32 Featured Disruptor watched people madly make notes so they won’t mess up their introductions. It’s the same as when teachers ask the students to read a paragraph aloud. The kids who are anxious or struggle with reading will count the number of students ahead of them, determine which paragraph is theirs, and then obsessively read over it until it is their turn. They missed the rest of the text because they were too concerned with their part. It was more important to them to avoid stuttering or mispronouncing a word. I wanted our introductions to be a safe place for the introverts, a stage for the extroverts, and a creative and fun bonding experience for everyone. To do that, I allowed the riders to self-select where they wanted to be seated on the bus. People are picky about where they sit on a bus: front, back, middle, window, aisle, proximity to air vents and TV screens, and other factors. To make them feel at ease, it was best to allow them to make that decision. Then, I grouped them by three or four people seated nearby and gave them matching wristbands. The next step was to explain to the entire bus that we were purposely avoiding those lame group introductions, which seemed to relieve most of the participants. There was a lot of nodding, smiles, and sighs of relief. They were instructed to introduce themselves to their team members only and elect a spokesperson to introduce their group to the entire bus later. This meant that only one brave person needed to go up to the microphone, and on the off chance that the group was comprised of all introverts, they would offer up a lot of moral support to the unfortunate soul who had to speak on their behalf. It takes the pressure off, knowing people are in your corner. Then I hit them with the surprise activity. They were to create their team name, a silly association name, complete with its mission and nicknames for their members. I provided the groups with five bags filled with funny nouns and verbs, which they drew from randomly. Then they huddled up and giggled as they worked through the possibilities using words like pipsqueak, lumberjack, and bamboozle. For instance, The Association of Professional Couch Potatoes (APCP): Promoting laziness and championing the rights of those who prefer binge-watching over physical activity. Member Nickname(s): Docu-Spuds, Sci-Fries, and Reality Taters. I added a competitive component to it by awarding points for the best answers, which we tracked using stickers I designed with funny sayings like “Do Not Steam Fish in the Coffee Pot” or “Do Not Pee in This.” The results were hilarious and created many inside jokes, which they shared long after the ride. You’ve got a talent for keeping people entertained and engaged—what challenges did you foresee in keeping energy levels up throughout a long bus ride, and how did you tackle them? I have ADHD, and I am clinically chronically bored all the time. Six-plus hours is a long time to be in a confined space! I didn’t want anyone to feel trapped or bored. I started thinking about what would hold my attention for six hours. I thought about the different personality types and how they could feel sitting there at a loss for something to talk about or wanting alone time to be in their heads, answer emails, or simply look out the window and enjoy the scenery. There was also a chance they could sit next to someone they didn’t mesh with, so I thought it was essential to move people throughout the trip in what I called the “Seat Shuffle Social.” I provided conversation cards from the “Convention” version of The Very Interesting Game I invented. Each card was branded with the Big Red M logo [the Road Trip Pioneer Sponsor] and gave the riders another souvenir they could use to help build stronger connections at other networking events.
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