Get to know your team

Last Updated on February 7, 2022 by justin

Before a newly started growth team dives into attracting new users or optimizing flows, it is good if you create the best conditions for good cooperation. This article describes an exercise that promotes openness and understanding.

Why is it important?

Many organizations focus a lot on “hard” skills development. We want our employees to have up-to-date technical skills and certificates in various systems. Such efforts will probably provide value for the team or organization as a whole, however, the activities do not provide “soft” skills development. We think this is where a team should start (or continue). To create initial bonds and an understanding of the people you will work closely with. This exercise is a soft start in it!

The exercise:

Suitable for: Newly started or established teams that do not know much about each other
Time required: Depending on the number of participants

• The first part of the exercise takes place individually. Each person takes a piece of paper and draws a diagram as below. Then 10-15 minutes are given to draw their individual ‘lifeline’. Here it is important to encourage people that it is up to them to choose how personal one wants to be. It may be enough with professional history and emotions connected to it. But it is good that it is encouraged to share more personal / private events in your life that have made an impression on you.

Presentation of is line

• When everyone has made their lifeline, it’s time to present it to each other. It can feel nervous and in some cases sensitive. If you are the growth lead / scrum master in the team, it is good if you start with your presentation. Try to convey a sense of security. You can do this by opening and showing vulnerability. It can be through a sentence such as: “even if it is I who initiated this exercise, it does not mean that I am not nervous to present my life to you, it is a bit scary but at the same time important to challenge yourself”. Through such an expression, you convey a humble and open leadership that creates a good foundation for the future.

Read more

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