When Donna sent me the agenda for Ontario Power’s Joint Health and Safety Conference my heart sank. I saw that right before I hit the stage everyone (52 attendees) was going to stand up, one person at a time, and introduce themselves. 
Please no!
This exercise is a time waster and if takes long enough, saps everyone’s energy. I didn’t want to ask Donna to nix the introductions, but I was going to ask her to change the timing of it to after my presentation. Then I thought of something.
So I called Donna and told her about my idea. She loved it!
I told her I would get everyone to write something about themselves (besides their name, position, and workplace) such as a hobby they enjoy, an unusual life event, pet’s name, etc. on an index card. Then I’d collect the cards. After my introduction, I would read one-third of the cards out loud. Then another third before the first break and the final third before starting up again. After I read a card, the person who wrote on it would stand up and introduce themselves. I knew it would take a bit longer using this method but that was okay, it was worth it. And boy was it!
Not only did everyone get to introduce themselves, the lead up to it was often hilarious. One person wrote, “I’m 52 years old and have a three-year-old at home.” Here he was referring to a rescue dog! Even if the personal tidbit wasn’t funny, it was still an excellent way to get to know the person (besides just learning their name and where they work).
With this added personal touch, the introductions took about 10 minutes longer. (All I did to make up for the time was cut out a short exercise that was part of my session.) If you use this idea here’s a tip: After the person’s done with his or her introduction ask a question or make a comment about what was on the card. For example, I asked the guy who had a “three-year-old” at home what the dog’s name was. It’s also helpful to quickly read all the cards silently before you start if you can.
If you do use this idea, let me know how it went.
