Downwind"Two truths and a lie"
Farm Bureau is at its best when it is an in-person, person-to-person, interactive organization. Sure, during the last two years, we managed to Zoom. We got by with Microsoft Teams. Conference calls worked. Email sufficed.
BUT it is so very nice to be in-person in the office, in-person at programs, in-person at events, and in-person during meetings. I have a new appreciation for in-person meetings (not that meetings are necessarily great) which are so much better than sitting in front of the computer.
Recently, I enjoyed an in-person meeting with some fellow manager colleagues from area Farm Bureaus and COUNTRY Financial agencies.
Because not everyone knew one another, we started the meeting with an icebreaker.
“Two truths and a lie” is a group icebreaker game with a simple premise: individuals in a meeting introduce themselves and share with the group “two truths and one lie.” Then, the rest of the group tries to figure out which of the statements are truths and which one is the lie. This icebreaker provides a great way to find out interesting facts and mis-facts about people quickly and serves to loosen up the group. The game also gives individuals a unique insight into one another.
Using myself as an example, the icebreaker goes something like this…
The introduction: Hi everyone…I’m Bob Rohrer, Manager of the Cook County Farm Bureau. I have worked in the Farm Bureau system for 35 years
My 2 truths and a lie, in no particular order, are:
- I grew up on a dairy farm (false…hog and crops farm)
- I am a proud graduate of Illinois State University (true)
- I was on my high school golf team that finished 6th in state (true- I helped the team by not playing that day!)
Sometimes, to get a cheap laugh, I might blend in one of the following “truths”:
- My name is spelled backwards
- I am right-handed
During the gathering of Farm Bureau managers and COUNTRY Financial agency managers, the icebreaker helped me discover a number of interesting facts from people that I thought I knew. I wish I wrote them all down…here are some of the truths I learned that day (and remember):
“My family tree can be traced back to the Mayflower”
“I was a part of Desert Storm”
“I am a state champion archer”
“My family had connections to Al Capone”
“I have had a hole-in-one”
“I am color blind”
“I was a radio DJ”
“I have a federal license to remove endangered tortoises from construction sites”
“I used to have a job moving pianos”
“My father won the lottery”
These truths were great! So interesting!
I also learned that there are some pretty good “liars” amongst of Farm Bureau and COUNTRY ranks! It certainly helps when someone is quick-witted and has a great poker face!
Working in this new Covid and post-Covid environment has proven to be challenging, and getting back to a more normal work environment feels good. It is really difficult to truly connect with people beyond the “surface” through the mediums of email, texting, and videoconferencing using Teams, Zoom, etc. I call that hard work!
Cook County Farm Bureau, through it all, remains an organization of people and relationships. We continue to seek in-person, face-to-face opportunities to work with and serve members. Those quality connections help us better know you…so we can figure out your “two truths and a lie!”