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My Best Experience

  • Apr 9
  • 2 min read

Updated: Apr 14

Learning & Skills

  • Positive Thinking

  • Problem Solving

  • Decision Making


Time & Tools

Total Time: 45 minutes

Necessary Tools: Pencils or pens and blank paper

Optional Tools: Flip chart or writing board

Note: The room needs to be large enough so that partners or groups are not sitting directly

beside each other. A classroom setting is ideal.


Step 1

  1. Give everyone a pencil or pen and blank paper.

  2. Tell everyone they will be performing an exercise that involves reflecting on positive work experiences.

  3. Tell everyone to think of a positive work experience they had on a current or previous job.

  4. Tell everyone they will have 5 minutes to silently write down their experience (they do this as individuals).


Step 2

1. After 5 minutes, have everyone form groups of 3 or 4 people. Have the groups move

throughout the room so they are not too close to each other.

2. Tell everyone they have 15 minutes to share, with their group members, their positive work experiences. While sharing their experiences, they discuss the things that are similar and different.


Step 3

  1. After 15 minutes, have everyone face the person leading the exercise. Can have everyone return to their original location, if the room is large and it would be difficult to hear the exercise leader or others.

  2. Have a representative from each group summarize the experiences of their group

    members. During this summary, the representative talks about the things that were similar and different.


Step 4

Note: For this Step, if a flip chart or writing board is available, capture this information for

viewing by everyone.


  1. After all groups have shared their information, ask the following general “take away” question: What does this exercise say about our positive work experiences, individually and as a group?


Take Away Examples

Note: Below are some “take away” examples from the exercise. If the attendees do not

mention these, the exercise leader could mention them.


  1. We all have some positive experiences at work.

  2. Some people have similar positive work experiences.

  3. Some people have different positive work experiences.

  4. Various factors affect our positive work experiences (e.g., people we work with, bosses,

    physical location of the job, tools to do the job).

  5. Sometimes we focus so much on the negative things that happen at work, we forget that

    there are also positive things that happen at work.


Optional Additional Question

How could you use the ideas from this exercise in your personal life or your work life?

Adjustments to My Best Experience Exercise:


  1. Could change the Experiences topic to something different (e.g., experiences in training,

    experiences with a mentor).

  2. Change the Time or Grouping: The time for this exercise is based on 6 – 10 people. Make

    adjustments based on the number of attendees at your meeting. If number of attendees is smaller, you could have them work in pairs (2 people). If the number of attendees is larger, you could increase the size of the group members (e.g., 5 – 6 people).


Adapted from Sisters in the Brotherhood: www.carpenters.org/Sisters



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