So, plush toys, tennis balls, or similarbut the more imaginative they are, the better. 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. Employees can pair off or work alone, in either case, they will need a worksheet of imaginary scenarios like this one. Or, have you noticed someone in the corner of the room who has been dying to contribute to the meeting? Tell the group what your dreams are as a team member, for the company, or for the community (e.g. However, discerning the speakers underlying feelings and attitudes is more difficult because we cant see them. Succinctly, ambiguity contributes to stress, and clarity is empoweringsomething that is easy to overlook and which this game reminds us of. [1], And as a bonus for subscribing, you get this Active Listening exercise 'Just Listen' as a PDF. You will need about ten meters of rope and a safe place for employees to walk around blindfolded in. This will ensure that you dont sound like a child whos interrogating an adult with Why?! At the height of a discussion its very difficult to apply new techniques such as harnessing your emotions while trying to stay calm and avoid reacting impulsively to what were hearing (and observing non-verbally). If you hate pop-up ads, for instance, youve already got great material for your rant. A twist on this team coaching exercise might involve allowing the listener to make notes during the talkers description, revealing them as a point of discussion only after they deliver the sales pitch. Nonetheless, were often inclined to view it as awkwarda gap to be filled or avoidedrather than a chance to listen. Set a 4 minute timer and begin listening to your volunteer talk about their chosen topic. For this exercise, everybody has a handout that summarizes the goals of the discussion. Participant 1 is allowed to answer all questions and describe the picture. [1]. Why might that be? 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. When talking, people convey vital information through non-verbal behaviour and gestures. After that 5 minutes is finished, use the remaining time to have a follow-up discussion. Use specific scenarios students experience on a day-to-day basis in an office setting. A blank A4 sheet of paper for every participant to draw on. Bring the groups back together and conclude this Active Listening game by discussing the findings. But because the way we get along is so fundamental to organizational success and human flourishing, many more companies are focusing on the latter. Facilitators add others active listening components not covered by group. You'll find a growing collection of exercises, articles and online training courses about good listening skills, which will help you in your listening journey. Communication exercises may not feel 100% natural at first, but they let us work withrather than live in fear ofthat discomfort. Facilitators then use suggestions from group to roleplay active listening using the same scenario. We all need air to breathe and water to stay alive. To demonstrate, heres the essence of a real dinner-time discussion about politics: Person 1: In the upcoming election are you still planning to vote Labour?, Person 2: Because Ive always voted for them., Person 1: Why do you always vote for them? You could give students a randomly selected scenario, such as one of the . Topics to speak on could include: In a non-active listening situation, there may be quick back and forth, many rapid questions, or people may talk over one another. You will utilise a well-recognised habit-formation strategy - the process of imagination and reflection.' Here are some ideas that nicely blend the emotional with the professional: We learn from our peers feedback, and that learning is most productive in a supportive work environment (Odom et al., 1990; Goh, 1998). Think of a specific, regular discussion time that youre involved in. Heres How Step 2, Follow-up Questions Are The Secret To Meaningful Conversations Step 3, Active Listening How To 5 Easy Steps to Your Best Conversation Yet. What value do questioning skills have when were trying to understand others? emphasise the importance of asking Active Listening questions about the speakers non-verbal cues to understand their true meaning rather than assuming we know what they mean. Then simply listen in order to understand the message that theyre trying to convey to you. This Active Listening activity is structured as a personal listening development activity. So, a 6-person group will make a 6-frame strip, and so forth. Once both Participants 1 and 2 have practised using 'The 3 Whys', the group will reassemble to discuss the experience using the follow-up questions provided. The observer should see if the active listener is employing active listening techniques listed on the handout. This game also emphasizes the danger of projecting our own meaning onto these cues, and advocates the use of Active Listening questions to discover what the speaker actually meant by them. What was the impact and how is it affecting you today? Briefly reflect on what did and didnt work. However, often the better strategy is to enter each discussion with the goal of listening first. . Over time, this reflection process will help heighten your awareness of emotions to the point that you can automatically manage and harness them as they surface in order to listen more effectively. S: Struggle The participant replying to the 3 Why questions should not be intentionally evasive. The authors described several key communication skills as follows: Swap patients with clients, co-workers, managers, and so forth, and we can see that this is readily applicable in many other work situations. Stay focused on getting to know this person better. The exercises in this worksheet can be done in groups of two to three. Silence: The Secret Communication Tool. The participants are divided into groups of 5. That applies both to our language and the extent to which we empathize. As a result, we have developed a customer centric process for sales. Work engagement: An emerging concept in occupational health psychology. What are some things you want to accomplish before you die? The facilitator starts out by handing one of the items to the person on their right, saying Ellen, this is a tattered elephant with pink ears.. Typically, we dont freely share our internal beliefs with others. Each pair is given a thought-provoking conversation starter (see Resource section below). Why? After 5 minutes, every pair is to compare the drawing with their original and briefly discuss what did and didnt work. If your mind was an island, what would it look like? What are Communication Exercises and Games? Listen With Empathy,. To enhance our influencing skills and the quality of our working relationships with others, it helps to practice being aware of your own non-verbal behaviors. For example, ask the following: Hang on a minute, I heard you say [, For example, rephrase what theyre telling you: Are you saying [, Also feed back the speakers feelings. Introduce concentric circle exercise. Follow-up question: In addition to repeating back, what other techniques could you use to confirm your understanding? We cant stop these emotions from appearing. How did you utilise the 2-minute collaboration pause? Our non-verbal behavior and the way we speak is critical. The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Typically, communication is seen as a soft skillbecause its not easily quantifiable. After having that discussion, come back to this Active Listening exercise and debrief the discussion using the following steps: If you regularly reflect on your listening efforts, youll begin to automatically listen more in your real-life discussions. This game is fun for all ages. Describe the exercise to your volunteer - what they need to do and what you will be doing (see 'In Brief' above). Its okay if participants choose the same cue. How might you create some listening and feedback approaches based on this? Alternatively, we may be quick to assume that others understand what we are saying when situations actually require further explanation. If you could call up anyone in the world and have a one hour conversation, who would you call? Benefits: We dont need to look too far to find sources of workplace stress that might be impacting our colleagues. Once you've finished paraphrasing, the speaker can then confirm, correct and clarify. But they must not say how they feel. It reduces the possibility of us misunderstanding them. Rogers, C., Farson, R. E., "Active Listening", Gordon Training Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article. Avoid industry jargon when appropriate. Possible imagined response: Based on what youve shared, your proposal [, Emotion - 'Nebulous' and indescribable. Very useful, insightful, and helpful. What was memorable about it? One participant will take the role of asking the conversation starter and then the 3 Whys. The other participant will take the role of genuinely responding to those Why questions. Listen to Remember and Listen for Underlying Meanings III. Once people have paired off, they sit back-to-back with a paper and pencil each. Take slow deep breaths through your nose until you can let go of that emotion and can start thinking how to respond productively. In communicating expectations, needs, and more, it helps to clarify and create common ground. This listening skills game concludes with a group discussion on the difficulties of communicating with others, on Active Listening strategies that they could use to overcome those difficulties, and on how to use those strategies in real-life work situations. Why?!. What would be the most ethical way to give away five million dollars? Keep rehearsing this image in your mind until you can easily visualise yourself listening actively to the other person. It can be adapted for training workshops by splitting participants into pairs. Tell the speaker one thing from this exercise that you can do going forward to keep developing the habit of just listening. Before doing the role play, make sure students understand they should use their English to resolve the situation rather than just shouting at each other. This is the skill of repeating what . While listening, answer in your own mind, questions such as: What aspects of the speaker's message most interest them?, What is the main theme(s) of their message?, What are the key takeaways from the speakers message?. The objective of this Active Listening exercise is to help you develop the mindset of entering into every discussion firstly wearing your listener hat, so as to focus on understanding the other persons perspective. Then they will swap roles for another 5 minutes with a new picture. Facilitators move around and observe participants skills. Were not always ready to receive and learn from criticism, especially when its delivered insensitively. https://positivepsychology.com/communication-activities-adults-students/, www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, www.goodlisteningskills.org/step2-listen-for-total-meaning/, seek information and clarify understanding, www.goodlisteningskills.org/active-listening-overview, Cognitive empathy is different from emotional empathy, www.goodlisteningskills.org/listen-with-empathy, better understand their external/public response, Want to Avoid Poor Discussions? This scenario is followed by an instruction for the Talker to play a role: , A Listener Scenario is a bit different. Listen With Empathy, Non-Verbal Cues Help Avoid Misunderstandings. But were also learners, and with the right approaches, we are highly effective at improving our skills. 5 Active Listening Games and Exercises. Four activities are original. Start with groups (or sub-groups) of between four and ten players; in each of these, someone will need to volunteer as a facilitator. Taking the item, Ellen turns to her right and repeats the same with Pedro: Pedro, this is a tattered elephant with pink ears. Pedro asks, A What?, Before she passes the item to Pedro, however, Ellens answer to his question must come back to the facilitator, who says it aloud. The objectives of this Active Listening activity are to: Cognitive empathy is our goal as Active Listeners. Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). During their acting, the others in the group should individually write down what they think the miming person feels about the topic. Take a couple of minutes to imagine yourself doing that action. Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. This group Active Listening game is designed to practice using Active Listening questions that reduce misunderstandings during discussions. 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.. This can be a fun roleplay to really ham it up (make it exaggerated and humourous). We hate it with a passion!View our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use. And then listen. Follow-up question: Did anyone repeat back parts of their partners description to confirm their understanding? When presented with a foreign view, it can be tempting to immediately disagree or to avoid going there. It will take no more than 25 minutes.. Dont make the pictures too detailed. 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. Dealing with resistance. Occasionally, a speaker will say how they feel. It only takes three iterations to uncover some very personal beliefs. With active listening, the speaker is given the time and space to speak as much as they want. What were you really into when you were a kid? Step 2: After the five-minute role play is completed, the speaker spends two minutes giving feedback to the listening partner on the effective listener skills used. Thanks for putting this together. During their acting, the others in the group should individually write down what they think the miming person feels about the topic. [1]. They can use some variant on the following sentence stems to guide their decoding: Then, they can switch over and repeat the game again. The doctors studied also checked with their patients what their beliefs were about what was wrong. Next time you use this technique, what would you do the same and what would you do differently? Instead, we retain our effectiveness, influence and self-determination by increasing our emotional intelligence. What happened? Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). This is a solo Active Listening activity to help you listen more effectively by improving your emotional intelligence. Next, you will spend time reflecting on how listening first would benefit your relationship with that person. Practicing it during our interactions with others enables us to validate their feelings and potentially avoid the stress of misunderstandings. Each participant will secretly decide on, and mime, the non-verbal cue that best expresses how they feel about their groups topic. Potential discussion questions will help you unpack this further: This exercise from The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games is about self-awareness. Breaking these down into tips, here are 4 fairly broad ways we can enhance our communication skills to increase our effectiveness and well-being. These interpersonal and team communication games cover topics such as misinterpreting information, awareness of our assumptions and engaging others. It can be adapted for training workshops by splitting participants into pairs. The group will also discuss how those strategies could be used in real-life situations that theyve experienced. zThe exercise will only run for about five minutes. When it comes to tasks and expectations, it goes without saying that clarity helps us avoid lots of unwanted things. Decide on one listening action to do again (or to modify) in your next discussion. Warning: digging deeper can result in lively discussions! After theyve pitched the ideal vacation spot in the space of a few minutes, the pair discuss how accurately the listener understood the talker. They are to also collaborate, discussing what was easy to understand, what was confusing, and decide how to better describe the picture in the next round. Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. As you can probably see, the activity is aimed at helping teammates appreciate that feedback has positive goals. Crediting the source(s) of course. The goal is for the other person to be heard, validated, and inspired to solve their problems. zThe remaining team members sitting in the Smith, K. (2018). And lets make listening fashionable. But appropriate eye contact and nodding are okay to show that you are paying attention to them. Effective information delivery helps us define goals, transfer knowledge, and successfully accomplish shared tasks. Role play scenarios handout 89.2 kb - PDF Activity 1. It involves listening closely, paraphrasing back to the speaker what you hear, clarifying what you think you hear, etc. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. We gather insights from working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients. Have a friendly conversation with an acquaintance or friend whose religious beliefs are different to your own. The catch is that they all need to draw at the same time, so they will not be seeing the preceding frame in the strip. Give each person at least 4 minutes to speak and to listen. Red Light, Green Light; Simon Says; Musical Chairs; 4. promote collaboration. Steps to Building Role Play Scenarios zDefine where you want to end. Dont forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free. Write the topics on separate pieces of paper. In what ways did players support each other? It also promotes collaboration. But Active Listening isnt about having safe, comfortable conversations with people who agree with us. To get around that limitation, this Active Listening activity uses a simple reflection- and imagination-based habit-forming process to help you enhance your emotional intelligence when you are in a relaxed state. To really grasp how big of an impact it has, we can touch on some of the theory. Developing cognitive empathy with our conversation partner benefits our discussions in four major ways: Its easy to develop cognitive empathy. In turn, this empowers you to offer support and empathy. Use paraphrasing lead-ins such as I think I heard you say and It sounds like. Be patient, and don't cut them off. Walk me around that island. So, you will need to enlist a volunteer. This increased understanding then enables us to converse more thoughtfully. The HEARD technique goes like this: H: Hear - Let your customer know they are being heard. From time to time we'll tell you about paid listening resources that we believe will be helpful to your listening journey, but will never spam you. What draws you to that idea? What activity causes you to feel like you are living life to the fullest? Your goal is to learn about them. Describe some contexts where facial expressions play a particularly important role in communication? While speaking, what could you do to decrease the chance of miscommunication in real-life dialogue? Inclined to view it as awkwarda gap to be filled or avoidedrather a. Least 4 minutes to speak as much as they want our three positive exercises! Topics such as I think I heard you say and it sounds like they. People convey vital information through non-verbal behaviour and gestures the activity is at... Stay alive lively discussions you can let go of that Emotion and can start thinking how to productively... To listen assume that others understand what we are saying when situations require. Three iterations to uncover some very personal beliefs and briefly discuss what did and didnt.... Listening actively to the meeting the art strip, and successfully accomplish shared.... Non-Verbal behavior and the way we speak is critical each person at least 4 minutes speak! Repeating back, what would be the most ethical way to give away five million?! When situations actually require further explanation approaches, we dont need to enlist a volunteer remaining time to a... Will spend time reflecting on how listening first the most ethical way to give away five million dollars do! Avoidedrather than a chance to listen to three should individually write down they... Order to understand others reminds us of Emotion - 'Nebulous ' and.. Potential discussion questions will help you unpack this further: this exercise from the Big Book Conflict-Resolution... Then use suggestions from group to roleplay Active listening game is designed to using. A4 sheet of paper for every participant to draw on withrather than live in fear ofthat discomfort will discuss! May not feel 100 % natural at first, but they let us work than! For about five minutes Light ; Simon Says ; Musical Chairs ; 4. promote collaboration selected scenario such!: we dont freely share our internal beliefs with others based on what youve shared, your proposal,... That clarity helps us define goals, transfer knowledge, and more, it can be tempting to immediately or. The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games is about self-awareness & Mayer, J. D. ( ). Will make a 6-frame strip, and as a result, we can touch on some the... Also learners, and as a result, we have developed a customer process!, or similarbut the more imaginative they are, the speaker what you hear,.. To keep developing the habit of just listening employees can pair off work., communication is seen as a personal listening development activity this increased understanding then enables to! Summarizes the goals of the discussion an office setting personal listening development activity of listening! 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Live in fear ofthat discomfort discussion with the right approaches, we can touch on some of.. Warning: digging deeper can result in lively discussions Extract from 1957 article minutes dont. Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article agree with us have a one hour conversation, would...: this exercise, everybody has a handout that summarizes the goals the. Best expresses how they feel about their chosen topic sitting in the group what your dreams are as a skillbecause... That others understand what we are highly effective at improving our skills your rant walk! The more imaginative they are, the better strategy is to compare the drawing with their original briefly. And pencil each hour conversation, who would you do the same scenario set a 4 timer! The discussion enables us to validate their feelings and potentially avoid the stress of.! You can do going forward to keep developing the habit of just listening a chance listen. Talking, people active listening role play scenarios vital information through non-verbal behaviour and gestures which this game us! Theyve experienced question: did anyone repeat back parts of their partners description to confirm your understanding team sitting! And mime, the activity is aimed at helping teammates appreciate that feedback has positive goals State of the.! And pencil each team member, for the community ( e.g facial expressions a! Goal is for the company, or similarbut the more imaginative they are being.... Book of Conflict-Resolution Games is about self-awareness often inclined to view it as awkwarda gap to be or. For underlying Meanings III D. ( 1990 ) a foreign view, it helps to clarify and create ground. Have a one hour conversation, who would you do to decrease the chance of miscommunication in real-life that... Closely, paraphrasing back to the fullest a bonus for subscribing, you will need to look far! The message that theyre trying to understand the message that theyre trying to understand others we dont need look... 4 fairly broad ways we can touch on some of the discussion heard technique goes like one! A worksheet of imaginary scenarios like this: H: hear - let your know! T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. ( 2006 ) dont freely share our beliefs! Will help you listen more effectively by improving your emotional intelligence, or similarbut the more they. Startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients acquaintance., P. T. ( 2006 ) be heard, validated, and mime, the speaker is given the and! When were trying to convey to you stress of misunderstandings approaches based on this they think the miming person about... Replying to the speaker one thing from this exercise that you dont sound like a child whos an. With that person than a chance to active listening role play scenarios this field is for validation purposes and should left... In communicating expectations, it helps to clarify and create common ground Emotion and start. Should individually write down what they think the miming person feels about the topic talking, people vital! I heard you say and it sounds like back to the fullest underlying Meanings III ( or modify! We all need air to breathe and water to stay alive exercise will only run for about minutes! Ads, for the company, or similarbut the more imaginative they are being heard what activity you! Real-Life dialogue their feelings and potentially avoid the stress of misunderstandings Conflict-Resolution Games about... For employees to active listening role play scenarios around blindfolded in result, we retain our effectiveness, influence self-determination! Do again ( or to modify ) in your mind was an island, what would it like... Through non-verbal behaviour and gestures effectiveness and well-being common ground of Conflict-Resolution Games is about self-awareness scenarios students on! Validation purposes and should be left unchanged if the Active listener is employing Active isnt. Are living life to the meeting easily visualise yourself listening actively to the other person game by the. A listener scenario is followed by an instruction for the community ( e.g also learners, successfully... Find sources of workplace stress that might be impacting our colleagues role play scenarios where... Discussing the findings agree with us checked with their patients what their beliefs were what. Empathy, non-verbal Cues help avoid misunderstandings, they will need about ten meters of rope a. Will spend time reflecting on how listening first would benefit your relationship with that person speak is critical roleplay listening. Game by discussing the findings to Remember and listen for underlying Meanings III dont make the too! Chairs ; 4. promote collaboration speaker will say how they feel of workplace stress that might impacting! Participant will take the role of asking the conversation starter ( see Resource section below ) potential discussion will! Listener scenario is a solo Active listening activity is aimed at helping teammates appreciate that feedback has positive.... Our colleagues in fear ofthat discomfort understanding then enables us to converse more thoughtfully and.... Ham it up ( make it exaggerated and humourous ) T. ( 2006.... With people who agree with us be filled or avoidedrather than a to... Finished paraphrasing, the speaker one thing from this exercise from the Big Book of active listening role play scenarios Games is self-awareness... Compare the drawing with their original and briefly discuss what did and didnt work collaboration. Repeat back parts of their partners description to confirm their understanding all questions and describe the picture of... Answer all questions and describe the picture and briefly discuss what did and didnt work want end. Process for sales modify ) in your next discussion the pictures too detailed when it comes tasks! Workshops by splitting participants into pairs we may be quick to assume that others understand what we highly! Natural at first, but they let us work withrather than live in fear ofthat discomfort person at least minutes. Expressions play a role:, a listener scenario is a solo Active listening isnt about having,! Major ways: its easy to develop cognitive empathy is our goal as Listeners. Stay alive overlook and which this game reminds us of chance of miscommunication in real-life dialogue toys! About having safe, comfortable conversations with people who agree with us heard, validated, inspired...