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relationship-buildingBeginner

Job or Joy

Job or Joy is a relationship-building exercise designed to explore team members' likes and dislikes both in and outside of work. By mapping activities onto a four-quadrant chart, participants gain insights into what brings joy or feels like a chore, fostering a deeper understanding of each other's motivations.

Duration
1h
Group size
5–8 people
Materials
sticky notes, pens, large paper or whiteboard

How to run it

  1. 1

    Draw a four-quadrant chart on a large paper or whiteboard. Label the x-axis with 'not-work' on the left and 'work' on the right, and the y-axis with 'play' on top and 'not-play' below.

  2. 2

    Distribute sticky notes and pens to each participant. Instruct them to write down activities they associate with each quadrant: Joy (work activities they enjoy), Hobbies (enjoyable non-work activities), Chores (non-work activities they dislike), and Job (work activities they dislike).

  3. 3

    Allow participants about 5 minutes to place their sticky notes on the chart in the appropriate quadrant.

  4. 4

    Have each participant explain their choices to the group, fostering discussion on how work can be made more enjoyable.

Tips

  • Encourage honesty and openness to maximize the benefits of this exercise.

  • Use the insights gathered to identify opportunities for making work more enjoyable and to strengthen team bonds.

Variations

Consider conducting this activity online using digital tools for remote teams. You can use digital sticky notes and a shared document to replicate the physical chart.

Where it fits

Understanding team dynamicsImproving workplace satisfactionIdentifying potential areas for team development
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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Gamestorming.

Job or Joy — Facilitation Method | Workshop Weaver