52 Connections: It's Like Speed Dating, but for Work Friends

Since publishing this post in 2021, 52 Connections has been played by thousands of participants at hundreds of companies. It has become ZogCulture's signature speed networking game. Learn more about in-person and virtual options.

Have you ever wondered how to make it less awkward to get to know your colleagues? Whether colleagues who have been acquainted for years but don't really have a tight bond or a class of new hires, there must be a way to make this process easier and more fun. Right? 

Abso-freaking-lutely! So we thought about it and created something fun, fast, and friendly. It's called 52 Connections. Trust us, you're going to want to grab our deck of cards and start playing.

If you break it down, the purpose of having company events is to bring your team closer together. To make them feel more connected and on a deeper level. To make it so that they genuinely want to work together. So they trust and understand each other. Strong relationships makes for a strong company culture.

That's why our events are built around personal connections. Every game we play or activity we lead is intended to strengthen relationships among coworkers.

We've gotten some amazing feedback about our latest connection exercise: 52 Connections.

Here's How 52 Connections Works

All the participants join—a virtual meeting or in the event space—and receive a quick primer on how things will go.

Then, we randomly pair-up partners for the first round of conversations, and assign them a card from our custom made deck of 52 connection prompts. After just a few minutes—enough time to answer, but not so much that things get stale—we rotate partners. And we rinse and repeat until the event is over. 

In essence, 52 Connections is like speed dating, but for work friends. And instead of awkwardly staring at someone, hoping to vibe with them, we provide a deck of fun, creative prompts to spark conversations and connection. It works virtually — in Zoom breakout rooms — or in-person. 

Perhaps the best thing about 52 Connections is that it's great for groups, no matter how long they've known each other.

Great For Groups Just Getting to Know Each Other

52 Connections is perfect when you're bringing on a group of new hires, as part of onboarding, or during an orientation for new interns. By starting with a personal connection activity, your new hires and team will have the chance to learn about each other, share common interests, and bond over your responses to our questions.

Learn who has siblings, where others have traveled, or what's on someone's bucket list. And, we give a short window before transitioning from room-to-room and prompt-to-prompt, which means these connections happen quickly and avoid long pauses. 52 Connections offers a rare chance for both a high quality AND quantity of interactions!

Great For Groups That Have Known Each Other A While

Uh-oh. You've known Jennifer from accounting for almost three years, saying hi in the halls, or responding pleasantly to emails she sends approving your expense report. But beyond that, you really have no idea about who she is or what she likes. So, beyond small talk, how the heck do you start that conversation several years into a working relationship?

Great news! 52 Connections can refresh the dialogue and give your team the chance to reignite some personal relationships that may have gone cold. It also creates the space to ask questions or dig deeper on a colleague's answer. Because there are no right or wrong answers. It's just about creating the opportunity for connection to happen.

If you want a can't lose event, 52 Connections pretty much guarantees real, authentic smiles from the whole team. No poker face needed!

Interested in bringing 52 Connections to your next company event? We'd love to help!