Boosting the team spirit while introducing the team
It happens often that a group of colleagues or friends meets with a new partner or with another group of potential collaborators or new friends. To break the ice, the two groups start to introduce themselves to each other. The process usually is cold, people taking turns and introducing themselves. One could almost observe a template (for a professional type of meetings with partners): “Hi, my name is $X $Y, and I am $PERSON from $CITY and $COUNTRY. My background is $B, and at the moment I am working on $W. $W means doing $D which is a part of $P. Besides $W I also do $W2 and partly $W3. Thank you.”.
Although impressing a feeling of competence, I find that approach quite sterile and impersonal. Also, it rarely is of any greater importance to the listeners to know the details of the work the stranger does. Here is a simple step that improves the atmosphere and has, in my opinion, many other positive side effects.
Either in addition to the self-introduction or as a complete replacement of it, it shall be the rest of the group to introduce the person to the strangers. In professional meetings, such as an encounter of two research groups, it of course can happen that it is only YOU who knows your own research best and do not want the others to brag about it. However, while introducing oneself, one rarely talks about his characteristics, skills, twitches, and other PERSONAL details that make one UNIQUE. If forced to talk about it, many people start to feel awkward. Therefore, I suggest that it shall become a habit that co-workers, team-members, or friends do talk about the person in question.
Give it a try and let me know how did it work for you.
I like your suggestion. My friends and I have done this sometimes. The only problem is that if we are introducing each other socially to women, a few of my friends, for instance, have developed the unfortunate habit of making up things that are not true about me (and vice versa) – just to see how quickly and creatively I can react to a potentially embarrassing situation.
E.g. “…and he has spent a considerable amount of time studying ballet. Clint, do you want to show them a couple moves?”
“He has recovered quite remarkably since ‘the accident’.”
“Oh, you are _(name of girl)_. He has talked a LOT about you!”