Simple activities can help leaders and teammates learn more about each other while also having some fun. Here is a re-post of an activity that is perfect for this Easter week.
All you need is a few bags of jelly beans (quantity depends on the size of your team), a tablespoon or small scoop, and small paper cups or napkins. You can choose to pre-scoop the jelly beans or have each person scoop their own as they arrive.
Ask which color each person prefers. Don’t forget to participate yourself! This can be done as an ice-breaker conversation or by having each person write their name and favorite color on a white board before they settle in.
Believe it or not, that color just might reveal something about their personality.
Black or white? Highly organized, prefers structure, always follows the rules, deliberates before making decisions.
Yellow? Not usually outspoken, hard worker, sometimes struggle with decision-making, look at things with perspective and respects the opinions of others.
Orange? Cheerful and good-natured, gets along with everyone, enjoys life and inspires others to reach their potential.
Red or pink? Courageous and energetic, genuinely care about people, shares in their sadness or grief, makes decisions with feelings, acts on impulses of the heart.
Violet? Highly creative and excitable, visionaries, disorganized, procrastinators who thrive on chaos, questions why when given an assignment.
Green? Loves recognition, often seen as leaders, usually in highly visible positions, respects authority and tradition, decisive, direct and focused.
Of course, no one’s personality can be described by a jelly bean color alone; it is fun to consider, though, isn’t it? Ask your team if any of the descriptions ring true? If so, how do those personality traits reveal themselves in the work activities? Enjoy the conversation and the laughter; and, be on the alert for what you might learn about each person’s perceptions.
PS: I always pick out the white, pink and red jelly beans first. Interestingly enough, a lot of the qualities listed above for those colors do apply to me!
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