Purpose: To help participants introduce themselves to one another… and to remember those names.

 Time Required: 15 minutes.

 Size of Group: 8 to 20.

 Materials Required: None.

 The Exercise in Action: With groups of 20 or less, Bryan Cooper uses an introduction that energizes while aiding participants’ recall of their class members’ names.

Cooper, a claims trainer at Nationwide, Inc., Columbus, OH, asks participants to stand in a circle and introduce themselves by first name and one adjective that begins with the same letter as their name—for example, “I’m brilliant Bryan.” He asks each person to add a simple movement or gesture, such as a bow, a two-handed wave, or a dance step.

Participants are asked to repeat the names, adjectives, and actions of all preceding group members before adding their own. This makes people uncomfortable at first, but they tend to loosen up as introductions progress. In the end, participants are laughing and having fun. And, on a more practical note, they’ve received two aids (an alliterative word and a silly action) to help them link names with faces.