Life Map

Life Map

Setup

1. Time and group size: Plan for ~45 minutes with 4–20 participants. Split larger groups into breakout circles of 5–8.
2. Materials: Plain paper or card stock, assorted markers or colored pens, clipboards or hard surfaces. Optional: timer, soft background music, sticky dots for highlights.
3. Room: Arrange chairs in small circles or at tables so everyone can see one another’s pages during sharing.
4. Framing: Explain that maps are symbolic, not geographic, and participants should only share what they’re comfortable sharing.

How to Play

1. Introduce the activity (2 minutes)
   • Share the purpose: to learn about the places and experiences that shaped each person and to spark empathy and connection.
2. Prompt participants (1 minute)
   • Invite them to include meaningful places such as: where they were born, grew up, studied, lived, traveled, met a partner or key mentor, started a career, or any place that changed them.
3. Create the Life Maps (8–10 minutes)
   • Participants draw a simple, creative map using icons, paths, arrows, dates, or short labels. Accuracy doesn’t matter—clarity and meaning do.
   • Encourage 3–7 key locations. They can use symbols (a house for home, a plane for a trip) and connect them with lines to show a journey.
4. Share in small groups (20–25 minutes total)
   • Each person has 2–3 minutes to explain their map: what the locations are and why they matter.
   • Listeners practice active listening: look at the map, avoid interruptions, and note resonant connections.
   • After each share, allow 1–2 brief, curious questions (e.g., “What made that move significant for you?”). Keep it supportive, not probing.
5. Debrief as a whole group (5 minutes)
   • Ask: What surprised you? What connections did you discover? How might these journeys shape how we work together?

Rules

1. Share at your comfort level; no one is required to disclose sensitive details.
2. Honor time limits so everyone has equal airtime.
3. Practice confidentiality: stories stay in the room unless you have permission to share.
4. Listen without judgment; ask curious, open-ended questions.
5. Focus on places and meaning rather than precise geography.

Tips

• Model first: The facilitator can briefly share a simple map to set tone and depth.
• Offer icon ideas (home, book, heart, plane, mountain) to reduce drawing anxiety.
• Use a visible timer and a gentle signal to transition speakers.
• If time is tight, do pairs or triads instead of full circles.
• Accessibility: Provide thick markers, larger paper, or a printed template; allow typing or stickers.
• Encourage participants to star one “most influential place” for debrief highlights.

Variations

• Virtual: Use a shared whiteboard or slide deck. Participants sketch on paper and hold it up, or draw digitally. Use breakout rooms for sharing.
• Speed Round: 60–90 seconds per person for high-energy standups; follow with optional deep-dive pairs.
• Themed Maps: Focus on “Career Map,” “Mentors & Milestones,” or “Homes & Moves” depending on context.
• Partner Presentations: In pairs, interview for 3 minutes each, then present your partner’s map to the group to practice listening skills.
• Gallery Walk: Post maps around the room; participants circulate, leave sticky-note appreciations, then regroup for reflections.