More Than a Name Tag

An engagement tool to build connection

More Than a Name Tag

An engagement tool to build connection

“Hello my name is ______, I work at ______”

How many times have you introduced yourself in this way? Or attended an event where you wear a ‘name tag’ displayingyour name and the organisation you work for? In many professional settings, conventional modes of introduction do little justice to what it is to be human, complex and multi-faceted. 

More Than a Name Tag was developed by our team as part of the Te Pūnaha Matatini-funded Co-production Project. It has a long lineage and has gone through many iterations. Our thanks to Dr Jo Bailey who was integral in developing a version of this tool (Name Tag) in collaboration with Rhian Salmon for The Engagement Incubator and as part of Jo's PhD. You can read about that here.

The process offers an alternative way to develop rapport in a group setting by bringing more of our personality and experience into an introduction process. It takes inspiration from whakawhanaungatanga processes that are foundational in te ao Māori. 

By introducing a space for vulnerability and expansiveness, More Than a Name Tag has shown itself to be a valuable technique for introducing connection and care into project teams. It offers a safe way to consider and share parts of ourselves that might be intrinsic to who we are but that we often keep hidden, particularly in professional settings. 

What happens when we break down the traditional structures of our professional and personal lives? How does deeper and more connected knowledge of those we work with change how we might work together? What becomes possible when we choose to share a little more of ourselves with our colleagues and collaborators?

The Activity
More Than a Name Tag is an activity for building trust and connectivity in small groups. We have used it in a variety of settings — both in person, and online. We find it works best in a face-to-face setting in small groups of 6-8 and when there is not too much pressure on time. It can be used with people who already have existing working relationships, and also for those who are new to each other. 

Setting the scene
Introduce the activity as a ‘getting to know each other’ activity that goes a bit deeper. Invite everyone fold the paper concertina style and to write their name at the top of the white side. Creating a comfortable setting is important. Think about how you set up the engagement (the space), how you introduce the process and what things you can do to help people settle together to encourage full participation in the activity (food/kai, water etc).

You will need one copy of the foldable ‘name tag’ per person.  

White side — face value
Invite everyone to take a few minutes to complete the white side. In each box add one piece of information. For example, where you live, who your family are, what you do for work and for play, pets, interests — anything that you might easily and comfortably share with others. Invite each person to share some or all of what they have written on this side of the paper with the room (or the person next to them if you have a bigger group).

Blue/shaded side — hidden depth
Once this is completed, invite everyone to turn their paper over and consider the blue side. This side is a space to write down other things that have played a role in shaping who they are today — but that do not tend to come up in professional or ‘first introduction’ sessions.  

The things shared on this side might include: interests, hobbies, political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender... It could also include experiences, achievements, health conditions or specific interests that feel significant or defining in your life. It is important to highlight that there will be no requirement to share what you write on this side — the purpose is primarily to consider these for yourself first and foremost. Now invite people to share something from this side with the room (or the person next to them if you have a bigger group).

Reflecting
We suggest taking time to reflect with the group on the activity. When the group(s) come to a natural stopping point, invite people to share their response to the activity. Some prompts might include: what did you learn about each other that you didn’t already know? What was it like to share deeper things with people?

Can I use Name Tag in my own work?
Yes, you can. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. That means you can copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material as long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made, and as long as it is for non-commercial uses.