Team
Personal Maps
Everyone draws a quick mind-map of themselves, then shares it in two minutes flat.
What it is
Four moves: your name at the center, self-chosen branches (family, hobbies, values, whatever matters to you), a few words or icons per branch, and a share round of 1-2 minutes per person with no interruptions. There's no fixed category list — people choose what to reveal.
Reach for it when
- A new team kicking off with only job titles in common
- A new member joining a team that already has its own inside references
- A team that has drifted into purely transactional interaction after a reorg
Running it
- Explain upfront: 5-10 minutes of silent individual drawing, then a share round — model it yourself first with your own map.
- Give everyone their own blank frame with their name at the center; let them choose their own branches.
- Go around the group of 4-12, 1-2 minutes per person, no interruptions or cross-questioning during the round.
- Open the floor briefly after everyone has shared, then keep the maps pinned up for the rest of the onboarding period.
Watch out: The share round turns into a Q&A instead of a straight share, which defeats the low-pressure point — and running it on a team that already knows each other well just reads as busywork.
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Recent Comments (3)
This workshop was incredibly effective for our remote team! We adapted it slightly for a virtual setting and it worked wonderfully. The key was breaking into smaller breakout rooms.
Great resource! One tip: prepare all materials the day before to avoid any last-minute rushes.
Used this for our quarterly planning session. The structured approach really helped us stay on track!