"A Spoonful of Connection: How a Simple Game with My Son Inspired Team Building"

Last night, I played a simple dinner table game with my 5-year-old son that brought a wonderful insight about connection and reflection. The game was simple: for every spoonful he took, I asked him a question to help him "recollect his day." Questions like, “Who was the first person you met at school?” or “Who sat beside you during breakfast?” opened up his day to me and gave him a chance to revisit his fresh memories. It wasn’t long before our dinner was filled with stories, laughter, and lessons he had picked up along the way.

The whole experience got me thinking—what if we could bring this simple practice into our teams?

In our busy schedules, we are often so focused on the next big task or deadline that we rarely take a moment to reflect and share our recent experiences. What if, instead, we started meetings with a brief “recollect your day” session? Here are a few ideas inspired by my son’s game:

1. A Reflective Kickoff to Meetings

Start with simple prompts like, "What’s one win from yesterday?" or "Who did you help or connect with?" These questions help everyone shift gears, settle in, and connect before diving into the agenda. Just as my son’s recollections helped me understand his day, these small insights can reveal strengths, build empathy, and remind us of the moments that shape our work lives.

2. Creating an Open Space for Team Wins and Challenges

One aspect of "recollecting" is that it opens up an opportunity to learn from both positive moments and challenges. Questions like, “What was something you found challenging?” create a safe space for team members to share difficulties. This builds trust and encourages collaboration to tackle shared challenges.

3. A Moment to Celebrate Small Wins

Just as my son and I laughed over little triumphs or funny moments, teams can benefit from celebrating even the small successes. When we acknowledge the daily wins, we foster motivation and a sense of progress. Over time, this strengthens team morale and collective confidence.

4. Closing with a Reflection

Ending a meeting with “What’s something you’ll take away from today?” can reinforce lessons learned, clarify key points, and ensure everyone leaves with a shared focus. A little reflection can turn day-to-day work into an ongoing journey of growth and shared experience.

This dinner table game started as a way to keep my son away from the TV, helping him build a habit of eating with family and sharing experiences. It’s been wonderful to see him engaged, learning to express himself, and feeling connected.

Building a strong team, like connecting with our loved ones, often comes down to the small, consistent steps we take to show interest, care, and attention. I never expected a simple game over dinner to highlight that, but here we are , ready to bring a little more reflection, warmth, and connection into our workspaces. I am looking forward to trying this with my team and seeing how it goes!

What do you do to keep your team connected and open? Let me know in the comments!