Welcome to My World
Welcome to My World is a team game in which pairs from different roles each draw how they imagine the other person's workflow, without asking any questions, and then compare the drawings with reality. It was published in Gamestorming (Gray, Brown and Macanufo, 2010), which lists its origin as unknown. The gaps between the drawing and the real work show where colleagues misunderstand each other and where their work actually meets.
Facilitation script
- 1
Explain the purpose, then have everyone write one job responsibility on a sticky note and wear it. People find a partner whose work they know least.
5 min - 2
Each person silently sketches their idea of the partner's workflow for that responsibility. No questions and no peeking.
10 min - 3
The first partner explains their drawing while the other listens without correcting. Then they swap.
10 min - 4
Pairs correct both drawings together and mark friction points and the places where their work connects.
10 min - 5
Volunteers share surprises with the whole group. Collect any handover issues worth following up on a flip chart.
10 min
Tips
Hold the no-questions rule firmly during the drawing; the wrong assumptions are the material the exercise works with.
Reassure people that drawing skill is irrelevant and that boxes, arrows and stick figures are enough.
In the pair discussion, steer attention to the handover points between the two jobs, because that is where the practical improvements are.
Common pitfalls
Allowing questions during the drawing phase, which removes the assumptions and leaves nothing to compare
Letting people pair with a close colleague, so the drawings are accurate and the exercise falls flat
The owner of the job interrupts to correct while the drawing is being explained, which makes the drawer defensive and shortens the learning
Stopping after the pair discussion without a plenary round, so insights about handovers stay with two people
Treating a wrong drawing as a failure; if people feel tested they draw vaguely to stay safe
Variations
With more time, run a second round with new partners so each person sees two unfamiliar jobs. For an odd number, form one trio in which each person draws the workflow of the person to their left. Remote pairs draw on paper and hold it up to the camera, or sketch on a shared board in a breakout room. For a deeper session, let pairs redraw one accurate joint picture of the handover between their roles and post it for a gallery walk.
Where it fits
When to use it
A cross-functional team has formed and members have only a job-title understanding of each other's work
Departments complain about each other's requests or delays and you want empathy before problem-solving
New joiners need to learn how the roles around them operate
A handover between two functions keeps failing and nobody has looked at it from both sides
You need a 30 to 60 minute activity that is personal without being private
When not to use it
Everyone in the room does much the same job; there is too little unknown to draw, so use a process-drawing exercise such as Draw Toast on a shared workflow instead
The goal is a documented, agreed process; the sketches are conversation starters, and a process mapping session is the right tool
Two groups are in open conflict; having one side present its assumptions about the other can read as ridicule, so start with a facilitated dialogue
The group is larger than about 20 and time is short; the plenary sharing becomes thin, so run it in sub-groups
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Welcome to My World?▾
Welcome to My World is a game from Gamestorming for cross-functional groups. Pairs who know little about each other's jobs each draw how they imagine the other's workflow, without asking questions, then explain and correct the drawings together. The differences reveal misunderstandings and connection points between roles.
How long does it take and for how many people?▾
Gamestorming describes it for 8 to 20 participants and 30 to 60 minutes. Everyone works in pairs at the same time, so the length depends mainly on how much drawing time and plenary sharing you allow.
Why are participants not allowed to ask questions while drawing?▾
The exercise needs each person's unfiltered assumptions on paper. Questions would correct the picture before it exists, and the pair would lose the comparison between imagined and real work that makes the conversation afterwards useful.
Does it work for teams where everyone has a similar role?▾
Poorly. When people already know each other's work, the drawings are mostly right and there is little to discover. It is best suited to mixed groups such as product, sales, operations and support in one room.
What should happen with the drawings afterwards?▾
They are working material, not documentation. Capture the friction points and handover issues that pairs identified, and decide which of them deserve a follow-up conversation or a proper process review.
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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 Gamestorming (Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo); original source unknown.