Uncommon Commonalities

When to use Uncommon Commonalities

To foster genuine connection and break down social silos by encouraging participants to share personal stories and quirks.

What it solves

Surface-level networking that fails to create meaningful bonds or lasting team cohesion.

How to run Uncommon Commonalities, step by step

1. Divide the group into pairs or trios using breakout rooms (2 minutes).
2. Instruct groups to find three things they have in common that are 'unlikely' or 'unique'—avoiding basics like hair color or job titles (5-7 minutes).
3. Bring the group back to the main room and have each pair share their most surprising commonality (5 minutes).

Materials needed

• Breakout room functionality
• Timer

Facilitator tips

• Model an example first, like 'We both lived in a yurt' or 'We both have a collection of vintage stamps.'
• Encourage participants to keep digging if they find 'easy' answers first.

Common pitfalls

• Groups settling for boring commonalities like 'we both use Zoom.'
• Remind them the goal is to find the 'most unlikely' shared trait.

Variations

• Increase the group size to 4 to make finding commonalities more challenging.
• Themed commonalities (e.g., 'Uncommon commonalities about our work habits').

Running it online or hybrid

Use breakout rooms for the virtual pairs and ensure in-person pairs have a quiet space to talk.

What it produces

A list of unique shared traits per pair/group to be shared with the wider room.

Origin

Adapted from SessionLab Library — source

Build a session around Uncommon Commonalities

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