Activity Book

Introduction

Nuts and bolts of Interactive Training

 Ten Energizers to wake up or relax a group

 Ten Questions to obtain participants’ expectations
 Ten Common Games
 Setting Ground Rules
 25 ways to engage participants

Ice breaker: getting to know each other

 Me myself, and I
 Similarities and differences
 Sweet stories
 Human billboard
 Card triangles
 Origami
 Shared values

Team Building

 Stand up and be counted

 Human scavenger Hunt
 Group resume
 Tied
 Rainbow of diversity
 What I like about me
How to run a successful activity:

Step 1. Before: Select an activity that’s good for your team.

The best activity can become the worst experience when there is no clear objective. Why spend the
time, effort, and money on an activity if you can’t identify the business reason or group benefit you
expect as a result? If all you want is to have some fun and kill some time, play a parlor game and enjoy.
But if you want to improve your team’s effectiveness, you need to select an activity that will give you
your desired results!

Start with a clear objective in mind. What, specifically, do you want your trainees to learn or
accomplish? Think about it. Your goal should be:

 Attainable by your group.

 Relevant and applicable to where they are as in their job roles right now.
 Something that will be reinforced long after this activity.

Match your goal to the activity in this book that will best help you get the results you want. If there is
more than one good match, do one activity now and another one at a later date.

A NOTE ON COMPETITION: Competition can be a good thing. It can excite, energize, and challenge
people to participate better. Do not assume that competition naturally brings out the best in everyone,
though. It can also deflate, discourage, and create unnecessary lingering conflict. As the final judge in
competitive activities, you risk becoming “the bad guy” as well. So only you can say how competitive you
want your activity to be. The most important thing is to be deliberate in your decision, so you can justify
it with a clear objective if necessary. Consider:

 The current level of competition within the participant group.

 The emotional health of the participants in dealing with defeat.
 How intimidating or intimidated the participants are.
 Your ability to diffuse real conflict among the team members.

Step 2. Before: Prepare for your team-building activity.

You want to make sure you are ready for everyone to have a great learning experience. Fifteen minutes
of planning and preparation ahead of time may not guarantee success, but it will certainly help you
prevent disaster. Your activity will be most effective if you go into it feeling competent and confident.

Read through the entire activity several times. Make sure you are clear on what is to happen and when,
why, and how. Visualize that activity happening successfully.

Obtain all necessary materials. Check the materials to make sure they will work well for the activity. For
example, see that the markers for any that have dried out, make sure there are no cards missing from
the deck, and so forth. Assume nothing! Always have a few extras on hand, just in case.
Practice what you are going to say when you start the activity with your team. The best way to do this
is to explain the activity to a friend or colleague. If he or she doesn’t understand you, figure out a way to
explain things more clearly until he or she does.

If the activity requires you to have a role (card dealer, judge, moderator, etc.), practice your
comments or actions. This will help you feel less nervous during the activity. It will also free your mind
to focus on more important things (the participants’ reactions, the participants’ learning, your own
observations, etc.) during the activity.

Set up the room. Make sure the tables, chairs, flipcharts, and/or other items are placed so that they
contribute to the activity’s success. A classroom style row of chairs is usually the least conducive to
interactive trainings. Better choices include a large circle, a “U” shape, or small table groups (several
individuals gathered around each table). Any specific setup information required for an activity is noted
within that activity. If the activity’s rules or steps are lengthy, write them ahead of time, and post them
on the wall so everyone can see them throughout the activity.

Anticipate potential problems. Visualize the activity with your participants, in your location. Ask
yourself what could go wrong. Take action to prevent those problems from occurring and/or plan the
corrective actions you can take if they do occur.

Step 3. During: Explain the activity to the team.

A 1-minute introduction can make all the difference in setting your participants up for success! People
engage better when they know why they are doing something. They also participate better when they
understand all the rules up front, and when they are clear on exactly what is expected of them.

Set the mood. Welcome the team with enthusiasm and optimism. Interactive training is fun! Convey this
right away. You don’t have to be a cheerleader; even a smile or a warm comment will let your
participants know they are in for a great time.

Explain what the activity is. Give a very brief overview of what you have planned, so the participants
can start getting interested and excited.

Explain why you are doing this particular activity. Share with the participants what you hope to
accomplish in the next few minutes. The more they see purpose to the activity, the more likely they will
participate and learn what you want them to learn. For a few of the activities in this book, however, you
would ruin their impact by sharing the objective up front. In those cases, tell them there is an objective
that will become clear to them in a few minutes. Make sure that objective is called out during the
Debrief (the discussion that is held immediately after the activity).

Explain the activity’s rules or steps. Don’t be afraid to read from this book, use notes, or even have
them posted on the wall. Speak slowly, and pause after each one. Remember, they haven’t had time to
read and reread the activity like you have. It’s usually easier to explain the activity all at once before
responding to any questions from the team.
Have the participants move through the activity’s steps as you explain them. For example, if the first
step of an activity is to divide the group into smaller teams, have them actually do that before you tell
them the next step.

A NOTE ON TEAM SIZE: Most activities will not be ruined if smaller groups are not exactly the same size.
If the correct size is critical, the odd participant or two could be assigned the role of “Observer.” The
Observer role is to quietly watch the others participate. During the Debrief, the Observer shares his or
her unique observations.

A NOTE ON PAIRING UP: When an activity requires the participants to pair up, use your own
participation to even things out. Participate if the number is odd; observe if it is even.

Distribute the materials after you’ve fully explained the activity. Otherwise, you risk people getting
distracted by them and missing key points. Distribute the materials before the explanation only if you
have found that the materials help people understand things better.

Step 4. During: Check for understanding before beginning.

People often hesitate to ask for help when they are confused. You can clarify misunderstandings with
patience and some simple review questions. You can keep competition from getting out of hand by
laying down a few ground rules, but they must be agreed upon up front.

Make sure your team understands the activity. Asking “Do you understand?” is the least effective way
to check this (who wants to answer “No” in front of the group?). “Do you have any questions?” is a little
better. “What questions do you have?” is even better. However, the best way to check their
understanding is to ask questions that force the team to review the steps or rules of the activity. For
example, “How many minutes do you have to complete this?” or “What happens if one of your balloons
pops?”

When the activity will result in one or more winners make sure everyone is clear on what criteria will
be used to determine who wins. Then, ask a review question such as “How exactly does someone win?”
If ties need to be broken, explain how that will be done.

Declare up front that you are the final judge on all disagreements about who wins. You don’t want the
team to argue about who won and lose sight of the real purpose of the activity.

When you are confident everyone understands the activity and is ready to go, ask one last time, “What
remaining questions do you have before we start?”

Step 5. During: Run the activity.

Letting the participants go through the activity, and possibly even fail, may be difficult for you to let
happen. Remember, the activity is a low-risk alternative to letting the participants learn from failures on
the job! People learn and retain better when they experience lessons, rather than when they just hear
them. Sit back, observe, and let your team experience.
Once they begin the activity, see that they are following the steps or rules. You want them to at least
get started down the path to success. Hold off on correction for just a moment, though. They may check
themselves. If not, gently bring them back to task.

Encourage and support them all. Especially thank anyone who goes first in an activity. Being first is a
scary situation for many. It takes courage to go first and risk embarrassment or failure.

Make yourself available to clarify steps or redirect the team. If appropriate, walk around quietly and
watch for opportunities to help the team succeed. Be careful not to do their task for them, though.

Throughout the activity, watch for things you will want to bring up later during the Debrief. It is OK to
jot down a note or two to remember.

If the activity is timed, watch the clock, and give a “time check” occasionally. For example, “Time
check: you have 2 minutes left.”

Don’t stop the activity unless it really runs amuck. Otherwise, let it run its course. There will be plenty
of opportunity to comment on lessons learned during the Debrief.

Step 6. During: Debrief the activity.

The Debrief is the most critical part of the activity. It is the time when effective questions will guide the
participants to link what they experienced in the activity with their behavior on the job. If this step is
skipped or glossed over, most of the impact of the activity will be lost in a matter of days. If you do the
Debrief well, the lessons learned during the activity will stay with the participants indefinitely.

Ask the questions outlined in this book immediately. For most questions, there is no right or wrong
answer. Allow all answers to be OK. Try not to evaluate or critique any answer; just nod and accept each
one as you listen to it. The questions for each activity should lead the team to the conclusions you want
them to reach without you having to spell it out for them.

It is fine to read the questions from this book or to use notes. Stop talking, silently read the question,
look back at the team, and then ask the question. The few seconds of silence while you read are less
noticeable and less offensive to the group than if you read the question aloud while looking at it. Also,
making eye contact while you ask the question is more likely to result in responses than if you do it the
other way.

Another way to ask the questions is to write them on index cards beforehand. Pass the index cards
out, and ask the participants to take turns reading the questions and soliciting responses.

Try not to call on anyone by name unless you have to. Be comfortable with the silence. Once you have
asked a question, stop talking and slowly count to 10 in your head. The silence may feel like an eternity
to you, but it feels just as long to the group. Eventually someone will answer! Remember, they have
never heard the question before, so it may take a few seconds to formulate a response.
Watch for heads nodding, smiles, and other indications that they agree with what is being said by
others. Not everyone has to respond to every question for the entire group to learn. If you see reactions
that suggest disagreement, ask, “Does anyone disagree?” or “What about an opposing view?” Call on
the one disagreeing only as a last resort.

Repeat or quickly summarize each response offered. If anyone gives an off-the-wall response or one
that is just plain wrong, ask the group how they feel about it rather than correcting someone. This
technique will keep it “safe” for all participants to continue answering questions without fear of a
reprimand from you.

Even if the activity did not go quite as well as planned, most participants probably learned something.
No matter what happened, you can always ask if the group has ever seen anything like this happen back
on the job. Ask what can be learned from this experience. The answers may include what can be
improved for future team-building activities!

Step 7. After: Reinforce the learning back on the job.

With your help, the activity can continue teaching the participants long after it is over. Reminding
participants of the activity and keeping the lessons learned alive will extend its impact. Keep your team
focused on behaviors that support the kind of team you are trying to build.

Display anything the team created for the activity back in the workplace. Each time they see that
sculpture, flipchart, or cardboard structure, they will be reminded of what they did, how it made them
feel, and what it taught them.

If any new terms or special words came up during the activity, use them frequently . Like the visual
items mentioned above, these words will prompt a recall of what happened and what they learned.

Refer to the activity and the lessons learned often when you are coaching, giving feedback, or
conducting staff meetings. Look for examples of people exhibiting good behavior related to the activity,
and call it out for them and others to see. If the activity was a huge success, you may want to repeat it
soon. Plan follow-up activities that will reinforce, emphasize, and build upon what was learned this time.

Watch for examples of how the participants used what was learned in the activity and got better
results. If you can quantify how their actions are benefiting the organization, call it out for them and
others as evidence of success.

Ask participants in your next staff meeting to share what impact the activity has had on them. If you
are in remote locations, use e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, and so forth to keep the learning alive .
Section 1: Nuts and bolts of Interactive Training
Ten Energizers to Wake Up or Relax a Group

There are many simple, short activities you can use to energize a tired group or to help a tense group
calm down. You can do any of the following at the beginning of a training session, after a break, or right
in the middle of the action.

1. Singing in a round. Section off participants and invite them to sing a familiar round such as “Row,
Row, Row Your Boat1.”
2. Slow breathing. Invite participants to take ten slow, cleansing breaths . . . inhaling deeply and then
exhaling. Then invite them to reverse the process . . . have them start by slowly exhaling and then
inhaling. Even though breathing is always a continuous cycle of inhaling and exhaling, consciously
trying to emphasize each part of the cycle can be quite exhilarating.
3. Yawning contest. See who can yawn the loudest or the longest.
4. Touch blue. Call out a color (such as blue) and have participants scurry to touch any object of that
color or person wearing it. Identify other things besides color, such as “something glass” or
“something round.” Or mention specific objects such as a watch, a book, sneakers, and so forth. Call
the next item as soon as everyone has touched the current one.
5. Do the hokey, pokey. You know, “Put your right [foot, arm, hip, etc.] in, put your right [foot, arm,
hip, etc.] out, put your right [foot, arm, hip, etc.] in and shake it all about. Do the hokey, pokey, and
turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.”
6. Titles. Give participants one minute to shout out the titles of as many films or books as they can. To
make it more challenging, create more specifics, such as Hitchcock films, books by John Grisham,
war films, management books, and so forth.
7. Paper airplanes. Give out sheets of paper and challenge participants to make a paper airplane that
goes the farthest or successfully hits a bull’s-eye you have drawn on a flip chart.
8. Mirroring. Pair up participants and have one of the pair (call that person the “leader”) do hand or
stretching motions while the other person (call that person the “follower”) simultaneously imitates
or “mirrors” the partner’s motions. Invite participants to switch roles and even switch partners.
9. Back rubs. Pair up participants and invite them to give each other back rubs. Or have participants
line up in a circle, turning in the same direction. Have each person give a back rub to the person in
front of him or her. Then have them turn in the opposite direction and give back rubs to the people
in front of them.
10. Human knot. Ask participants to form a circle and clasp hands with two other people opposite
them. Then ask them to unravel the tangle of hands and arms that has been created, without
releasing their hands. The activity ends when the original circle is intact.

1
Row row row your boat gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream
Ten Questions to obtain participants’ expectations

There are a variety of questions you can ask to find out the needs, expectations, and concerns of the
participants so that you can gear instruction appropriately. You can obtain answers through open
discussion, a go-around, response cards, fishbowls, polling, panels, games, and so on.

1. Why did you choose this class? Why did you come?

2. What questions about [subject matter of class] do you come with?

3. What advice, information, or skills do you want to get from this class?

4. What advice, information, or skills don’t you need or don’t you want?

5. What do you want to take away from this class? Name one thing.

6. What are your hopes for this class? What are your concerns?

7. Do the class objectives match your needs?

8. What knowledge or skills do you feel you “need” to have? What would be “nice” to have?

9. What are your expectations about this class?

10. What have you learned from previous classes on this topic?
Ten Methods for Obtaining Participation

Active training cannot occur without the involvement of participants. There are a variety of ways to
structure discussion and to obtain responses from participants during a session. Some methods are
especially suitable when time is limited or participation needs to be coaxed. You might also consider
combining these methods. For example, you might use subgroup discussion and then invite a
spokesperson from each subgroup to serve on a panel.

1. Open discussion. Address an unstructured question to the entire group. The straightforward quality
of open discussion is appealing. If you are worried that the discussion might be too lengthy, say
beforehand, “I’d like to ask four or five participants to share. . . .” To encourage participants to raise
their hands, ask, “How many of you have a response to my question?” Then call on one of the
people who raised their hands.
2. Response cards. Pass out index cards and request anonymous answers to your questions. Use
response cards to save time or to provide anonymity for personally threatening self-disclosures. The
need to state yourself concisely on a card is another advantage of this method.
3. Polling. Design a short survey that is filled out and tallied on the spot, or verbally poll participants.
Use polling to obtain data quickly and in a quantifiable form. If you use a written survey, try to
supply the results to participants as quickly as possible. If you use a verbal survey, ask for a show of
hands or invite participants to hold up answer cards.
4. Subgroup discussion. Form participants into subgroups of three or more to share and record
information. Use subgroup discussion when you have sufficient time to process questions and
issues. This is one of the key methods for obtaining everyone’s participation.
5. Partners. Form participants into pairs and instruct them to work on tasks or discuss key questions.
Use partners when you want to involve everybody but do not have enough time for small-group
discussion. A pair is a good group configuration for developing a supportive relationship and/or for
working on complex activities that would not lend themselves to large-group configurations.
6. Go-arounds. Ask each participant for a short response to a key question. Use go-arounds when you
want to obtain something quickly from each participant. Sentence stems (for example, “One thing
that makes a manager effective . . .”) are useful in conducting go-arounds. Invite participants to pass
when they wish. Avoid repetition, if you want, by asking each participant for a new contribution to
the process.
7. Panels. Invite a small number of participants to present their views in front of the entire class. An
informal panel can be created by asking for the views of a designated number of participants who
remain in their seats. Use panels when time permits to generate focused, serious responses to your
questions. Rotate panelists to increase participation.
8. Fishbowl. Ask a portion of the group to form a discussion circle and have the remaining participants
form a listening circle around them. Rotate new groups into the inner circle to continue the
discussion.
9. Games. Use an enjoyable activity or a quiz game to elicit participants’ ideas, knowledge, or skills.
Use games to stimulate energy and involvement. Games also help to make dramatic points that
participants seldom forget.
10. Calling on the next speaker. Ask participants to raise their hands when they want to share their
views and request that the present speaker call on the next speaker (rather than the instructor
performing this role). Use this method when you are sure there is a lot of interest in the discussion
or activity and you wish to promote participant interaction.
Common Games that Trainers Play

There are myriad structured activities with fun, playful elements that resemble games. Scores of books
written by ingenious trainers contain such specialized games. However, any number of common games
can be utilized in training sessions for use in illustrating ideas, obtaining information, practicing skills,
and reviewing what’s been taught. Here are ten examples:

1. Crossword puzzles. Construct a simple crossword puzzle. Create clues for the horizontal and vertical
items using definitions, categories, examples, opposites, fill-in-the-blanks and so forth.
2. Cards. Use the format of any card game, such as Poker, Go Fish, Solitaire, and Crazy Eights, to
engage participants. Participants can obtain desirable cards by giving correct answers, ideas, or
solutions to problems. Card games can also be used to classify things (lawful versus unlawful hiring
practices) or enumerate the order of things (the five steps of giving constructive feedback).
3. Anagrams. Have participants form a word or phrase by rearranging the letters of another word or
phrase (for example, trenur no estinmvent to return on investment).
4. Baseball. Create questions that are worth “singles,” “doubles, “triples,” and “home runs.” Have
teams create a lineup of participants. Consider the possibility of each team “pitching” its own
questions to the opposing team.
5. Scrabble. Invite participants to form words relating to your subject matter. You can have them
select letters from an actual Scrabble ® game or you can provide a word or phrase in which they must
use each of its letters to create a new word or phrase.
6. Pictionary. Create small groups and have one participant begin. The starting “picturist” selects a
word card from a deck of words (for example, key software concepts or functions) and has five
seconds to examine the word to be played. The timer is then turned and the picturist begins
sketching picture clues for the team. The picturist may not use verbal or physical communication to
teammates during the round. Sketching and guessing continue until the word is identified or time is
up.
7. Football. Create questions to obtain “first downs,” “field goals,” and “touchdowns” (with “extra
points”). The team on “defense” can select or devise the questions that the team on “offense” must
answer to make progress down the field and score points.
8. Dice. Roll one die to determine questions to be answered (graded in difficulty from 1 to 6) OR to
specify the quantity of ideas or answers a team must provide (six strategies to do web searches).
Roll two dice to determine how many spots a team can advance toward a goal after completing a
task or answering a question.
9. Darts. Create questions that have different point value. Invite participants to throw darts to obtain
the opportunity to answer these questions.
10. Bingo/Tic-Tac-Toe. Loads of possibilities here . . . from a name game in which a participant’s name is
selected from a hat to a quiz game in which answers are provided on a game sheet and participants
are given the opportunity to “cover” the answers by supplying the question they respond to.
Section 2: Ice breakers and Energizers
How to use Icebreakers for Maximum Effectiveness
When choosing your icebreaker, be conscious of your group dynamic. It is important that your activity
not make anyone feel uncomfortable. No one should be forced to reveal extremely personal information
or participate in a stressful environment. And of course, what’s personal to some may not be personal to
others.
In addition to encouraging interaction, you should try to tie your icebreaker into the topic to be
discussed. Are there any points of your presentations illustrated by the activity? If so, bring them out. If
not, you may want to consider choosing a different icebreaker. At the very least, “pre-call” any
unrelated icebreakers by stating that their sole purpose is to introduce participants to each other and
get the session moving along.
1: Story of My Life

Explain to participants that imagine they have just been given a contract to write their autobiography for
a major publishing company. Their agent is anxious to get to press. He has decided to help them get
started with a few probing questions.
Now ask participants to:

1. First, take a piece of flipchart paper and fold it in half and then in half again to form a book.
2. Choose the title of a popular song for the name of your book. Write that title on the front cover.
3. On the inside of the front cover (page two), list a table of contents.
o Name of the place where you were born
o Description of your first job
o Number of years you have been working for your company
4. On page three, draw a picture of your family.
5. On the back cover of the book, draw a picture of what you plan to do when you retire. Where will you
go? Who will you go with? Etc.

Materials Needed Paper Markers

Time Allow five to ten minutes for setup, and drawing. When all books are complete, have people tell
their story, using the book as a visual aid. Depending on the size of the group, you may want to debrief
in smaller groups. If possible, leave the books in a central location during your training to encourage
further introductions and discussions.

Variations
o Change the focus of the pages of the book. For instance, most exciting moment, favorite food, most
exciting vacation, etc. Be careful not to make any of the questions too personal. The idea is to open
people up, not shut them down.
2: ABC of Me:

You have been hired by the Creative Classroom Company to illustrate a poster to help children learn
their ABCs. By happy coincidence, you and your first name are the subject of the poster! Ask participants
to:

1. First, take a piece of flipchart paper and write your name vertically down the left side.
2. Next, choose a word that starts with each letter of your name. The word should describe something
about you. Write those words horizontally across the paper, using the letters of your name as the first
letter of each descriptive word.
3. After you have listed your words, draw an accompanying picture to illustrate each.
4. When you are finished, tape your poster to the wall.

Materials Needed
Paper , Markers , Tape

Time
Allow five to ten minutes for setup and drawing. When all posters are complete, have people introduce
themselves using their name drawing. Depending on the size of the group, you may want to debrief in
smaller groups. If possible, leave the drawings posted throughout your training session.

Variations
Narrow the focus of the words. For instance, all words must be adjectives, nouns, or verbs related to
work, related to foods you like, etc.
3: Tattoo

You have just arrived at Tony’s Tattoo Parlor for a tattoo. Tony is competing for “Tattoo King of the
Year,” a contest sponsored by Needle Knows magazine. Every design is a potential entry, and Tony wants
each of his tattoos to say something about the person wearing them. From you, he needs a little
inspiration and a design before he can start his work. Tony is excellent at lettering, animals, characters,
band logos, maps, etc.

1. On your piece of paper, you are to design a rough tattoo that reveals something about yourself, your
work, your hobbies, or your family, in order to help get Tony’s creative juices flowing.

2. You must also make a note about how big the tattoo should be and where you will have it applied.

Materials Needed

Paper, Tape, Markers

Time

Allow five to ten minutes for setup, drawing, and posting designs on the wall. Depending on the size of
the group, you may want to debrief in smaller groups. If possible, leave the designs posted throughout
your training to encourage further introductions and discussions.

Variations

o Narrow the scope of the tattoo design: what you do at work, an animal most like you, favorite song,
favorite band, adjective that best describes you, etc.

o Divide your group in two. For round one, assign one group the role of Tony and the other group the
role of the customer. Each customer must find a Tony and tell him about the design they would like and
why. Tony is to draw a design, asking questions as he or she goes. After the first set of designs is
complete, the groups reverse roles. To encourage additional interaction, ask the customers to “shop
around” and find another partner to work with. To debrief, let each Tony describe what he or she drew
and for whom.
4: Candy Confession:

You have just taken a job as a candy tester in the Candy Confessions factory. What makes this candy
different from other candy is that each flavor is associated with a fact about you. Your job is to select
and “test” four different candies from a bowl/box that will circulate among all testers.

1. Choose four candies from the bowl without looking. In a moment, a key code will be revealed,
indicating which truths you should tell.

2. Once the code has been revealed you may begin your confession.

Materials Needed

Basket of Candy Key Code (e.g. Kit Kats = Favorite Movie, Favorite Magazine, Favorite Song, or Favorite
Book, Krackle = Favorite Vacation Spot, Place You Would Like To Visit, Place You Would Least Like To
Visit, or Worst Vacation, Lollipop =Number of Years in Current Position, Where You Work, What You Do,
or Brief Description of First Job, Gum Drops = Something About Where You Live, Something About
Where You Grew Up, Something About Your Family, Something About Your Town/City, Kisses = Wildcard
[tell us anything])

Time Allow ten to 20 minutes for the entire process.

Variations

o Allow people to take as many candies as they like from the basket and reveal something random
about themselves for each candy they take.

o Use a ball of string. Allow each person to take as much as they like. For each inch, they must reveal
something about themselves. (Additional material: string, scissors, and ruler)
5: The magic Lamp:

You and your team have just found a lamp. You rub it, and surprise! A genie appears. The genie grants
you three wishes. You are allowed to make three changes at work. You may change yourself, your boss,
your job, the people around you, etc.

1. The facilitator will soon divide you into groups of three to five people and give your team a piece of
flipchart paper and a marker.

2. Once you have your materials, design your wish list for your genie. When you are finished, post it on
the wall.

Materials Needed

Flipchart Paper

Markers

Time

Allow five to ten minutes for setup, writing, and posting lists on the wall. Allow five minutes for
debriefing. If possible, leave the lists posted throughout your training to encourage further introductions
and discussions.
6: Me, Myself and, I

A story-telling activity that forces participants to communicate about anything except themselves.
Participants see how often their communication is centered on themselves.\

1. Have the participants pair up.

2. One partner begins by speaking for 3 minutes nonstop. He must continue talking, no pauses.

3. He may speak about any topic or several topics.

4. He may never use the word “I.”

5. The listening partner may not speak at all, not even to ask questions or say “uh-huh.”

6. After his 3 minutes, reverse roles, and repeat.

Material needed:

None

Time:

6-10 minutes

Variations:

➤ Add a get-to-know-you element by having them determine who is the first speaker and listener by
who is oldest, who lives furthest from your location, who has the next birthday, the cutest pet, is most
physically fit, and so forth.

➤ Extend the speaking time to 5 minutes to make it more difficult.

➤ Add competitiveness by allowing the listeners to gain two points for each time the speaker says “I” and
one point when they pause more than 5 seconds. Be prepared with small prizes for the winner(s).
During the Debrief, ask how the competitiveness impacted the activity.
7: Origami

This is an activity in which participants follow instructions to fold a sheet of paper while keeping their
eyes closed. Participants see how instructions can be interpreted differently, and thus how clear our
communications need to be.

1. Give each participant a sheet of paper.

2. Announce that you will give them instructions on how to fold their paper.

3. Have them close their eyes. They must keep their eyes closed, and they may not ask questions during
your instructions.

4. Give instructions to fold and rip their papers several times.

5. Have everyone open their eyes, unfold their papers and compare what they look like.

For Example

Fold your paper in half. Now, fold it in half again.Then, fold it in half one more time. Now, rip off the
right corner. Turn your paper over and rip off the upper corner.

Material needed:

Paper for each participant

Time:

6 minutes

Variations

 Invite participants to give the directions to the group. See if they can accomplish more
consistent results after your Debrief.
 Allow the participants to keep their eyes open, but make the folding more complex. Use origami
paper, and give the instructions for folding it into an origami shape.
8: Card triangle

This is a negotiation activity in which teams trade pieces of playing cards in hopes of finding complete
cards. In this activity participants learn to see others’ perspectives before they can influence and
persuade.

1. Divide the group into teams of three or four.

2. Give each team an envelope containing playing card triangles.
3. The teams have 3 minutes to examine and sort their pieces and plan their strategy for bartering.
4. Open the bartering. Everyone participates by bartering for the pieces their team needs. (They may
barter individually or as a team.)
5. Allow 8 minutes for bartering.
6. Count the teams’ completed cards, and announce the winning team.

Tips:

You must have at least three teams for this activity to work well. If necessary, have the teams consist of
two participants.

1. They can barter individually or as teams.

2. Give a 2-minute warning before play is to end.
3. Observe whether two or more teams might combine. Comment during the Debrief.

Material needed:

1. A deck of playing cards.

2. Cut each card in half diagonally, then in half diagonally again, so each card is now in four triangle
quarters.
3. Mix all the pieces well, and place an equal number of pieces in the same number of envelopes
as you will have teams.
4. Small prizes for the winners (optional).

Debrief Questions:

1. How willing were others to trade with you?

2. What negotiation tactics were most successful for you? (Seeing what they wanted and offering
that; Being aggressive; Being a nice guy, etc.)
3. How did your strategy change during play? Why?
4. What other skills did you have to draw on to be successful? (Listening, empathy, giving a
personal touch, creative problem solving, etc.)
5. In what work situations do we find ourselves negotiating for time, information, or resources?
6. What implication does this have for us back on the job?
9: A day in the life

This is an activity in which participants share with each other what their typical day looks like.
Participants learn new and interesting things about each other and connect with each other on a
personal level.

1. Have the participants pair up.

2. One partner recalls in detail what his typical workday is like.
3. When listening, his partner can say only, “Then what?” or “Ooh, tell me more about that!”
4. After 5 minutes, reverse roles and repeat for 5 more minutes.

Tips

1. Five minutes may seem long to some. They will be tempted to finish in a minute or two. That is
not enough time to share the detail the listener needs to get a good sense of what his partner’s
day is really like. Remember, the objective is not to give an overview and be finished; the
objective is to understand each other’s workload better.
2. If they struggle with describing a typical day (because it is never “typical”), have them describe
yesterday.
3. If you will not be participating, begin the activity by demonstrating how to do it. Share with the
4. group your typical day!
5. Give a 1-minute time check before the 5 minutes are up.