Let’s get to know each other

H-A-RR-I-G-A-N spells “Harrigan”! This old Irish song immediately takes me back to my beautiful, hilarious and loving Nan, who left this world in 2014.

The pure wool purple Irish hat was purchased by Nan when I was 11yrs old, when she joined my family of five, as Mum and Dad took us on a 3 month campervan trip around Europe. Both were teachers (and a Professor) who valued learning through experience. (And yes – we had to do journals and school work before visiting historic sites 😂).

A POWERFUL, yet simple activity I’ve used in learning and capability building, with the objective of getting to know each other, and what makes us tick is this one. I’ve used it with equal success for well-established teams, or new ones, but the timing must be right, as it’s heartfelt for many.

I ask the participants as part of pre work to “Bring in an object that has special meaning to you and be prepared to share WHY with the group”. Over the time, I’ve seen many wonderful shares – from Father’s Day mugs to school projects, or even old handwriting from a loved one. All the while, we learn more about others on a deeper level, rather than simply the job title or role that we play in the organisation.

So this purple hat brings my Nan back – us bobbing up and down in the back of a campervan, Nan truly believing that the surname “McGrath” made her more Irish in Ireland than her true origin (Australia), us singing crazy old Irish songs, Nan requesting that we stop at the next church for a prayer and a blessing, and laughing so hard at her stories, all the while enjoying her love on a holiday of a lifetime!!! 🍀 🌎