Little Known Facts

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Match unfamiliar facts to colleagues through brief questioning rounds to update working assumptions about team members.

Use it when: Use during team kickoffs or project launches when colleagues know each other superficially and need an active mixer.

Skip it when: Skip when group members are complete strangers who need basic introductions first, or when mobility constraints make whole-room mingling impractical.

Group arrangement: Two equal subgroups of Holders and Authors, circulating individually

Timing: Within the 15 to 30 minute range reported in Relationship Makers Handbook.

Materials and tools

• One 3x5 blank index card per person
• One dark marker per person
• One strip of low-tack painter tape per person
• Scratch paper and pens (for remote or hybrid tracking)
• Digital whiteboard or chat software (for remote or hybrid use)

Before participants arrive

1. Place index cards, markers, and painter tape strips on a central table.
2. Clear an open walking area free of obstacles so participants can circulate easily.

Say this to open

Take an index card and a marker. Write down one true, little-known fact about yourself that you are comfortable sharing with the room. Keep it brief. Do not write your name on the card. Keep your card face down on your table once you finish writing.

How to run it

1. Write fact cards 3 minutes

   Speak the opening script. Everyone writes one neutral fact about their past or personal interests, such as 'I played clarinet in a polka band' or 'I have visited 14 national parks.' Remind participants to avoid writing their name or private sensitive details. Collect all cards face down into a single pile.

2. Divide roles and affix cards 4 minutes

   Divide participants into two equal groups: Authors and Holders. If the total headcount is odd, invite the extra person to serve as timekeeper and facilitator assistant. Draw cards written only by the Authors, leaving Holder cards aside. Hand one Author card face down to each Holder. Warn Holders not to look at their card. Direct Holders to tape the card to their chest or forehead with the writing facing outward for others to read.

3. Circulate and discover 8 minutes

   Holders circulate among Authors. A Holder approaches an Author and asks: 'Is this your card?' The Author reads it and answers 'Yes' or 'No.' If 'No,' the Holder approaches another Author. If 'Yes,' the Holder asks yes-or-no questions to guess what the fact is before reading it. Once guessed or confirmed, the Holder reads the card, and both step aside to chat briefly. Stop mingling when all Holders find their matching Authors or time expires.

4. Reconvene and debrief 5 minutes

   Gather the full group into a circle. Ask three participants to share a fact they discovered that surprised them. Facilitate a brief discussion using the debrief questions to reflect on assumptions and conversational discovery.

Debrief questions

• Which fact surprised you most, and what made it stand out?
• What strategies helped you guess the topic using only yes-or-no questions?
• How does learning informal background details affect how we collaborate daily?

Finished output: A set of correctly matched fact cards and verified personal details shared across the room.

Remote

All participants send one fact privately to the facilitator in chat. The facilitator numbers the facts and posts them on a shared digital board without names. Run three successive rounds of 2-minute breakout rooms with 3 to 4 people per room. Participants interview each other to match numbered facts to colleagues, recording matches on scratch paper. Return to the main room to reveal the answers.

Hybrid

All participants, in-person and remote, submit their fact to the facilitator via digital chat. The facilitator posts numbered facts to a shared document. Pair in-person and remote participants using laptops with headsets for three successive rotating rounds of 2-minute interviews. Everyone records guesses on scratch paper before a shared main-room reveal.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may tape cards to their chest or hold them facing out instead of placing them on their forehead.
• Anyone may choose a lightweight hobby, favorite food, or everyday preference rather than a personal life event.
• Participants who prefer to remain stationary can act as Authors seated at perimeter tables while Holders move between them.

If the session gets stuck

A Holder accidentally sees the text on their assigned card.

Swap that card with an unused Author card from the remaining deck, keeping the replacement face down.

An Author's card contains an obvious giveaway, like their job title or department name.

Ask that Author during card collection to rewrite their card using a broader personal hobby or interest.

Terms used here

• Holder: The participant holding an unread card facing outward toward others.
• Author: The participant who wrote the fact on the card.