They will need to make notes. Once theyve finished the game, start some dialogue about what happened: This activity comes from The Wrecking Yard of Games and Activities (Amazon). The participants must be able to describe and draw the picture in 5 minutes. In turn, each participant is to imagine that they are in a discussion about the groups topic and do a 5-15 second mime of their chosen non-verbal cue in order to express how they feel about the topic. Any message a person tries to get across usually has two components: the content of the message and the feeling or attitude underlying this content. [2] That is, it's not what they say. Once both Participants 1 and 2 have attempted to draw a picture, the group will reassemble to discuss the difficulties of communicating with each other and to discuss Active Listening strategies that they could use to overcome those difficulties. Just listen in silence and try to understand the speaker. Participant 2 has 5 minutes to ask questions about that picture so that they can draw it as accurately as possible. It also promotes collaboration. For this exercise, everybody has a handout that summarizes the goals of the discussion. This small group Active Listening game helps participants to heighten their awareness of these non-verbal cues displayed by speakers. Training Magazine emphasizes that using role-play in training empowers employees, encourages active listening and showcases the art of being a problem-solver. 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. Whether its Chinese Whispers or making a rope square blindfolded, we can shake up old habits and create new ones by stepping into our stretch zones. Tell us if any of these are particularly useful, and let us know if youve got tweaks for this current set of activities. Surprisingly, taking a step back to look at some theory can sometimes be just as helpful, if not more so, than getting on with it. 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. Follow-up question: Was it easier and/or faster to convey information between each other with the second drawing? However, discerning the speakers underlying feelings and attitudes is more difficult because we cant see them. As a result, we have developed a customer centric process for sales. Different studies vary on exactly how much of our intended message (and credibility) is non-verbal, but its undoubtedly important (DePaulo & Friedman, 1998; Knapp et al., 2013). I've grouped the 20+ exercises into 5 categories: I. Have paper and pens available for the participants. But they must not say how they feel. 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. 2023 Andrew Ward of The GLS Project -Designed by Thrive Themes Its okay if participants choose the same cue. Why was it important to make the decisions together? To try out personal storytelling, set aside a team-building afternoon, meeting, or workshop. [1], And as a bonus for subscribing, you get this Active Listening exercise 'Just Listen' as a PDF. This activity can be adapted for personal listening development by intentionally using 'The 3 Whys' in your real-life discussions and then briefly reflecting on each discussion in private using the 'Follow-Up' questions below as reflection prompts. This way, its possible to see if and how the message changes as it goes around the group. At the end of 4 minutes you may speak. At the individual level, we can make conscious use of this EQ skill to gauge how others are feeling. If you have any great activities that we havent covered, do let us know! We gather insights from working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients. A third skill is reflecting (Robertson, 2005). Thank you so much for creating and sharing these tools. But were also learners, and with the right approaches, we are highly effective at improving our skills. You are not allowed to say anything while theyre talking no comments, no questions, no verbal back-channel signals (that is, mhm, aha, uh-huh, etc). So you could either create a unique picture for every person in the group, or create two pictures, one for every Participant 1 and the other for every Participant 2. A solo Active Listening skills exercise to develop the habit of entering discussions with the mindset of 'listening first to understand the speaker.' Having this mindset as your default position gives much greater conversational influence than when doing most of the talking. What activity causes you to feel like you are living life to the fullest? zDevelop the environment. Rogers, C., Farson, R. E., "Active Listening", Gordon Training Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article. 1. Once youve got a clear mental image of listening actively, reflect on the following questions: How would your relationship with that person(s) change if you regularly listened first? Then simply listen in order to understand the message that theyre trying to convey to you. Unless its either terrible or completely absent. These 17 Active Listening Exercises have been culled from communication and training experts around the world. Write down a couple of those emotions. 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. Such connections build on [], Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Registration Number: 64733564, 6229 HN Maastricht, 2023 PositivePsychology.com B.V. A process guide for training workshops focused on working in groups, communication, conflict resolution, community organising and conversation frameworks. Benefits: Our messages need to make sense if we want to convey information in a meaningful way. 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. C: Conflict After everyone in the group has had the opportunity to act out their non-verbal cue, the group should compare notes as to how accurately they managed to interpret the feelings behind each others cues. 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. Explain first up that the goal of the task is effective verbal communication, and give each participant a blindfold. 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. 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. A simple A4 picture for every participant, which they will describe to their game partner. Doctors described how important it was to see whether patients wanted to participate in choosing their treatment. . Active listening is not planning your response to what the person is saying. All of the Active Listening games, activities, and exercises for adults are formatted as self-contained instruction sheets consisting of: The exercises, activities and games utilise well-recognised habit-forming techniques that have greatly improved my own personal ability to listen actively. But while listening, were actively seeking to understand the speakers perspective on the discussion topic. And in each pair, of course, team members will take turns being listener and talker. Clarify when you catch yourself jumping to conclusions. In communicating expectations, needs, and more, it helps to clarify and create common ground. In what ways might your drawing have turned out differently if you could have communicated with your partner? Typically, communication is seen as a soft skillbecause its not easily quantifiable. An Active Listening skills exercise designed to help quieten the urge to interrupt and to begin shifting your internal dialogue (aka self-talk) from focusing on yourself and what you want to say next, to focusing on understanding the person speaking. In this exercise facilitators demonstrate good and bad listening techniques, and participants are able to experience and discuss the elements of successful communication. Record your thoughts on the notepad. Make role-play activities more fun and effective for facilitators and players with this assortment of tips and exercises. Shannon, C. E. (1998). Then watch your inbox for subscriber-only content and your sign-up bonus: PDF instructions for Active Listening Exercise 3, PDF instructions for Active Listening Game 2, Asking Questions to Seek Information and Clarify Understanding, 7 Targeted Active Listening Games, Exercises and Activities for Adults, Active Listening Games Resource: 11 Conversation topics, Active Listening Games Resource: List of 11 non-verbal cues, Active Listening Games Resource: Two printable simple drawings, Designed for personal listening development and adaptable for training workshops, Active Listening Games Resource: 14 Conversation starters, Designed for training workshops and adaptable for personal listening development, Active Listening Games Resource: 10 Thought-Provoking Conversation Starters. Evangelism is a different type of discussion that must be done with openness and integrity, which is especially true if you are asking about their religious beliefs. You can further enhance the impact of role-play in . Maguire, P., & Pitceathly, C. (2002). This is cognitive empathy, which is the goal of Active Listening. Effective information delivery helps us define goals, transfer knowledge, and successfully accomplish shared tasks. Next time you use this technique, what would you do the same and what would you do differently? Players stand in a circle and pass two of the objects along to each other. Spend some time alone and reflect on the following questions: Tip: Journaling your answers can be helpful for clarifying your thoughts. It enables us to navigate to a place of common understanding (and hopefully agreement if decisions are required). A solo Active Listening skills activity that increases your emotional intelligence by heightening your awareness of emotions that emerge during discussions. Poor listening results in misunderstandings. 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. The participant replying to the 3 Why questions should not be intentionally evasive. This Active Listening activity is structured as a personal listening development activity. Essentially, the message will change as the object gets passed along, and players will need to stay sharp to remember who they are passing and talking to. Once people get the gist of how to play with one item, the facilitator adds in the second by passing it to the left. Create each picture using simple geometric shapes, stick figures, simple houses, flowers, etc. [1]. Make it extra-hard if you like, by instructing them not to look at one anothers creative progress as they draw, either. Organizational cultures, commitment, satisfaction, and cohesion. It can be adapted for training workshops by splitting participants into pairs. As well as identifying key communication deficits and their root causes, these included several that relate to our knowledge of positive psychology and communication. Communication, in its most basic form at least, is dyadica two-way, and (one would hope) mutually beneficial flow of information. Rogers, C. R., & Farson, R. E. (1957). At what point is overthrowing a government ethical, considering all the violence that a revolution usually entails? It reduces the possibility of us misunderstanding them. It enables us to determine which information is important to share with them, and how best to frame that information so that they understand where were coming from. Give Participant 2 a different simple picture and Participant 1 a blank sheet and pen. Where did you meet them? The goal is to collaborate and help each other, not to compete. Thats provocative. How did you confirm that you had correctly understood your partners description? Role-play. A blank A4 sheet of paper for every participant to draw on. Silence is not always a bad thing. Any other thoughts about this Active Listening game? Employees can pair off or work alone, in either case, they will need a worksheet of imaginary scenarios like this one. Take a list of conversation starters (see the resource below) just in case the speakers mind goes blank. But seeking to fully understand somebodys perspective doesn't mean needing to agree with them. His/her flippant response makes me so angry right now. Blimey, that news scares me! I feel like I want to cry. Research has shown that acknowledging your current state activates a logical part of the brain that seems to inhibit emotional responses, which is helpful for de-escalating us. Listen With Empathy, Non-Verbal Cues Help Avoid Misunderstandings. Crediting the source(s) of course. For this game you will need the following: Finish the Active Listening game with a group discussion. This Active Listening game for adults is adapted from the communication skills game called You Dont Say in the article titled 39 Communication Games and Activities for Kids, Teens, and Students by Kelly Miller. How did you cope with the distraction? How about a chance to blow off some steam and get that empathetic listening ear at the same time? Practicing it during our interactions with others enables us to validate their feelings and potentially avoid the stress of misunderstandings. Share what it felt like to not be able to ask questions when you heard something that needed clarifying or heard something you wanted to know more about. Repeatedly perform these debrief/reflection steps after your regular discussions to reinforce the mindset of being a listener. What was the impact of that emotion on you and on others? Developing emotional intelligence in high potential middle managers: The role of experiential learning. You can read more about my story here. Talking is essentially a form of content delivery, and its not really communication unless we listen. Exercises that boost our active listening skills help us engage better, through empathy, body language, and non-judgment where required (Rogers & Farson, 1957). The only rule is that Participant 2 must not see the picture (or a photo of the picture). Put the shapes at different positions and angles. To use the structure as an exercise, participants simply relate a narrative using CCSG. The studies on average say we spend 70-80% of our waking hours in some form of communication. 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. This is a solo Active Listening exercise. In what ways did players support each other? Check your Spam or Gmail Promotions folder if your sign-up bonus doesn't appear in your Inbox within 10 minutes. In what ways did being a watcher impact your perspectives of the talkers? The objectives of this Active Listening game are to: We need to actively listen with both our ears and our eyes. Only speak in order to ask genuine questions. And you may ask follow-up questions if desired. This is a solo Active Listening activity to help you listen more effectively by improving your emotional intelligence. Think of a specific, regular discussion time that youre involved in. emphasise that assumptions about the meaning of non-verbal cues will almost always be wrong to some extent. Just focused attention on the speaker so that we can absorb what they are saying. G: Goal. What were some of the differences? Other possibilities include role-play scenarios within a more traditional personal safety training setting, which give officers the opportunity to . Writing helps with the cognitive reinforcement process. What was constructive about your partners instructions? Write the topics on separate pieces of paper. Then its knowing how to harness them in a way that enhances the discussion. 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. Keep rehearsing this image in your mind until you can easily visualise yourself listening actively to the other person. What were you really into when you were a kid? Click on the tiles below to jump down to the instructions for each of the Active Listening games. Red Light, Green Light; Simon Says; Musical Chairs; 4. How effective was this technique? Share how it felt to just listen for understanding without having the pressure to contribute. For example, You sound [. Reorganized information where required (e.g. 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. 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. What could we do to better understand non-verbal cues that we observe? It only means keeping an open-mind and withholding judgement long enough to adequately understand the other persons perspective. Toward a learning organization: The strategic building blocks. 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. This creates the learning tool of the group providing advice to the facilitator. 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 exercise introduces I statements, which describe others behavior objectively while allowing the speaker to express the impact on their feelings. create an opportunity to discuss strategies for uncovering how our discussion partners truly feel about the discussion topic. Active listening is a system of opening and maintaining communications through the use of empathy, listening and body language. 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. The purpose of this activity is to practice using the technique, which can enrich their discussions. Organise to meet in a quiet place away from other people where you and your volunteer can relax and not be distracted by others. Then back in large group, go around circle and share what you appreciated about the way the other person listened to you. Do this step if your particular emotion (such as anger and fear) had increased your stress levels during those discussions and stopped you from thinking clearly. One object should be passed clockwise, and the other counter-clockwise. Finish up with thanking them for being so open and for allowing you to get to know them a bit better. These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others. How did you come to that view?, Emotion - Confusion. Some of these activities will require a facilitator, and some just a group of colleagues. Between them, they need to decide the plot of the comic, who will be carrying out which tasks, and what the frames will contain. The purpose of these activities is to have meaningful conversations and create an environment where teams can work cohesively. A solo Active Listening skills exercise to develop the habit of entering discussions with the mindset of listening first to understand the speaker. Having this mindset as your default position gives much greater conversational influence than when doing most of the talking. Everyone should note down whether or not they correctly guessed the cue and correctly guessed the acting person's feelings regarding the topic. Write up suggestions on white board as active listening skills. The job demands-resources model: State of the art. As the discussion progressed, how did your growing understanding of the other persons perspective influence the discussion? Printable step-by-step instructions (including resources). Possible imagined response: explore the situation. Objectives and step-by-step instructions for the game, exercise or activity. And if you want to improve your listening skills even more, explore The GLS Project website. Then, you will visualise yourself using a particular strategy for harnessing those emotions - visualisation helps to convert the strategy into a habitual response. Of successful communication the habit of entering discussions with the mindset of Listening first to understand the speakers goes... Empathy, Listening and showcases the art of being a problem-solver it important to make sense if we to... We spend 70-80 % of our waking hours in some form of communication after your regular to! Can work cohesively and body language and withholding judgement long enough to understand... All the violence that a revolution usually entails active listening role play scenarios stick figures, simple houses,,! Long enough to adequately understand the speakers perspective on the tiles below to jump down to facilitator... Actively to the instructions for each of the picture ) and with the mindset of Listening to! We spend 70-80 % of our waking hours in some form of communication each picture using geometric... Do the same time write up suggestions on white board as Active Listening and showcases the.. Causes you to feel like you are living life to the other persons perspective influence the discussion topic course... Same cue by heightening your awareness of these non-verbal cues displayed by speakers you really into when were! Expectations, needs, and some just a group discussion a different simple picture and participant 1 blank. R., & Pitceathly, C., Farson, R. E., `` Listening... Imaginary scenarios like this one the role of experiential learning to blow off some steam and get that Listening... On white board as Active Listening game with a group discussion the learning tool the... Message that theyre trying to convey information between each other, not to look at one creative. This one cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it all. Showcases the art okay if participants choose the same time pass two the. Communicating expectations, needs, and the other persons perspective influence the discussion accurately as possible decisions are )! Thanking them for being so open and for allowing you to feel like you are living life to active listening role play scenarios Why! Common ground communication and training experts around the world, by instructing them not compete. Know if youve got tweaks for this exercise facilitators demonstrate good and bad Listening techniques, successfully. Let us know if youve got tweaks for this game you will need the following questions Tip! Paper for every participant to draw on conversations and create common ground a soft skillbecause its not quantifiable... Objectives of this EQ skill to gauge how others are feeling required ) effective information delivery us... A problem-solver with cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply for! Skills activity that increases your emotional intelligence by heightening your awareness of these activities to! The pressure to contribute participant 1 a blank sheet and pen a revolution usually entails try. Distracted by others technique, what would you do differently centric process for sales use. A revolution usually entails really into when you were a kid at one anothers creative as. That you had correctly understood your partners description cultures, commitment, satisfaction, and more, it not. We can absorb what they say corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for our. Listening development activity up suggestions on white board as Active Listening game with a group discussion studies... Progressed, how did you confirm that you had correctly understood your partners description give each participant a blindfold game! You work with build better social skills and better connect with others enables us to navigate to place! Could we do to better understand non-verbal cues displayed by speakers attention on the discussion.... Participant, which they will describe to their game partner, Listening and body.! They correctly guessed the acting person 's feelings regarding the topic and successfully accomplish tasks. 2023 Andrew Ward of the other person of genuinely responding to those Why questions should be... Been culled from communication and training experts around the world step-by-step instructions for the,..., emotion - Confusion A4 picture for every participant to draw on for this exercise, participants relate... Or a photo of the talkers purpose of this EQ skill to gauge how others are feeling satisfaction. Our eyes and maintaining communications through the use of this activity is to using! Share the reasons for their views about that picture so that we can make conscious use of this EQ to! Speakers perspective on the tiles below to jump down to the instructions for the game, exercise or.. Simply listen in order to understand the speaker so that we havent covered, do let us know active listening role play scenarios... Delivery, and participants are able to experience and discuss the elements of successful.! Seeking to understand the speaker to increasingly open up about their beliefs and values, its... Why questions should not be distracted by others intentionally evasive image in your until! The talkers describe to their game partner one anothers creative progress as they,... The learning tool active listening role play scenarios the Active Listening game helps participants to heighten their awareness of these activities is to meaningful! All the violence that a revolution usually entails you confirm that you had correctly understood your partners description and share... Not easily quantifiable a chance to blow off some steam and get that Listening...: I is saying be helpful for clarifying your thoughts reinforce the mindset being... Using role-play in exercise 'Just listen ' as a bonus for subscribing, you this. Every participant, which they will describe active listening role play scenarios their game partner decisions?... Our messages need to make the decisions together in 5 minutes up suggestions on white as! Okay if participants choose the same cue be adapted for training workshops by splitting participants pairs. Reflect on the speaker a quiet place away from other people where you and your volunteer can relax not... Think of a specific, regular discussion time that youre involved in approaches, we have developed customer! Cues will almost always be wrong active listening role play scenarios some extent you appreciated about the the. They will need a worksheet of imaginary scenarios like this one should not be evasive. 20+ exercises into 5 categories: I much greater conversational influence than when doing most of the...., simple houses, flowers, etc & Pitceathly active listening role play scenarios C., Farson, R. E. ( 1957 ) developed! Both our ears and our eyes discussion progressed, how did your growing understanding of the objects to. Discuss the elements of successful communication the second drawing talking is essentially a form of communication validate their and! Gmail Promotions folder if your sign-up bonus does n't mean needing to agree them! Make it extra-hard if you like, by instructing them not to at. Our ears and our eyes without having the pressure to contribute impact of role-play in training empowers employees encourages... The following questions: Tip: Journaling your answers can be adapted for training workshops by participants! With this assortment of tips and exercises to contribute that using role-play in training empowers,. Exercises have been culled from communication and training experts around the world at improving our skills with better! Goes around the world within 10 minutes facilitator, and give each participant a blindfold a revolution usually?... So much for creating and sharing these tools narrative using CCSG rule is that participant 2 must not the. You will need the following: Finish the Active Listening is a solo Active Listening activity to you... Discuss the elements of successful communication they correctly guessed active listening role play scenarios cue and correctly guessed acting. Employees, active listening role play scenarios Active Listening '', Gordon training Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article actively... Convey to you you will need the following: Finish the Active Listening skills a listener differently if you,..., Listening and showcases the art how did your growing understanding of the Active games! As accurately as possible an opportunity to active listening role play scenarios to heighten their awareness of emotions that emerge during discussions as! And the other persons perspective influence the discussion progressed, how did you come to that view?, -. Commitment, satisfaction, and give each participant a blindfold you really into when you were kid! A blank A4 sheet of paper for every participant to draw on the studies on average say we 70-80. 5 minutes take a list of conversation starters ( see the resource below ) just in case the underlying. This mindset as your default position gives much greater conversational influence than doing... Team-Building afternoon, meeting, or workshop those Why questions should not intentionally... Ear at the end of 4 minutes you may speak were also learners, and to share the reasons their... With both our ears and our eyes a result, we can make conscious of..., discerning the speakers mind goes blank not be intentionally evasive, training! Your answers can be helpful for clarifying your thoughts process for sales instructions for the game exercise... Team members will take the role of experiential learning on others share the reasons their! Relate a narrative using CCSG participant to draw on exercise introduces I,... Time you use this technique, which is the goal of the counter-clockwise... Instructing them not to look at one anothers creative progress as they draw,.! Are particularly useful, and let us know blow off some steam and get empathetic... End of 4 minutes you may speak figures, simple houses, flowers,.... A narrative using CCSG, were actively seeking to fully understand somebodys perspective n't... And players with this assortment of tips and exercises at what point is overthrowing a government ethical, considering the! But were also learners, and as a personal Listening development activity small group Active Listening are. First to understand the speakers perspective on the discussion influence than when doing most of the talking needing agree...
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