Chapter 31
The Group Résumé Icebreaker
Contributed By: Doris Sims, SPHR, President of Succession Builders, LLC.
About the Author: Doris M. Sims, SPHR is the Founder and President of Succession Builders, LLC, a talent management, succession planning, and new talent onboarding consulting firm. Her experience in organizational development spans over 20 years working in Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. Doris received her master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Indiana State University.
Doris’s Contact Information:
Succession Builders, LLC
www.successionbuilders.com
[email protected]
214-906-3155
Doris is the co-author of the talent management books Building Tomorrow’s Talent: A Practitioner’s Guide to Talent Management and Succession Planning, The 30-Minute Guide to Talent and Succession Management and The Talent Review Meeting Facilitation Guide. Doris is also the author of the McGraw-Hill book Creative New Employee Orientation Programs, and has contributed articles to many other McGraw-Hill books and multiple periodicals, including Training Magazine, Talent Management Magazine, Professionals in Human Resources and The Consultant’s Toolkit.
THE GROUP RÉSUMÉ—CREATING BONDS AND DEMONSTRATING VALUE
The Group Résumé activity serves to create relationship bonds as the participants discover common interests and experiences. In addition, the debrief session of the activity serves to demonstrate the vast experience the new employees bring with them into the organization, and it validates the value that each new employee brings into the organization even on the first day of employment. Specifically, the activity:
Helps employees realize the value, knowledge, and skills they are bringing to their new organization
Helps new employees interact with each other and begin to build relationships
Helps new employees understand that the combination of skills and talents they bring to the organization is important
Helps employees understand that even though they are starting a new job, they each bring a unique perspective and work experience with them to jump-start their new career
AUDIENCE AND TIMING
The Group Résumé (or CV) activity can be used with employees or managers at any level in the organization. The game works equally well as a networking activity or as an introductory icebreaker game in your New Employee Program. It is a great exercise for managers in a management onboarding program, both to help them remember the past skills and experience they bring to the organization, and to remind them that their own employees bring a vast wealth of past experience, skills and knowledge to their current job.
YOU’LL NEED
The materials needed for this activity include:
Flip-chart paper for each group of participants (typically the facilitator will divide the class into small groups of 3–6 people to work on this activity together, and each team will need flip-chart paper)
Flip-chart markers for participants at each table
Masking tape to secure the finished flip charts to the walls for the presentation portion of the activity
PREPARATION
The only preparation required on the part of the instructor prior to facilitating the activity is to prepare either a PowerPoint slide or a flip chart with the instructions for the activity. It will be important to leave the instructions on display during the activity to enable participants to refer back to the instructions as needed.
CONDUCTING THE ACTIVITY
Remind employees about the purpose of a résumé or curriculum vitae (CV); it is designed to tell others about your talent and skills, and to showcase the value you bring to the organization.
But rather than present a résumé as an individual, the workshop participants will work in teams to create a Group Résumé, where they will “add up” their years of experience in various areas. Every group should add up their years of experience as a total group on a flip chart:
In their industry
In their entire career
As a manager (if it is a management orientation program)
The group can also include any of the following on their group résumé:
The number of countries in the world they have visited
The number of states and/or countries they have lived in
The total number of miles the group travels each day to/from work
The total number of jobs/positions they have held in their career
Think of at least three creative items for your flip chart! Examples of more creative items include the total number of pets in the group, the total number of countries the group has visited, the total number of traffic tickets the group has received, the total number of bosses the group has reported to throughout their careers, the total number of electronic communication devices the group owns, the total number of commuter miles the group makes each day, etc.
Allow at least 15–20 minutes for each group to discuss these items, to add up their cumulative value, and to document a “Group Résumé Flip Chart.” An example of a completed “Group Résumé Flip Chart” might look like this:
Our Group Resume
Our Names: Duane, Bonnie, Diana, and Rick
Total Number of Years in the Banking Industry: 58
Total Number of Work Experience: 72
Total Number of Years of Management Experience: 22
Total Number of First Cousins: 123
Total Miles We Drive To/From Work Each Day: 170
Total Number of Sky Dives We Have Jumped: 0
Total Number of Countries We Have Visited: 12
Total Number of Web Site Domains We Own: 8
DEBRIEFING THE ACTIVITY
As the groups are finishing up their Group Résumé flip charts, ask them to choose a leader—someone to present their Group Résumé to the rest of the class. I personally like to offer a rule that whoever took on the task to “scribe” the flip chart gets to rest and does not have to also serve as the presenter of the Group Résumé.
Another good way to help the group choose a “spokesperson” is to find out who most recently went on vacation—obviously they are the most well-rested person in the group so that person should present the Group Résumé to the class.
Then ask each Group Spokesperson to present the Group Résumé to the class. As each Spokesperson delivers this presentation, add up the total number of years of industry experience, career experience, management experience, etc., for the entire class by adding up these numbers from all of the flip charts displayed in the classroom.
When all groups have finished presenting, provide the total number of years of experience for the entire class to everyone. Make your point about the vast wealth of knowledge and years of experience this entire group is now bringing into the organization to complete the activity.