Getting to know people quickly…

On Friday I was very lucky to attend a TEDx at Woking.  The sponsor and host created a great atmosphere with the simplest of exercises.

He asked you take your phone out and show a picture that means something to you, to somebody you didn’t know.

I connected with a lady in front of me who shared a picture of her Mum with Reindeer ears on her head.  She said the photo made her smile as her Mum had been ill recently and it was a lovely picture to show her better and laughing.  In that 2 mins it took to show me that photo I connected immediately with a stranger.

It is rare now  to be invited to get your phone out in a conference situation, however how effective to use technology as a basis for starting a conversation.

Imagine with all the stories we hear about troubled teenagers, we got them to use their devices to share and explain more, we would be connecting both worlds.  There is a great deal of “tell” language in schools, the word “ban” and just even saying “no” is making technology more exciting than it is.

This really simple exercise was a great icebreaker but actually went to the very heart of who we are as people.

bev@nuggetsoflearning.co.uk