The document provides guidance for teams to build trust through a personal history exercise where each member gives a brief presentation about their background, including hometown, education, work experience, and one unique thing about themselves. The goal is to help team members relate to one another, avoid inaccurate assumptions, and encourage empathy. Examples of presentation formats are also included to illustrate the type of casual, fun sharing of personal information that is encouraged.

1. Building
Better Teams
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Personal
History Exercise

2. 2Copyright © 2014 | Joel Wenger
Create Trust Using Personal Histories
• Who: Teams looking to build trust
• What: A low-risk way for team members to share
information about themselves
• Where: Conference Room or other semi-private area
conducive to sharing
• When: Introducing new team members (buy the team
lunch)
• Why: Helps people relate to one another, which can
encourage empathy and avoid inaccurate generalizations

3. 3Copyright © 2014 | Joel Wenger
“Tell Us About Yourself” Presentation
As a way for team members to get to know one another, each person is
asked to give a brief, casual presentation about themselves.
Each presenter has up to 3 minutes to provide the following:
1. Hometown
2. Undergraduate school and major
3. Graduate school and major (if applicable)
4. Reasons for choosing your major(s)
5. Work experience – companies, job responsibilities, etc.
6. One unique thing about yourself
Please keep your presentation limited to one slide or page, with the
team leader sharing first. Remember, this is a FUN activity in which we
learn about one another, so feel free to get creative.

4. 4Copyright © 2014 | Joel Wenger
Example

5. 5Copyright © 2014 | Joel Wenger
Example

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Joel Wenger
Consulting Manager, Financial Blogger
Trusted Advisor