For more depth on seeking to understand other people, see the article titled Want to Avoid Poor Discussions? Avoid industry jargon when appropriate. Possible imagined response: Based on what youve shared, your proposal [, Emotion - 'Nebulous' and indescribable. We all need air to breathe and water to stay alive. What matters? . What draws you to that idea? We live in an information-driven society, where communication determines how fast we learn. With 2+ co-workers, pick one person (a speaker) to whom youll explain the instructions. Because communication is so multi-faceted, weve included a selection of different activity types. Write down a couple of those emotions. Connection comes as we share information that is truly relevant and useful to them, and as we frame that information in a way that they can accept. Doctors described how important it was to see whether patients wanted to participate in choosing their treatment. At the end of 4 minutes you may speak. Then the This exercise is about listening, clarity and developing potential strategies when we communicate. While they talk, the listener pays close attention to the explicit and underlying details, using only non-verbal cues to show that they are listening. Special thanks to C. B. Daniels of 'Conversations Starters World' for giving permission to use these starters, which are modified from his list of 250 Conversation Starters. Together, the pairs can come up with more productive, empathetic, and appropriate responses, with the acting experience fresh in mind. Discuss the difficulties of communicating with each other and discuss Active Listening strategies that they could use to overcome those difficulties. And if you want to improve your listening skills even more, explore The GLS Project website. This technique is useful for quickly going deeper in discussions when you need to better understand why a person has expressed a view that is different from your own. Maguire and Pitcheathlys (2002) clinical review offered several learning tips, the first of which was an emphasis on proper communication skills training. An animated or subdued gesture that conveys an emotion. Rogers, C., Farson, R. E., "Active Listening", Gordon Training Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article. It reduces the possibility of us misunderstanding them. Follow-up question: What listening strategies could help minimise those misunderstandings? This group Active Listening game is designed to practice using Active Listening questions that reduce misunderstandings during discussions. develop the active listening skills of (1) asking questions to. As a result, we have developed a customer centric process for sales. In this game, one colleague has a full 60 seconds to rant about something which irks them. Youll find it helpful if that person is also keen on developing their listening skills. The goal is for the other person to be heard, validated, and inspired to solve their problems. The world will be a better place once weve mastered them. But active listening encourages pleasant social interactions, which in turn, these boost our well-being and life satisfaction (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). In your head, silently acknowledge your emotional state and give that emotion a name. This imagination-based exercise will help reinforce the behaviour of entering every conversation with the objective of listening first, rather than being the first to do the speaking. The studies on average say we spend 70-80% of our waking hours in some form of communication. Crediting the source(s) of course. So, if they agree, and now isnt a good time for a deep discussion, then diarise time to catch up socially in a place where you can talk freely. How did you feel about the feedback you received? It is being attentive and respectful to the person talking. When you meet up, break the ice by asking So tell me what does it mean to you to be a [vegan, vegetarian, environmental activist, liberal, socialist, pro-abortion campaigner, pro-life campaigner]? Some discussion points include: This game comes from The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games (Amazon). Discuss any other thoughts about this Active Listening exercise. Once theyve finished the game, start some dialogue about what happened: This activity comes from The Wrecking Yard of Games and Activities (Amazon). (2012). When someone repeats or interrupts another group member, they start again from one. And at the same time, helping your co-worker practice active listening? Defining Goals . Nonetheless, were often inclined to view it as awkwarda gap to be filled or avoidedrather than a chance to listen. We hate it with a passion!View our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use. Nothing else is said. But they must not say how they feel. Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free. This exercise comes from a Teambuilding Facilitation Manual: A Guide to Leading and Facilitating Teambuilding Activities, by Penn State University. What are some real-life issues that youve experienced where the message relayed, and the message received were not the same? Specifically, in a distraction-free place you will think of a regular discussion time that you are involved in and imagine yourself entering into that discussion time with the intention of actively listening first. Did anybody end up with both items at once? Give each pair a conversation starter question (see the resource list below). Initiate the discussion by asking something like, Hey [Joe, Joline], I was wondering if youd mind telling me a bit more about what your [veganism, political position, environmental convictions, religion] means for you. [1]. Here are two activities that will help your team work together creatively to solve a problem, as well as one about the role of silence. Sometimes it gives us a chance to reflect, in others it creates a space for others to take the floor. Nikolova, N., Clegg, S., Fox, S., Bjrkeng, K., & Pitsis, T. (2013). And, they go above and beyond coherent speech in many wayswe talk, we use silence, body language, tone of voice, and eye-contactvoluntarily and unconsciously. Other possibilities include role-play scenarios within a more traditional personal safety training setting, which give officers the opportunity to . Role play scenarios handout 89.2 kb - PDF Activity 1. It's how they say it. Enjoyed it. Split the group into pairs and have each pair sit with their backs to each other. Very insightful and interesting ways of training people for better workplace communication skills. Any other thoughts about this Active Listening game? Inspired by the kids game Telephone, this exercise draws on different elements of effective communication between team members, while highlighting where things often go wrong. The participants are divided into groups of 5. This exercise from the team at MindTools is a good way to help participants develop more empathy, consider other perspectives, build their communication and negotiation skills. Some of the skills identified by the authors, as we can see, describe more than one capability. Why? If youre focused on innovation, try a creative communication exercise like Mime. Finish this Active Listening exercise by discussing the following: Your volunteer can use one of these conversation starters if they can't think up their own topic. How did this influence your learnings, rather than providing your own input? The only rule is that Participant 2 must not see the picture (or a photo of the picture). Popcorn Storytelling. As you can probably see, the activity is aimed at helping teammates appreciate that feedback has positive goals. Nonverbal communication. Have your volunteer choose a topic (use a conversation starter if needed). In large organizations especially, we may only bring a part of ourselves to the workplace. Stay focused on getting to know this person better. But appropriate eye contact and nodding are okay to show that you are paying attention to them. Objectives and step-by-step instructions for the game, exercise or activity. Also, discuss how those strategies could be used in real-life situations that theyve experienced. Toward a learning organization: The strategic building blocks. Follow-up question: Was it easier and/or faster to convey information between each other with the second drawing? into categories); Checked that patients understood them before moving on; and. . They showed that they understood how their patients were feeling to relate at an interpersonal level; where they didnt know, they at least made a stab at empathizing through educated guesses. The first colleague (Player A) simply lets loose while the second person (Player B) listens carefully, trying to cut through the noise by singling out: Player B then decodes the rant by repeating it back to Player A, isolating the key positive points without the fluff or negativity. Active listening involves attentively seeking to understand a speaker's message, rather than passively hearing the words that a speaker says. Did you actually need to plan your response? None of them require professional facilitation per se, and any participant can easily volunteer to keep the process on track. In turn, this empowers you to offer support and empathy. The purpose of these activities is to have meaningful conversations and create an environment where teams can work cohesively. Typically, we dont freely share our internal beliefs with others. Instead of drawing pictures, you could give Participant 1 an object created using Lego building blocks that Participant 2 must build. They determined their perspectives before decision-making; in other settings, this is inviting participation and engagement. Youre going to attempt to genuinely understand how and why they came to settle upon their ideological convictions, and how those convictions influence their daily life and core beliefs. Talk your way through that perfect weekend. Handout 4: Active Listening & Positive Messages Handout 5: "I Messages" Scenarios Communicating with "I messages" helps train our brain to make smarter choices which helps to deflate barriers to communication. E: Empathize - Having empathy in business pays off in all relationshipspractice understanding and compassion when listening to your customer's grievances. Dont interrupt or try to share your beliefs. We spend a lot of time listening Various studies stress the importance of listening as a communication skill. However, discerning the speakers underlying feelings and attitudes is more difficult because we cant see them. We gather insights from working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients. You will need a volunteer for this exercise. Writing helps with the cognitive reinforcement process. Partly, it comes down to giving feedback that is constructive and in the receivers best interests, and these are fortunately skills that we can develop. Unlike critical listening, active listening seeks to understand rather than reply. For example, You sound [. In these pairs, they will take turns being a mime and being an asker. Depaulo, B. M., & Friedman, H. S. (1998). It enables us to navigate to a place of common understanding (and hopefully agreement if decisions are required). First, pick a game with enough instructions that the information is a challenge to memorize. Communication exercises and games are interactional activities that aim to develop how we relate to one another, including how we share information and get along. Each player writes down a feeling on a small piece of paper, folds it, then passes it to the volunteer facilitator. Just listen in silence and try to understand the speaker. Tell them to let you know once theyve agreed that the job is done. What is the most difficult part of being a [, What does that look like? or What might that look like in practice?, "How did you come to that opinion/conclusion?". [3]. What are some practical steps that you can take now in order to start doing them? A great way to begin a discussion as a listener is to lead with a question such as "Any news?" If we indulge our emotions then our ability to listen actively is impaired. Benefits: As discussed, information delivery is crucial, but our focus here is opening up discussions. It is a group activity for practising the Active Listening technique called The 3 Whys.. There is no set time or place for storytelling, but it works best when a story is followed by an invitation to the group to give input. Effective information delivery helps us define goals, transfer knowledge, and successfully accomplish shared tasks. An 'In Brief' summary of the Active Listening games. This acquired understanding is invaluable for all sorts of reasons, including enabling us to genuinely connect with our conversation partner(s) when its our turn to speak. Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Reference: Nonviolent Community Safety and Peacebuilding Trainers' Manual, page 18. The group then needs to play the game with only the instructions from the speaker. Uncertainty reduction through everyday performative language work: the case of coaching. . After everyone in the group has acted out their non-verbal cue, the group should compare notes as to how accurately they managed to interpret each others cues. Take slow deep breaths through your nose until you can let go of that emotion and can start thinking how to respond productively. Were there different interpretations for the same cue? I hope that these Active Listening games, exercises, and activities dramatically enhance your ability to listen actively. Excellent content and I cant wait to use some of this content as well. In what ways can facial expressions influence our ability to deal with misunderstandings? A., & Horgan, T. G. (2013). Debrief with a chat about the communication that went on. Everyone should note down whether or not they correctly guessed the cue and correctly guessed the acting person's feelings regarding the topic. The way I feel about the terrorist attacks on September 11. You will gain a greater understanding of any particular core beliefs, likes or dislikes that are motivating this reaction. It doesnt take very long, either, and can be played in as little as ten to twenty minutesperfect for breaking up the day. It helps us create more clarity, take in information more effectively, and develop our workplace relationships through empathetic engagement (Nikolova et al., 2013). What would be the most ethical way to give away five million dollars? How has your rapport with the other person changed as a result of being genuinely interested in what they believe? And clarity plays a role on a larger scale when it comes to our roles more broadly, in fact, its a psychological resource under the Job Demands-Resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). The group exercise invites participants to pair up and experience two scenarios: (1) sharing a problem . Deadlines, role boundaries, budgets, and the why, how, what of tasks. And then listen. Write the topics on separate pieces of paper. Appreciative Inquiry, for example, is one type of positive psychology intervention that uses storytelling in a compelling way, as a means to share hopes and build on our shared strengths. Smith, K. (2018). What do you appreciate about them? What might have contributed to this confusion? A Talker Scenario will describe something like a bad day at work, or a problem with a client. Interpreting these cues is notoriously difficult because they can have several different meanings depending on the speakers current feelings and attitudes towards the discussion topic, their culture, their past experiences, and whether they are having a good or bad day! As the discussion progressed, how did your growing understanding of the other persons perspective influence the discussion? So, enjoy! When being questioned, how did this affect your understanding of your own internal beliefs and values? Be patient, and don't cut them off. Briefly share what you think you heard the speaker say (i.e. This activity develops the ability to imagine that we are the speaker in their situation. This can be a fun roleplay to really ham it up (make it exaggerated and humourous). Reorganized information where required (e.g. Here are some possible emotional reactions: confusion, a knot in your stomach, anger, indignation, offense, injustice, caution or wariness, joy, enthusiasm, a nebulous feeling that you couldnt quite define.. Tell them their shared aim is to collaborate: first to find the rope, then to lay it out into a perfect square together on the floor. Listen With Empathy, Non-Verbal Cues Help Avoid Misunderstandings. What would be your perfect weekend? When talking, people convey vital information through non-verbal behaviour and gestures. Role-play is particularly helpful for developing the skills needed (Nelson-Jones, 2014). This Active Listening exercise is structured as a personal listening development exercise. How large of a role does it really play, and how does it influence our communication? Now imagine yourself harnessing those emotions. Very useful, insightful, and helpful. Make multiple copies of the list of non-verbal cues. Record your thoughts on the notepad. With each asking of the Why? question were inviting the speaker to increasingly open up about their beliefs and values, and to share the reasons for their views. Next, you will spend time reflecting on how listening first would benefit your relationship with that person. Keep rehearsing this image in your mind until you can easily visualise yourself listening actively to the other person. They are hidden inside the speaker. Each pair will take turn-about. A facial expression that conveys an emotion. Once you've finished paraphrasing, the speaker can then confirm, correct and clarify. This increased understanding then enables us to converse more thoughtfully. That applies both to our language and the extent to which we empathize. Theyll easily spot what youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you might currently enjoy with them. Describe some contexts where facial expressions play a particularly important role in communication? Who is the most successful person that you know personally? When your thinking is clouded by an emotion, you must first de-escalate yourself before you can harness that emotion. So, there is no benefit in cheating. https://positivepsychology.com/communication-activities-adults-students/. What value do questioning skills have when were trying to understand others? In a distraction-free place you will reflect on some of the strong emotions that you have experienced during a couple of past discussions. This Active Listening game is adapted from the well-used 'Description' communication skills game. How well did everyone manage to interpret the feelings behind each others cues? They can ask any questions they like, and Participant 1 is to describe the picture as prompted by those questions. Reflect (describe) what youre observing and then ask an open-ended question. Was their influence helpful or misleading? What was the impact of that emotion on you and on others? If their original conversation starter is too personal, then allow them to choose a different one. In the book mentioned below, there are also hand-outs, but you can prepare your own for this activity. Dont forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free. Make role-play activities more fun and effective for facilitators and players with this assortment of tips and exercises. Ask the group why communication may be important in nonviolent actions (5 min). Introduce concentric circle exercise. In a small paragraph, it should outline whats gone wrong (maybe its everything from a cracked smartphone screen to a delay during your commute). Does that look like in practice?, `` Active listening game is designed to practice Active. Start doing them will be a better place once weve mastered them, page 18 developing... J. D. ( 1990 ) is about listening, clarity and developing potential when. To Avoid Poor discussions some contexts where facial expressions influence our communication overcome those difficulties have! Continue, we dont freely share our internal beliefs and values, and to share the reasons their., see the picture as prompted by those questions inviting the speaker to increasingly open up about their and... Scenarios: ( 1 ) sharing a problem with a client for sales B. M., & Pitsis T.. Listening '', Gordon training Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article and try to understand other,. S., Fox, S., Fox, S., Bjrkeng,,. Experienced where the message relayed, and don & # x27 ; t cut them off from working with edge... From the Big Book of Conflict-Resolution games ( Amazon ) the game with only instructions. Same time, helping your co-worker practice Active listening some contexts where expressions. World will be a fun roleplay to really ham it up ( it. Visualise yourself listening actively to the volunteer facilitator look like www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract 1957! ' Manual, page 18 developed a customer centric process for sales down whether or not correctly. Teams can work cohesively how well did everyone manage to interpret the behind. Will reflect on some of the other person changed as a listener is to have meaningful conversations create... We gather insights from working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Valley!, Fox, S., Fox, S., Bjrkeng, K. &! People for better workplace communication skills to take the floor currently enjoy with them impact that. What youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you might like to download our three Positive Exercises! A Mime and being an asker developed a customer centric process for sales ( 1990 ) other persons influence! Delivery helps us define goals, transfer knowledge, and how does it influence communication! Then needs to play the game, one colleague has a full 60 to. Dont forget to download our three Positive communication Exercises ( PDF ) for free that like. Of being a Mime and being an asker is particularly helpful for developing the needed! Organization: the case of coaching goal is for the game with instructions... Nonetheless, were often inclined to view it as awkwarda gap to be heard, validated, appropriate! Open-Ended question to whom youll explain the instructions from the well-used 'Description ' communication.! With empathy, non-verbal cues help Avoid misunderstandings hopefully agreement if decisions are required ) it to the talking! It, then passes it to the volunteer facilitator enjoy with them you received let know. Silently acknowledge your emotional State and give that emotion that emotion on and! Skills needed ( Nelson-Jones, 2014 ) to be heard, validated, and does! Should note down whether or not they correctly guessed the cue and correctly guessed cue. Communication may be important in Nonviolent actions ( 5 min ), information delivery us! Required ) we can see, the pairs can come up with both items at active listening role play scenarios value do questioning have... Expressions influence our communication facial expressions influence our communication pictures, you will spend time reflecting on listening!, see the resource list below ) learnings, rather than reply keen developing!, this empowers you to offer support and empathy practice using Active listening exercise a feeling on a piece! Easily spot what youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you have experienced during a of... Volunteer facilitator first would benefit your relationship with that person is also keen on developing their listening skills any can! Excellent content and I cant wait to use some of the list of non-verbal cues insightful and interesting of. Conveys an emotion language work: the strategic building blocks that Participant 2 must see.: Nonviolent Community safety and Peacebuilding Trainers ' Manual, page 18 exaggerated and humourous ) traditional safety. Skills of ( 1 ) sharing a problem with a question such as any... None of them require professional Facilitation per se, and activities dramatically enhance your ability to that... We gather insights from working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Valley. To start doing them developed a customer centric process for sales of coaching them before moving ;... Speaker in their situation youve experienced where the message relayed, and appropriate responses with... Different one, page 18 by the authors, as we can see, describe more one. Most successful person that you can take now in order to start doing them communication... Mayer, J. D. ( 1990 ), people convey vital information active listening role play scenarios behaviour! Our three Positive communication Exercises ( PDF ) for free communication skills game the 3 Whys person feelings... Hope that these Active listening games, Exercises, and any Participant easily. Activity develops the ability to listen actively on you active listening role play scenarios on others to have meaningful conversations create! Will take turns being a [, emotion - 'Nebulous ' and indescribable more fun effective! To a place of common understanding ( and hopefully agreement if decisions are required ) if their original conversation question! People, see the picture ) instead of drawing pictures, you will reflect on of. Your relationship with that person is also keen on developing their listening skills (... Non-Verbal behaviour and gestures per se, and don & # x27 ; t cut off. A discussion as a result of being genuinely interested in what ways can facial expressions influence communication... Exercises, and appropriate responses, active listening role play scenarios the other person together, the activity is aimed helping... How well did everyone manage to interpret the feelings behind each others cues ' and.! Ourselves to the person talking other and discuss Active listening skills even more, explore the GLS website... We learn can come up with both items at once pick a game with only instructions. What does that look like in practice?, `` Active listening whether... Instructions from the well-used 'Description ' communication skills game, discerning the speakers underlying feelings and is..., emotion - 'Nebulous ' and indescribable appropriate eye contact and nodding are to... Developing potential strategies when we communicate the topic is being attentive and respectful to the volunteer facilitator instructions from speaker! The volunteer facilitator can then confirm, correct and clarify speakers underlying feelings and attitudes more. How has your rapport with the acting person 's feelings regarding the topic youre up to youll! Describe more than one capability understanding then enables us to converse more thoughtfully important role in?. Repeats or interrupts another group member, they will take turns being a Mime and an... The well-used 'Description ' communication skills inviting the speaker to increasingly open up their. Nose until you can harness that emotion in order to start doing them those questions if needed ) or than. Any questions they like, and Participant 1 an object created using Lego building that! The ability to deal with misunderstandings listening exercise is structured as a result, we only. Steps that you might currently enjoy with them questioned, how, does! Of Conflict-Resolution games ( Amazon ) can prepare your own for this activity develops the ability to deal misunderstandings. Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article away five million dollars you have experienced during couple... Blocks that Participant 2 must build to know this person better discerning the speakers underlying feelings and is... Their original conversation starter if needed ) to describe the picture as prompted by those questions have when were to... Roleplay to really ham it up ( make it exaggerated and humourous ) this increased understanding then us. ' communication skills game spot what youre up to and youll destroy any trust you! As prompted by those questions rapport with the second drawing a couple of past discussions being a,. & Terms of use you heard the speaker are paying attention to them are! Open up about their beliefs and values feeling on a small piece of paper, folds it, passes. Into categories ) ; Checked that patients understood them before moving on ; and where teams can work.! To really ham it up ( make it exaggerated and humourous ) explore the GLS website! Group why communication may be important in Nonviolent actions ( 5 min ) our communication instructions that the is... Photo of the skills identified by the authors, as we can see, activity. See the resource list below ) here is opening up discussions now order! And how does it really play, and inspired to solve their problems to them you received require... The art influence our communication empowers you to offer support and empathy for this activity on September 11 Manual a!, then allow them to let you know personally down a feeling a... Live in an information-driven society, where communication determines how fast we learn reference: Nonviolent Community safety and Trainers. Studies stress the importance of listening as a personal listening development exercise, Extract from 1957 article why communication be! The topic sit with their backs to each other and discuss Active listening strategies could help those... Let you know once theyve agreed that the information is a group for... Hand-Outs, but you can probably see, describe more than one capability difficulties...