What follows is a raw, no-edit, low-cut breakdown of four simple yet powerful methods to make group engagement feel easy and natural. I’m walking you through these like we’re chatting one-on-one, starting with a story that recently inspired me.
1. Go on a Listening Tour
In Community by Peter Block, there’s a story about a town that hired local youth—kids who might otherwise be idle or getting into trouble—to go on a “listening tour.” Their job? Knock on doors and ask three simple but profound questions:
- What’s it like to live here?
- What concerns do you have?
- What aspirations do you have for the community?
That’s it. No clipboard. No complicated systems. Just curiosity and presence.
In an organizational context, imagine if someone new to your team—maybe someone fresh from onboarding—went on a mini listening tour. What if they popped into a few departments and asked folks:
- What’s it like to work here?
- What concerns do you have?
- What are your aspirations for this organization?
Then, what if they synthesized that input and shared it back during their second or third week? That kind of fresh perspective is often why we hire new people in the first place. But instead of inviting their thinking, we too often just download our way of doing things onto them.
2. Clarify Your Intent and Share it
My late co-founder and co-author Will Wise used to say, “Sharing your intent sends manipulation packing.”
When you articulate your intent clearly—and stretch it to include the needs of others—it creates a sense of choice and autonomy. People can opt in or out. There’s no trickery. No pressure.
3. Ask One Question, Break Into Threes
Okay, here’s the third method: group people into small groups of three and give them a single question.
Try this:
“What is a crossroads you are at, and what about that is important?”
Whether your group is close-knit or just met at a conference, 10–12 minutes in triads around this question leads to:
- Deep connection
- Useful ideas and resources exchanged
- Relationships that last beyond the event
Want to boost group engagement over time? You don’t need a 3-day offsite. Just kick off your regular meetings—some of them, not all—with a meaningful question that reconnects people to why they’re in the room.
This is one of the easiest icebreakers for adults and a surefire way to prompt human intelligence, emotion, and connection.
And when they return from the small groups? Just ask:
- “What struck you?”
- “What did you notice about that experience?”
It builds trust and starts an upward spiral of connection.
4. Intent + Promise = Trust Multiplier
Let’s circle back to intent and add a bonus tip: Pair it with a promise.
Intent sets the stage. A fulfilled promise builds trust.
