Developing First Encounters of the Close Kind: A Beginning Class Exercise

Abstract

Initial meetings with new colleagues or teammates frequently give rise to behaviors such as nervousness, shyness, sarcasm, or false joviality. These behaviors can make the formation of a strong working relationship very slow and even difficult. This article presents an exercise for helping one interact more comfortably and effectively during a first encounter. The exercise provides a basis for improved interpersonal interaction and teamwork throughout the relationship or class. The exercise also leads to an exploration of individual entry behaviors and an examination of the effectiveness of those behaviors in developing a collaborative learning environment. The exercise can be used to introduce important management course topics (i.e., decision making, leadership, attitudes and perceptions, communication processes, interpersonal style, group dynamics, issues of trust, and organizing processes) via experiential methods. The success of this exercise is discussed along with a pedagogical framework for class discussion guided by Kolb’s experiential learning model.