High Five Me
High Five Me is a team introduction exercise in which each person draws the outline of their hand and writes one self-description per finger: strengths, bad habits, what annoys them, what they value and what makes them feel small, with the palm left for anything else the team should know. Each person then walks the team through their hand. It was published by the Amsterdam facilitation agency Mischief Makers and is mostly used when a team forms or a new colleague joins.
Facilitation script
- 1
Frame the purpose and explain what each finger and the palm stand for. Say that everyone decides how much to share.
3 min - 2
Present your own hand as the model, finger by finger, in about two minutes.
3 min - 3
Everyone traces a hand on A3 paper and fills it in silently. Skip this step if the hands were prepared in advance.
8 min - 4
Presentations: each person walks through their hand in roughly three minutes, followed by one or two clarifying questions. Timing here assumes six people.
22 min - 5
Group reflection: what did we hear more than once, and what one thing will we do differently because of it.
6 min - 6
Close: thank the group, agree where the hands will be kept and when the team will look at them again.
3 min
Tips
Your own hand sets the ceiling for everyone else, so prepare it carefully and include one thing that costs you a little to say.
Ask for concrete behaviour on the 'annoys me' finger, such as being interrupted or late replies, because a list of abstract values gives colleagues nothing to act on.
State clearly that people choose their own depth on the little finger and the palm, and never press for more.
Common pitfalls
The facilitator shows a safe, polished hand, and everyone copies that level, so the session produces pleasantries and no usable information
Clarifying questions drift into defending or challenging what someone wrote, which teaches the group that honesty gets argued with
Pressing someone for more on the little finger or palm; forced disclosure damages the trust the exercise is meant to build
Running out of time so the last two people rush, which signals that their hands mattered less
Filing the hands away and never mentioning them again, so the stated preferences change nothing in daily work
Variations
For onboarding one new colleague, the existing team presents its hands first so the newcomer hears the norms before sharing. Remote teams fill in hand outlines on a shared whiteboard, ideally before the call, and use the session for presenting only. In teams larger than about eight, present in two parallel groups and bring one observation back to plenary. A lighter version drops the little finger prompt for groups that have just met.
Where it fits
When to use it
A new colleague joins and you want them to learn the team's habits in an hour instead of over three months
A project team is forming and people will depend on each other under time pressure soon
An existing team keeps running into the same small irritations and nobody has named them
A team offsite where there is time for each person to be heard without rushing
After a reorganisation, when people who know each other only by name now share a team
When not to use it
The group has only ten minutes or will never work together again; use a lighter introduction such as Two Truths and a Lie
There is an open conflict in the team. The 'annoys me' finger turns into coded accusations, so address the conflict directly first
A manager attends who is known to hold disclosures against people; build some safety first with lower-stakes formats such as Personal Maps
More than twelve people in one round. Presentations take too long and attention drops, so split the group or use a written format such as My User Manual
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is High Five Me?▾
High Five Me is a team exercise in which each person fills in the outline of a hand with five self-descriptions, one per finger, plus a free field in the palm. People then present their hands to each other. It gives a team a quick, shared picture of strengths, habits, irritations and values.
What does each finger stand for in High Five Me?▾
The thumb is for strengths, the index finger for bad habits, the middle finger for what annoys me, the ring finger for what I value and the little finger for what makes me feel small. The palm holds anything else the person wants the team to know.
How long does High Five Me take?▾
Between 20 and 60 minutes, depending on team size and whether people prepare their hand in advance. Plan about three to four minutes per person for presenting and questions, plus ten minutes for the introduction and a short reflection.
Is High Five Me suitable for a team that has just met?▾
Yes, with care. The prompts about bad habits and feeling small ask for some vulnerability, so make depth a personal choice and model it yourself first. For a group that is very new or guarded, leave out the little finger prompt.
Can High Five Me be run remotely?▾
Yes. Put one hand outline per person on a shared whiteboard and ask people to fill theirs in before the call. Mischief Makers publish a free whiteboard template for this. Use the live time for presenting and questions.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Mischief Makers (Facilipedia).