MENTOR ME! is an energetic, tech-free, large group activity that simulates looking past the visibly successful to find their invisible benefactor while simultaneously putting networking skills into practice.
During the game, players form a circle and pair up by making eye contact. After holding eye contact for ten seconds (a harder feat than it would seem), they meet their partner to “network.” If the player networks with the secret Mentor, they become Successful. The Successful will spend the rest of the game attempting to draw as much attention to themselves as possible. Players that break eye contact to look at the Successful do not get to network with their partners. The game ends when every player has networked with the Mentor.
Game Design Document (with full list of rules) at the link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T-R5wLyjPrj9v7BBPKdJhd5TkRWyLLK5eT4qdJZUVg0/edit
Anybody with the link can (and is encouraged to) comment, but editing is locked.
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My intent with this design was to create a highly accessible game that can not only demonstrate the power of invisible benefactors but also help those playing practice some seemingly minor skills in networking, namely maintaining eye contact, making contact, and being enthusiastic. The ideal setting for the game would be at job fairs, conferences, conventions, and workshops – locations with large groups of people who hope to make at least a semi-professional social connection, especially those who might be nervous about doing so. Although the default design calls for trading business cards, that item could easily be substituted for adapting to different communities.
Post created 02.14.12





