Open a Session · Encourage Collaboration · Meet & Connect
Who Would You Call?
Choose the school-day scenario you would willingly help handle, then learn who else complements you.
Time4–5 minutes
Group size4+ people
FormatTable groups
MaterialsNone
What this accomplishes
Instead of assigning personalities based on first impressions, participants choose one low-stakes scenario they would volunteer to handle and explain the useful strength behind that choice.
- Reveal practical strengths
- Identify complementary contributors
Before you begin
Materials
- None
Preparation
- Display a visible timer
- Plan to hear no more than two table reports
What to say
“Here is the ask. You will work only with your table, the timer will stay visible, and passing is always fine.”
How to run it
- 1
Display four or five scenarios.
- 2
Ask each person to choose one they would willingly help handle and say why in one sentence.
- 3
Let tablemates name a complementary strength they heard, without assigning labels.
- 4
Ask the table which scenario has the strongest coverage and which may need backup.
Prompts to use
A technology surprise
A worried student who needs a calm adult
A last-minute presentation
A complicated schedule puzzle
A celebration that needs organizing
Adapt it to the room
Small group
Use one table and let everyone contribute; skip the room report.
Large group
Run the activity simultaneously at tables of four to six, then hear only two brief reports.
Virtual
Use breakout rooms of four to six, broadcast the prompt and timer, and collect one response in chat when rooms close.
Accessibility & inclusion
- Keep participation seated by default.
- Display and read the prompt aloud.
- Allow anyone to pass, write, or contribute through a tablemate.
Debrief, if useful
What combination of strengths does this table have?
Why it works—and what can go wrong
Why it works
Self-selection gives people agency and still reveals who brings calm, organization, creativity, or technical confidence.
Watch out for
- Do not assign people to emotionally charged or identity-coded roles.
- Keep scenarios hypothetical and professional.