Exercise 6: Small Group Introductions

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                          EXERCISE SIX
                    Small Group Introductions

A quick, non-threatening way of introducing members and new members
is to divide everyone into groups of two or three people who don't
know each other well, and have each individual ask a few questions
the others.

These become very useful techniques for new or changing boards and
councils, where people are usually from a wide variety of
backgrounds.  By setting up triads of people who don't know each
other and allowing a few extra minutes for each member to speak,
you will be encouraging the formation of support groups.

If done with two people (diads), A interviews B and then B
interviews A; if done with three people (triads), A asks B, B asks
C, and C asks A:

1. Each interviewer has two to five minutes each to ask the
questions.  These exercises should take about three minutes to set
up and from five to 15 minutes to complete.

2. The questions asked in the "interviews" might begin with the
person's name, phone number, outside interests, occupation, reasons
for joining, or anything that might be relevant to your particular
group.  Other types of questions you might add include:

       þ  What do you like or dislike about this group?
       þ  What are your objectives for the group?
       þ  What do you like or dislike about the way you fulfill
          your role in this group?
       þ  Who are you/what are we?
       þ  What's your life been like?  What's the group been like?

3. After the group is brought back together, each member introduces
and describes the answers of the member they interviewed for the
rest of the group.

4. Have diad or triad members exchange phone numbers after they
have "broken the ice" through these short conversation exercises,
it could encourage these new groups to become communication and
information networks in the future.

• Lois M. Frey, UVM Extension, RR #4, Box 2298, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 223-2389, email: lfrey@sover.net
• "Group Development: Creating Group Effectiveness" by Duane Dale, DFD Associates, 99 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-3402 (moving to 764 South East Street, Amherst, MA 01022 after 8/1/98);
• Bob Biagi, 142 Cherry Lane, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 549-1412;

Comments to: crs@uvm.edu
Reviewed as of 4/20/98