Affinity Frame

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Identify shared interests, projects, or common experiences across small groups.

Use it when: Use during team kickoffs, orientations, or networking sessions where participants need structured prompts to converse beyond basic role titles.

Skip it when: Skip when the group already works closely together every day or when time is strictly limited to agenda business without room for relationship building.

Group arrangement: Small groups of 2 to 4 participants

Timing: Relationship Makers Handbook notes 5 to 15 minutes or 15 to 30 minutes; UWT structures this plan at 15 minutes.

Materials and tools

• 1 sheet of paper per group
• 1 pen or marker per group
• Visible countdown timer or display slide with prompts

Before participants arrive

1. Write the three conversation prompts on a flip chart, whiteboard, or shared digital slide.
2. Arrange seating or standing space to allow groups of 2 to 4 to talk without excessive background noise.

Say this to open

Find a partner or form a group of up to four people. For the next eight minutes, your group will discuss three questions shown on the board. You can share work projects, personal interests, or everyday facts. You decide how much or little to share, and you may pass on any question. Note down at least one common thread your group discovers.

How to run it

1. Form groups and review prompts 2 minutes

   Direct participants into groups of 2 to 4. For groups of three or four, make sure everyone is seated facing inward. Display the three prompts clearly: 1. What is an interesting project or activity you are involved in? 2. What is something about you others here might not know? 3. What do you think we might have in common?

2. Small group conversation 8 minutes

   Groups talk through the prompts at their own pace. Each member takes turns answering. Groups record commonalities or interesting overlaps on their paper. Give a verbal time check at 4 minutes.

3. Room harvest 3 minutes

   Call attention back to the whole room. Invite two or three volunteers from different groups to share one surprising commonality or interesting detail they uncovered.

4. Closing debrief 2 minutes

   Pose a brief reflection question to the full group to close the activity.

Debrief questions

• What unexpected overlap or common thread showed up in your conversation?
• How did having structured questions change the usual small talk?

Finished output: A list of discovered commonalities recorded by each small group, with selected highlights shared with the room.

Remote

Create video breakout rooms of 2 to 4 people. Paste the three prompts into the chat before opening breakouts. Broadcast a halfway reminder at 4 minutes. Bring all participants back to the main room for text-chat harvest and spoken debrief.

Hybrid

Seat in-person participants together in pods of 2 to 4. Assign remote participants to their own virtual breakout rooms of 2 to 4. Avoid pairing an in-person person with a remote person on a single laptop unless dedicated audio headsets are available. Use a shared online document or chat channel for the final harvest so both groups can read the highlights.

Access and participation choices

• Participants choose what personal or professional information to disclose and may pass on any question without explanation.
• Written contributions on paper or in chat can substitute for spoken answers if someone prefers not to speak aloud.

If the session gets stuck

One participant dominates the small group conversation.

Remind groups at the halfway mark to make sure everyone has had time to speak to at least one prompt.

An odd number of participants leaves someone without a partner.

Direct the extra person to join an existing pair to form a group of three, or join as a facilitator partner.