Common Ground

Purpose

Common Ground is a collaborative icebreaker that challenges small groups to discover shared experiences, preferences, or traits as quickly as possible. It builds rapport by focusing on what unites rather than what divides, and often surfaces unexpected connections that deepen relationships.

At a glance

• Group size: 8–40 (in groups of 3–5)
• Duration: 10 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilitation style: Small group work
• Setting: In-person or virtual (breakout rooms)

How to run

1. Split into groups of 3–5.
2. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
3. Each group must find as many things ALL members have in common as possible. Obvious ones ("we all breathe") don't count — they must be specific and interesting.
4. Groups write down their list.
5. Each group shares their best 3 with the whole room. The group with the most (or most surprising) wins.

Materials needed

• Paper and pens (or a shared digital doc in virtual settings)
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Too-obvious answers: Set the bar — "we all work here" doesn't count.
• One person dominates the conversation: Encourage equal contribution.
• No sharing round: The whole-group share is where connections ripple outward.
• Groups too large: Beyond 5, finding universal commonalities becomes nearly impossible.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Fully accessible — no physical activity required.
• Works in virtual breakout rooms.
• Encourage commonalities that go beyond surface demographics.
• Ensure groups are mixed to avoid echo chambers.

Variations

• Uncommon Commonalities: Only count surprising or unusual shared traits.
• Common Ground Bingo: Pre-made list of possible commonalities to check off.
• Competitive rounds: Multiple timed rounds with reshuffled groups.

When NOT to use this

• In groups where interpersonal tensions are high — forced commonality-finding may feel insincere.
• When time is very tight (under 7 minutes including share-back).
• In homogeneous groups where commonalities are too easy to find.

Source & further reading

• A staple of team-building and onboarding programmes worldwide.
• Rooted in contact theory: finding shared identity reduces intergroup bias.