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Exercises/Relationship Mapping/Unique Thing in Common
Relationship Mapping

Unique Thing in Common

12m Participants: Any Difficulty: Low by Fred Brown for Erica Marx Coaching Use Method Goal build connection & trust get to know someone I

5 to 15 minutesTIME
Medium group (9-25), Pairs, Small group (4-8)GROUP SIZE
QuietENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
High cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Network Design This relationship mapping exercise strengthens Network Design, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. All methods All authors IAF Library Library Unique Thing in Common 289 130 With a partner, find the 3 most unlikely / unusual / unique things you have in common with each other.
  2. Each pair chooses one to share with the group.
  3. With your partner find the 3 most unlikely / weird / dramatic things you have in common.
  4. 12m Participants: Any Difficulty: Low by Fred Brown for Erica Marx Coaching Use Method Goal build connection & trust get to know someone I
  5. CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.
Live facilitator

Run this exercise live

The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.

Prompts to use +

All methods All authors IAF Library Library Unique Thing in Common 289 130 With a partner, find the 3 most unlikely / unusual / unique things you have in common with each other.

Each pair chooses one to share with the group.

With your partner find the 3 most unlikely / weird / dramatic things you have in common.

12m Participants: Any Difficulty: Low by Fred Brown for Erica Marx Coaching Use Method Goal build connection & trust get to know someone I

CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.

Run this with your AI assistant +

Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Unique Thing in Common. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: All methods All authors IAF Library Library Unique Thing in Common 289 130 With a partner, find the 3 most unlikely / unusual / unique things you have in common with each other.; Each pair chooses one to share with the group.; With your partner find the 3 most unlikely / weird / dramatic things you have in common.; 12m Participants: Any Difficulty: Low by Fred Brown for Erica Marx Coaching Use Method Goal build connection & trust get to know someone I. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.

Origin unverified

  • Where we observed it: The current corpus has one observed source organization: SessionLab. (1 source observed, including SessionLab.)
  • What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
  • No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
  • Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.

Pairs well with