New job is making me stand in front of the entire department and say a 'fun fact' about myself - AIBU?

[thisisnotforme]

I started a new job recently, I've mainly been working remotely so have only met a handful of colleagues.

There is a big departmental in-person meeting next week, I am already dreading going to it because I'm really nervous to meet people in real life, even though I have been speaking to them on Teams I'm still nervous.

Today I got an email that they are going to use that meeting to introduce me to the team and they want to stand up in front of everyone and say a fun fact about myself.

I'm really shy and this is literally my worst nightmare.

[VerveClique]

Unless you’re on the production line of a factory you may be asked to do this from time to time. Don’t sweat it.

Hi, I’m Sarah. I once saw Gary Barlow in Heathrow Airport.

Hi, I’m Sarah. I like to eat jam and Philadelphia on toast together.

Hi I’m Sarah. One of my feet is a whole size bigger than the other.

Hi I’m Sarah. When I was a kid we had a hamster that escaped in my mum’s car and we never found it.

Hi I’m Sarah. I don’t like any form of donuts.

There… take your pick!!

[HalfCakeHalfBiscuit]

Hi, my name is HalfCake, my fun fact is that I was once arrested for stabbing someone in the eye with a pen for asking me for a fun fact. I was let off as it was considered to but extreme provocation

[Mynameismargot]

I wouldn't sweat it and just say something mundane like I have over 30 houseplants. It doesn't have to be deep.

[EvilRingahBitch]

I do feel that if this is literally your worst nightmare you need to watch more horror movies and get some better ones. I hear Squid Game is good. The Thing has a scene where someone's severed head grows legs and scuttles off to lurk in the shadows. The gas mask zombie children episode from Doctor Who is excellent.

Deep breath "I'm X and Jeremy Paxman once tutted at me because I was taking too long to make my mind up in a patisserie". Incredibly tangential claims to fame are always good, even if it's not to you it's to your mum/best mate/second cousin. The more tenuous the link the funnier it is.

[FoldedBlanket]

I worked somewhere that did that and was horribly nervous but it wasn't so bad in the end. I just said something quick and banal which I'd prepared beforehand.
I presume you'll be required to speak in meetings and make the odd presentation here and there so maybe good practice/warm up?

[CharityDingle]

Tell them that you met your hand twin in Las Vegas...

I hate that bullshit. I would just say I'm not much fun, the end. You have my sympathies, OP.

[EvilRingahBitch]

"Hi I'm X and frankly I can take or leave Marmite" is always a good one.

[thisisnotforme]

I'm glad you all can sympathise, I'm really surprised my work is making me do this to be honest. I already had to say some fun facts about me when I first started, I wasn't expecting to have to do it again...

I'm trying to think of some fun facts but sadly I'm very boring.
A famous actress did once nearly knock my drink out of my hand once, is that a 'fun' fact? Emphasis on the "nearly", though...

[EvilRingahBitch]

Yes that's perfect. The "nearly" is what makes it funny.

[Gonegrey31]

I hate this but have had to do it so many times that I say “ Hello, I’m GG, fun fact about me is that I was born in London but was actually
conceived in *” ( wherever you want). Shuts them up normally.
Good luck OP, don’t stress.

[EvilRingahBitch]

(That's "funny" by the amazingly low standards of corporate team building dos, obvs)

[AnnaMagnani]

I've done this a lot and no-one's fact is ever fun.

Most people will have a 'fun' fact related to their lovely children/pet/sports team.

If you are lucky there will be one person with a genuinely fun fact.

Everyone else will be so intimidated by this as their facts are rubbish that you will get a repetition of cat's names for the next 15 facts.

[SheilaWilcox]

@marly11

Give them one 'fun' fact and two 'fun' lies and tell them their fun will be they can work out the true fact. Then the challenge can be on them rather than you.

Like this.

Will give you something to talk about if you get cornered at lunch too.

[Staffy1]

Fun fact: The last person who asked me to give a fun fact is still missing.

[Tal45]

Being an introvert is not the same as being shy.

Never met a shy extrovert though.

I'd forget the 'fun' and just give them a fact about yourself that other people might relate to. '

[DdraigGoch]

Come on, own up. Mumsnet posters come from all walks of life so some of them must be the management types who set this bullshit. Do tell us why you inflict this upon your long-suffering subordinates.

[Dragongirl10]

Just say, ; Happy to talk about any professional information but beyond that l will sit out. Thank you.

[VerveClique]

It’s just something to talk about other than work.

It can be as revealing or not as you wish.

[Ididanamechange]

I'm an introvert and can't stand doing things like this. Unfortunately my work involves attending a lot of meetings where "fun" ice breakers are used to start them off. Things I've found to say over the years are:
If I had a superpower it would be...(I use this one a lot)
The craziest thing i ever did was...(bungee jump)
One day I would love to...zip wire through a Jungle, drive a race car, go on bake off, write a book, be an extra in a tv show or whatever thing you will probably never do but sounds interesting

[TSSDNCOP]

Being extroverted does not make you superior to introverts. If you perpetuate this crap you are just a bully.

Oh gosh. Being an extrovert doesn't make you a bully. As an extrovert I dislike these things too, but I see them as the silly ice breaker, get it over with and then crack on.

[ivykaty44]

I dropped soup all over Davina McColl

I was sat next to Paul McCartnety on a bus trip in Liverpool

Elton Johns mother was my grandmother char lady before Elton got famous

I wanted to be a trapeze artist and run away with the circus but Im allergic to elephants

[funfacts]

You could say you had to do it when you first joined and repeat the same fun fact? Or say you were fun back then but unfortunately the job has sapped all the fun out of you since then (in humour!)

I think making people laugh is a good thing but it depends on their senses of humour. When I got a really good, sought after graduate job I joined just after coming back from travelling in India and I said something like "I very nearly stayed in India" which made people laugh - I guess because it was such a sought after role so a bit cheeky and because my colleagues also mainly had work to live attitudes - but you probably had to be there!

[ivykaty44]

Being an introvert is not the same as being shy.

Never met a shy extrovert though

meet plenty of insecure extroverts through and a couple of very confident introverts

[DadDadDad]

@DdraigGoch

Come on, own up. Mumsnet posters come from all walks of life so some of them must be the management types who set this bullshit. Do tell us why you inflict this upon your long-suffering subordinates.

OK, I'll bite, @DdraigGoch. I wouldn't call myself one of those "management types" and I definitely have an allergy to corporate jargon and "team-building" activities. But I manage a team, and it's important that they get along and that a new member feels welcome.

So how do you break down the barriers? Certainly not by making anyone awkward, as seems to be happening here. But if I was @thisisnotforme 's manager and we were gathering in person for the first time, I'd want to find some gentle way to say, "everyone, this is X, who most of you won't have met. Do you want to introduce yourself, and tell us something about yourself, what you enjoy doing at the weekends / pets / children / where you grew up..." - I confess the expression "fun fact" might slip from my mouth but only as an umbrella for anything vaguely interesting that will help start a conversation. I certainly hope I'd read the signs if the new team member was uncomfortable, and I'd also be trying to get other team members to chip in, just to get people talking.

I'm a massive introvert but in the workplace I recognise we do need to build some kind of relationship with our colleagues, surely, if we are going to exercise trust, respect etc as a team.

[Rosscameasdoody]

Be like Phoebe from ‘Friends’. Tell them your friends are the most import thing in the world to you, that you never lie, and you bake the best raisin oatmeal cookies in the world/. And you carry the milk to go with them around with you in a flask.