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The Name Game

The business school experience is quite the social experience. Especially at Kellogg, which has long been considered one of the most social MBA programs in the world.  From the second you step foot on campus, you constantly meet new classmates, take part in group and section activities, meet faculty members, and network not only with employers trying to find a job but also with alumni who you will see over and over again.  In the process, most of us have come to find that one of the hardest things to do is to actually remember everyone’s name. So at Kellogg, there is one thing the students do to help with the process. We play the “Name Game.”

At Kellogg, the name game is one important part of our culture.  And I suspect that just about everyone here has played it their fare share of times. They played it from the moment they stepped foot on campus as a first year. And they facilitated it for first years when they became second year students.

Here is how it works.  We have everyone line up in a circle. We pick someone to start the game by saying their name and then picking an adjective that starts with the same letter (e.g. example “Jumping Josh). In addition to that, you can also have the person say where they are from, give an interesting fact, or talk about which program they are in at Kellogg. That way, it’s not entirely about the name but also about getting to know people a little better.

Now, after the first person has gone, the next person is up. They have to say the last person’s name and adjective and then give their name and adjective. Next, you go to the next person who has to give the names of both people before them. Ultimately, you keep moving around the circle, and repeating everyone’s names and adjectives until the last person has to say the names and adjectives of everyone in the circle in order.  It’s not always easy to remember names but I’ve come to find that having the adjectives is pretty helpful.

The next question you probably have is when do we play?  Well, we do it on KWEST when we need to learn the names of our KWEST mates, which is important because we spend every minute of the day with them for a full week. We also do it in our sections to help us learn the names of our first classmates in MORS and in Strategy. And finally we do it in many of the clubs we join. Particularly the tight knit clubs, where its important to get to know each other personally rather than just professionally.

I mean just think about it. Over the course of your first few weeks at Kellogg, you are put into a new environment with over 600 complete strangers. And we all go to the same building every day. Take many of the same classes. Go to the same events. And recruit for the same activities.

Given my experience, the name game is a really good way to help break the ice and connect with classmates. In an environment filled with quick interactions and not enough to meet everyone, knowing people’s names is one great way to build rapport faster. Because in the end, the MBA experience is not just about the classes or the jobs but ultimately it’s about the people.

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