyone who wants to has the chance to stand at the centre of a circle, and fall with their eyes closed, knowing their team-mates will catch them. This can be a lovely, relaxing and enjoyable game that brings groups together, but it obviously carries some risk.
Process
One person stands in the centre. Ask the rest of the group to form a tight circle facing inwards.
The person in the middle allows themself to relax, and fall backwards, safe in the knowledge that their team-mates will catch them and then 'bounce' them gently round the circle.
If the person is feeling confident, they can ask the circle to step back a little so they fall further each time. Remember this also relies on people still being able to catch them, it is harder to stop a longer fall!
Allow everyone that wants to to have a turn.
Things to be aware of
Up to a point, individuals can choose their level of risk with this game, because they can choose how tight the circle is. However, this game won't be accessible to everyone - it relies on feeling comfortable being touched, and on people being physically able to catch and hold each other. Think carefully whether it will be appropriate for your group.
Trust falls in pairs
5-10 minutes; any number of people
This is similar to the trust circle, but allows a lot more people to have a turn at the same time. It may also be easier for people to find one person they are comfortable doing the exercise with, compared to the whole group.
Process
Ask people to form pairs that are relatively well-matched by size/weight.
One person stands behind the other. The person behind puts their arms out, slightly bent, with their palms hovering just behind their partners back. Their legs should also be slightly bent, with one foot behind. In this position they are braced to catch the other person falling.
The person falling can start by leaning back by a very short distance before they are caught.
The pair can repeat multiple times, increasing the distance of fall each time, until they reach the maximum they are both comfortable with. For some people might mean dropping back a couple of inches, and for others falling until they are almost on the floor!
Be aware this won't be suitable for all bodies, so consider accessibility requirements before introducing this game!
Mirroring
5 - 15 minutes; any number of people, depending on space
A trust exercise that doesn't involve talking or physical contact. Pairs take turns to mirror each other's movements. This requires them to tune into each other carefully.
Process
Split into pairs standing opposite each other.
One person makes movements, the other tries to mirror them as well as they can. This works best with slow movements.
Swap roles.
When both have played both roles, they can try to coordinate movements with each other, so that both become player and mirror at the same time.
Things to be aware of
As always this won't be accessible to everyone. For example, it only works if people are able to see well enough to get a sense what their partner is doing! Give people a chance to chat beforehand about anything they can't or don't want to do. For example: "Please can any arm movements be lower than the shoulders."
Attribution
In this guide, the following sources have been reused:
- Facilitation Tools for meetings and workshops by Seeds for Change
