"Reciprocity Ring" workshop

The perfect workshop for a networking or community event

Photo by Antenna on Unsplash

This workshop is perfect when you are looking to leverage the power and engagement of a network or community and have people who are actually needing help with something.

What is the Reciprocity Ring? 

The Reciprocity Ring by Wayne Baker, Cheryl Baker, and Adam Grant is a dynamic group exercise that applies the “pay-it-forward” principle to your team or group while creating and cementing high-quality connections, by both asking for and giving help to create a culture of giving.

During the workshop, participants will be expressing areas where they may need support such as connections, introductions, job leads, mentoring, or skill-building to name a few. In return, the whole group will will rally around them and be able to volunteer their support, creating win-wins and fun for everybody.

How to run the in-person workshop

Duration: 1 – 2 hours

Venue: a quiet, private space with a big wall og whiteboard to stick post-it notes on

Supplies: a white board or flip chart stick post-it notes on, two different types of post-it notes (3 x 5 for writing requests, and 3 x 3 for writing how you can help) and pens to everybody.

Steps

1. Prepare a whiteboard or flip chart with each participant’s name and a space for their contact information and request. Give each member some (5-10) 3 x 5 pos-it notes and a stack of 3 x 3 post-it notes and a pen.

2. In the beginning of the workshop, ask the participants to brainstorm and write down in the 3 x 5 pos-it note their specific request for the group.

3. Gather the group together and conduct a short icebreaker.

4. After the icebreaker, ask all participants, one by one, to read out loud their request and allow each participant to spend 2 – 3 minutes presenting and discussing their help request.

5. After they have introduced their help request, other participants may ask clarifying questions. Participants may then right away input their offers of help, connections, or resources.

6. Help offers can be written on 3 x 3 post-it notes and stuck next to the requestor’s name on the white board or flip chart. Do not forget as a helper, to write your name in the corner of tall the 3 x 3 post-it notes offering help, so the requesters know who wrote it and who they can contact with after the workshop.

7. Once the session ends and everybody got to ask and got to give, the facilitator should take a picture of the white board or flip chart to document the participants’ name, contact information, and the help offers. Each participant should take the post-it notes associated with their own requests, and the facilitator should email the entire Ring with the photos.

8. A week after the session, the facilitator should email the Ring participants and remind them to follow through with their offers of help.

Recommendations for a successful workshop

1. The smaller the better. Limit the size of each ring to a maximum of 10 people.

2. Specific requests are better than general requests. Personal or professional requests are equally valid.

3. Encourage every participant to be mentally present and clear away any distractions.

4. Follow-up is key.

5. Try this activity out in different spaces, such as a restaurant or a park. Take note of what format works best for your group or your club.

6. The role of the facilitator is to

   1. Create a comfortable and informal ambiance

   2. Keep people on track

   3. Serve as timekeeper

   4. Encourage follow-up

I hope this little, fun, energising, and easy workshop, made sense to you and you found it useful.

If “yes”, please “like it”, share it in social media so more people can get the same value you got, subscribe, and comment here if you wonder something and want to give me some feedback.

Have a nice one!!