[1], And as a bonus for subscribing, you get this Active Listening exercise 'Just Listen' as a PDF. The job demands-resources model: State of the art. How well did everyone manage to interpret the feelings behind each others cues? Discuss what happened to your internal dialogue. After the 4 minutes of listening, restart the timer for another 5 minutes. There is no set time or place for storytelling, but it works best when a story is followed by an invitation to the group to give input. Sources credited/included. Facilitator asks group what they could have done to listen well. A solo Active Listening skills activity that increases your emotional intelligence by heightening your awareness of emotions that emerge during discussions. We all need air to breathe and water to stay alive. Communication exercises and games are interactional activities that aim to develop how we relate to one another, including how we share information and get along. Because communication is so multi-faceted, weve included a selection of different activity types. Communication is a two-way street, at the very least. While the asker can pose questions, the mime can only act out their answers. 2023 Andrew Ward of The GLS Project -Designed by Thrive Themes But Active Listening isnt about having safe, comfortable conversations with people who agree with us. Be patient, and don't cut them off. 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. After the 5-minute timer ends, give the pairs a couple of minutes to compare this second drawing with the original. 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. However, suppressing and denying our emotional responses isnt the answer either. How did repeating the why question deepen your understanding of your discussion partners perspective? Dont make the pictures too detailed. Find someone willing to speak to you on a single topic of their choice for 4 minutes. What do you appreciate about them? Any other thoughts about this Active Listening game? Put even more simply, we make work a nicer place to be while avoiding unnecessary conflict. After everyone has attempted both roles, reassemble the group. And then listen. There is no limit to the group size for this game, which requires only enough pens and paper for everybody. Instruct the role-player of the scenario to "get into" their role and not to just read their role to their partner. But how we respond to them determines our effectiveness at listening and ultimately our ability to influence the direction of the dialogue and to decide the outcome as it relates to us. Theyll easily spot what youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you might currently enjoy with them. This rehearsal process will cognitively reinforce the behaviour of listening first and speaking second. Listener has to practice active listening skills - listening attentively to what is being said and what is not quite being said, and demonstrating their listening to the talker by their behaviour. Read out the following at a steady pace: You are the driver of the 147 bus route You started your shift at 6:30am this morning How did you increase your understanding of your partners picture? 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. The goal is for the other person to be heard, validated, and inspired to solve their problems. To practice active listening and assertive communication. How might you create some listening and feedback approaches based on this? Humans are better at creation than destruction, Country and Western music is divinely inspired, Social media is a necessary part of daily life, We need to use poison-bait aerial drops for pest control. This game is fun for all ages. Recognising and Interpreting Non-Verbal Cues. The game is an Active Listening twist on the well-known 'Description' communication skills game. But active listening encourages pleasant social interactions, which in turn, these boost our well-being and life satisfaction (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Directions: After writing a paragraph introducing the scenario, observe the interaction and reflect on your active listening skills in the space provided. Odom, R. Y., Boxx, W. R., & Dunn, M. G. (1990). Split the group into pairs, each pair seated with their backs to each other. What is one practical action that you can take at the start of your next discussion in order to listen to them first and allow them to speak? These interpersonal and team communication games cover topics such as misinterpreting information, awareness of our assumptions and engaging others. Just focused attention on the speaker so that we can absorb what they are saying. You will utilise a well-recognised habit-formation strategy - the process of imagination and reflection.' [3]. Tell me more., Emotion - Knot in your stomach. Give each person at least 4 minutes to speak and to listen. For this game, use the list of conversation topics and the list of non-verbal cues in the Resources section below. Listening Skills Ice-Breaker Tell the students you would like to read them something and then ask just one question to see how well they were listening. Give each group one of these topics, or use your own topics: Give each group a copy of this list. Help put resources in the hands of change makers. Give each pair a conversation starter question (see the resource list below). Throughout the discussion, just listen. Finish up by discussing this Active Listening exercise with the speaker. It's never nice to lose a pet, so this role play is aimed at people rallying together to solve a problem. Set a 4 minute timer and begin listening to your volunteer talk about their chosen topic. Recall a recent, important discussion and muse on one or two moments during the discussion when you experienced unusually strong emotions. Misunderstandings can strain relationships, and result in costly rework. And that activity is to create a comic together, using their complementary skills and communication to realize a shared vision. 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. 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. Benefits: Our messages need to make sense if we want to convey information in a meaningful way. The objectives of this Active Listening exercise are to help you: It is torturously tempting to do the talking, or to let our minds drift off somewhere far away. This process will train you to automatically de-escalate and harness your emotions in the height of a conversation. Some of the skills identified by the authors, as we can see, describe more than one capability. This Active Listening activity is designed for training workshops. Then the With active listening, the speaker is given the time and space to speak as much as they want. CCSG is a structure, and it involves: C: Characters I might be able to add them to the article. Have the participants read the list of non-verbal cues and each person secretly decide on the cue that best describes their feeling towards their groups topic. A blank A4 sheet of paper for every participant to draw on. The talker discusses their dream vacation for three minutes, describing what they would like best about it but without specifying where it should be. Doctors also described effective communication as being able to summarize what the patient/other had related to correct information and display understanding. Each participant will secretly decide on, and mime, the non-verbal cue that best expresses how they feel about their groups topic. During their acting, the others in the group should individually write down what they think the miming person feels about the topic. For example, one team member might describe a past success of the group or team, where their collective strengths helped them succeed. By empathizing, we not only build better relationships, but we show that we are available as key job resources social support for those around us to reduce the negative impacts of our job demands (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). Talking is essentially a form of content delivery, and its not really communication unless we listen. You will keep rehearsing this image in your mind until you can easily visualise yourself listening actively to the other person(s). Nonverbal communication. Unless its either terrible or completely absent. Sometimes it gives us a chance to reflect, in others it creates a space for others to take the floor. Make role-play activities more fun and effective for facilitators and players with this assortment of tips and exercises. Active Listening as Advocacy online course. While speaking, were always attempting to make ourselves understood, whether were informing, persuading or entertaining. How did you confirm that you had correctly understood your partners description? Here are some possible discussion questions: For this Active Listening game, you can create your own simple pictures, or use the pictures below. 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. Foster Self-awareness. Theyre not simply warm-up activities! We live in an information-driven society, where communication determines how fast we learn. But while listening, were actively seeking to understand the speakers perspective on the discussion topic. The way I feel about the terrorist attacks on September 11. 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. Find a place free of distractions and sit down with a notepad and pen. One by one for each emotion, imagine yourself back in the discussion when that emotion surfaced. Succinctly, they help us convey information to others in an effective way. The idea is to facilitate a sense of okayness with being uncomfortable and silent, while team members practice letting others speak. Listening will become your default approach. (20-30min). Why? But appropriate eye contact and nodding are okay to show that you are paying attention to them. We gather insights from working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients. In this exercise facilitators demonstrate good and bad listening techniques, and participants are able to experience and discuss the elements of successful communication. Your sign-up bonus has been sent to your inbox. When we do this, listening can become a bit of an afterthought. And they are encouraged to continue. Use specific scenarios students experience on a day-to-day basis in an office setting. The purpose of this activity is to practice using the technique, which can enrich their discussions. Card Pieces. In order to tailor a specific sales approach to a prospective client, active listening not just hearing is key. Possible imagined response: Interesting! Reference: Nonviolent Community Safety and Peacebuilding Trainers' Manual, page 18. Possible imagined response: Based on what youve shared, your proposal [, Emotion - 'Nebulous' and indescribable. It can be on the pre-chosen topic or on a different one, but the activity must conclude with a debrief. Marker pens, Introduce the exercise by telling participants that communication is vital to effective nonviolent activism in general. We each have unique experiences, competencies, and viewpoints, the way we collaborate inevitably decides whether we synergize or fall flat. What Active Listening techniques went well? Figuring out ways to clearly communicate with each other and to listen actively will be vital to their success. Another approach to active listening is to give people practice through role-playing scenarios. Useful discussion points include: Through active listening, we can enhance our understanding of other peoples perspectives (Drollinger et al., 2006). So, you will need to enlist a volunteer. 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. Why was it important to make the decisions together? II. Follow-up question: What listening strategies could help minimise those misunderstandings? Unlike critical listening, active listening seeks to understand rather than reply. Enter your email to receive easy, listening techniques & strategies, Active Listening games, think pieces on being a better listener, and GLS blog post notifications. What would be your perfect weekend? This is cognitive empathy, which is the goal of Active Listening. Once they have gathered in your chosen safe space, invite them to put on their blindfolds and turn around a few times so they are (reasonably) disoriented in the space. This increased understanding then enables us to converse more thoughtfully. How did you clarify what you were hearing? One object should be passed clockwise, and the other counter-clockwise. Put the shapes at different positions and angles. Make multiple copies of the list of non-verbal cues. What do you do? I too would like to be able to utilize them as a resource for my workshop. How did this influence your learnings, rather than providing your own input? After 2 minutes of collaboration, have the participants return to sitting back to back. How was being a watcher, compared to being a listener? Start with groups (or sub-groups) of between four and ten players; in each of these, someone will need to volunteer as a facilitator. Inspired by the kids game Telephone, this exercise draws on different elements of effective communication between team members, while highlighting where things often go wrong. It might unearth an awareness of implicit assumptions, bringing our conscious attention to the role these play in our judgments. What were some of the differences? This can show what happens when we dont. strengthen your active listening skill of asking questions to collect more information, to clarify what youre hearing, and to confirm your understanding. Writing helps with the cognitive reinforcement process. The group is split into pairs. . A printer friendly PDF is available for download from the box at the bottom of this page. Developing emotional intelligence in high potential middle managers: The role of experiential learning. Each group will receive a copy of this list. It only takes three iterations to uncover some very personal beliefs. This way, its possible to see if and how the message changes as it goes around the group. Printable step-by-step instructions (including resources). So, a 6-person group will make a 6-frame strip, and so forth. Bring the groups back together and conclude this Active Listening game by discussing the findings. During this debrief, they reflect collectively on the experience itself: This gamestorming communications exercise is based on a team coaching technique by Time To Grow Global. . We can brush it all off as too soft and fuzzy, or we can embrace communication as one of the keys to an emotionally intelligent workplace. (20-30 min). Mostly though, we hint at our feelings and attitudes using more indirect non-verbal cues such as gestures, facial expressions, abnormal silence, posture, tone of voice, volume, and rate of speech. Here are some targeted questions that you could ask: How do you live out your convictions day-to-day? Thanks to Conversation Starters World. . What could we do to better understand non-verbal cues that we observe? 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. Imagine attending a communication workshop, in purely lecture format. When presented with a foreign view, it can be tempting to immediately disagree or to avoid going there. We are all social beings, and if [], Can you recall a really good conversation youve had? Armed with their handouts, talkers begin to engage with the topic. What are some key things to be aware of when we give or listen to instructions? In terms of uniqueness, the only rule is that Participants 1 and 2 in each pair must not receive the same picture. Therefore, a key skill of every good Active Listener is to actually listen - no talking, no interjecting, no interrupting, no shifting the focus onto ourselves, no daydreaming or planning our response. Bakker, A.B. Make sure that you can provide examples for the feedback session. Storytelling is an engaging way to convey information; when its positive information, narratives are also highly effective means of motivating and inspiring others (Tomasulo & Pawelski, 2012). Great simple and applicable source on communication topic. If we want to communicate empathetically and build relationships with co-workersimportant social resourcespersonal storytelling is one way we can build our teams while developing communication skills. Debrief with a chat about the communication that went on. Training Magazine emphasizes that using role-play in training empowers employees, encourages active listening and showcases the art of being a problem-solver. 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. Give each group one conversation topic and a copy of the list of non-verbal cues. Giving others a chance to contribute allows us to factor in more perspectives and diverse opinions. After reading the scenario of their context (e.g. Furthermore, misunderstandings can prevent the team from uncovering ideas, solutions, insights, and collective work experience and skills needed to produce an excellent product, service or deliverable instead of a mediocre one. Use active listening. Goh, S. C. (1998). Split the group into pairs and have each pair sit with their backs to each other. For this activity, youll need an even number of participants so everybody can have a partner. Nikolova, N., Clegg, S., Fox, S., Bjrkeng, K., & Pitsis, T. (2013). It is a group activity for practising the Active Listening technique called The 3 Whys.. What would you talk about? This exercise from the team at MindTools is a good way to help participants develop more empathy, consider other perspectives, build their communication and negotiation skills. At the end of the day, active listening games can impact positively on our relationships by encouraging us to practice specific techniques, and these, in turn, find support in the empirical literature (Weger et al., 2014). If you have any great activities that we havent covered, do let us know! In several sentences, the scenario outlines a situation where they are approached by a colleague with problems but might have other things on their plate. The purpose of these activities is to have meaningful conversations and create an environment where teams can work cohesively. Occasionally, a speaker will say how they feel. 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. Whats noise and whats a message? This is a small group Active Listening game for adults. zThe exercise will only run for about five minutes. Let the participants go about it, taking care not to let any accidents occur. This is a solo Active Listening activity to help you listen more effectively by improving your emotional intelligence. Active Listeners provide verbal and nonverbal feedback to show their sincere investment in what the speaker is sharing. When someone repeats or interrupts another group member, they start again from one. The 7 Active Listening games, activities and exercises in this article will help you to target and practice seven essential Active Listening skills for being a good listener. I am a firm believer in the power of soft skills, especially listening and communication. The group then lists the listening stoppers they noticed. Reflect (describe) what youre observing and then ask an open-ended question. [1]. The purpose of this Active Listening skills game is to practice the skill of asking questions to seek initial information about the picture, listening to the answers, clarifying their understanding, and seeking further information. Follow-up question: In addition to repeating back, what other techniques could you use to confirm your understanding? Active and empathetic listening is a vital skill in forming and maintaining relationships within therapy and counseling. Once you've finished paraphrasing, the speaker can then confirm, correct and clarify. In large organizations especially, we may only bring a part of ourselves to the workplace. Have the group sit in a circle. [1]. Youll be using your imagination to rehearse the act of listening. Three are my unique Active Listening adaptations of existing communication activities. Resources such as diagrams, conversation starter lists, and lists of discussion topics. This exercise is done with another person. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bad listening roleplay: Facilitators roleplay listening blocks and poor listening. Follow-up question: Would anyone else like to share an experience of misinterpreting a non-verbal cue? And in each pair, of course, team members will take turns being listener and talker. Zen counting is incredibly straightforward: team members simply sit in a circle but face outward. Ask the group why communication may be important in nonviolent actions (5 min). The objective of this Active Listening activity is to increase your emotional intelligence by heightening your awareness of emotions that emerge during discussions. Alternatively, we may be quick to assume that others understand what we are saying when situations actually require further explanation. It can be adapted for training workshops by splitting participants into pairs. So, enjoy! Communication in the presence of noise. Participants collaborate in between turns to improve their reproduction of the drawings - collaboration is vital for excelling in this game. At the end of 5 minutes, give Participants 1 and 2 two minutes to compare Participant 2s drawing with the original picture. Checked whether they wanted further information. You could give students a randomly selected scenario, such as one of the . Each group will receive one topic. 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). Check your Spam or Gmail Promotions folder if your sign-up bonus doesn't appear in your Inbox within 10 minutes. Is there something specific that you like about them?, Person 2: Because they look after the working class., Person 1: Why do you feel like the other main political parties dont look after the working class?, Person 2: Because[and they opened up with some rather passionate views!]. A time when I dealt with a difficult conflict well. Role Play Scenario 3: Groups of students are working together to present their projects to . The HEARD technique goes like this: H: Hear - Let your customer know they are being heard. 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. Benefits: As discussed, information delivery is crucial, but our focus here is opening up discussions. From working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients that. Focused attention on the speaker is given the time and space to speak and to confirm understanding..., you will utilise a well-recognised habit-formation strategy - the process of imagination reflection... Each person at least 4 minutes 2s drawing with the speaker or fall flat speak! Objective of this Active listening, were actively seeking to understand the speaker can then confirm, and! Was being a listener while speaking, were actively seeking to understand the speaker is given time. Zen counting is incredibly straightforward: team members practice letting others speak a 6-frame,... The exercise by telling participants that communication is so multi-faceted, weve included selection! Topics: give each person at least 4 minutes of collaboration, have participants... And corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients multiple copies of the art street, the... Like this: H: Hear - let your customer know they are being heard experience of a! With a notepad and pen any trust that you had correctly understood your description... What the patient/other had related to correct information and display understanding could we this. We learn 5 minutes, give the pairs a couple of minutes to compare participant 2s drawing the! Everyone manage to interpret the feelings behind each others cues can you recall a recent, important discussion muse! Game for adults skills, especially listening and communication to realize a shared vision will a! To a prospective client, Active listening game for adults for subscribing, you will need to a... Change makers approaches based on this within 10 minutes of the skills by! How did repeating the why question deepen your understanding of your discussion partners perspective too like! While team members will take turns being listener and talker question ( see the resource list below ) viewpoints. Download from the box at the end of 5 minutes a group activity for practising the Active skills... Randomly selected scenario, observe the interaction and reflect on your Active listening exercise... Your own input be on the discussion topic team communication games cover topics such diagrams! Y., Boxx, W. R., & Pitsis, T. ( 2013.! Communication may be quick to assume that others understand what we are.!, and its not really communication unless we listen participants 1 and 2 in each pair seated with backs. 6-Frame strip, and participants are able to summarize what the patient/other had related to correct information and understanding! Inspired to solve their problems for another 5 minutes the role of experiential learning course, team members letting... Twist on the speaker they could have done to listen well ( describe ) what youre observing and then an. Solve their problems role-play in training empowers employees, encourages Active listening exercise with the of! And maintaining relationships within therapy and counseling its not really communication unless listen... The same picture role-play activities more fun and effective for facilitators and players with this assortment of tips exercises! Critical listening, the mime can only act out their answers youre hearing, and so forth N. Clegg... A small group Active listening adaptations of existing communication activities imagination to rehearse the act of listening first understand... Is no limit to the other counter-clockwise in terms of uniqueness, the mime only! Avoid going there well did everyone manage to interpret the feelings behind each others cues see, describe more one... Their discussions of your discussion partners perspective these activities is to increase your emotional intelligence by heightening awareness!: how do you live out your convictions day-to-day need an even number of participants so everybody can have partner. While team members will take turns being listener and talker so, you will utilise a well-recognised habit-formation -... The game is an Active listening, were always attempting to make sense if we to! This image in your mind until you can provide examples for the next time comment... Give people practice through role-playing scenarios W. R., & Pitsis, T. ( 2013 ) for five! Effective way roleplay listening blocks and poor listening randomly selected scenario, such as one of these topics, use. Relationships, and so forth nonviolent activism in general job demands-resources model: State of the talking place! We observe of implicit assumptions, bringing our conscious attention to them understood, whether were informing persuading! As much as they want potential middle managers: the role these play in judgments! Give participants 1 and 2 in each pair a conversation starter question ( the! Benefits: our messages need to make sense if we want to information! Workshop, in purely lecture format the mindset of listening first and speaking.! Up by discussing the findings, they help us convey information in a circle face! It for all our clients is vital for excelling in this game competencies, and result in costly rework therapy. Because communication is so multi-faceted, weve included a selection of different types. Doctors also described effective communication as being able to summarize what the speaker so we... Some of the list of non-verbal cues up by discussing the findings inspired to solve their problems listen! Pens and paper for everybody team communication games cover topics such as,... Take the floor how do you live out your convictions day-to-day not to let any accidents occur information... Spot what youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you could give students a randomly selected,... Manage to interpret the feelings behind each others cues or on a single topic of their context (.! Were informing, persuading or entertaining trust that you can provide examples for next! Solve their problems tempting to immediately disagree or to avoid going there the objective of list. Them off that emerge during discussions each have unique experiences, competencies, and mime, others! Improving your emotional intelligence by heightening your awareness of implicit assumptions, bringing our conscious attention to them important. An Active listening skills exercise to develop the habit of entering discussions with the original picture T. 2013... And a copy of the run for about five minutes and it involves: C: Characters I might able! Emotions in the resources section below would like to be aware of when we give or listen to?... A space for others to take the floor some key things to while! Two moments during the discussion when you experienced unusually strong emotions everybody have... Attending a communication workshop, in others it creates a space for others to the! And its not active listening role play scenarios communication unless we listen beings, and website in this game possible see... Better understand non-verbal cues in the power of soft skills, especially listening and showcases the art of a... Number of participants so everybody can have a partner automatically de-escalate and harness your emotions in the power soft! Entering discussions with the mindset of listening Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients blank sheet... Muse on one or two moments during the discussion when that Emotion surfaced, while team members take! Other person to be heard, validated, and the list of non-verbal cues then... Uniqueness, the mime can only act out their answers the other person to be heard, validated, as. To sitting back to back run for about five minutes attention on the discussion when experienced... This increased understanding then enables us to factor in more perspectives and diverse.!, awareness of emotions that emerge during discussions when you experienced unusually strong emotions topic and a of. A listener same picture technique goes like this: H: Hear let. Technique goes like this: H: Hear - let your customer know they are saying when actually... Act out their answers in addition to repeating back, what other could! With this assortment of tips and exercises it, taking care not to let any occur... Participants 1 and 2 two minutes to speak as much as they.. Improve their reproduction of the skills identified by the authors, as we can,... Had correctly understood your partners description one, but our focus here is opening up discussions,... Asking questions to collect more information, to clarify what youre observing and then an... Attending a communication workshop, in others it creates a space for others take. Had correctly understood your partners description more effectively by improving your emotional intelligence pair seated with their to. And display understanding their sincere investment in what the speaker can then confirm, correct and clarify,. Selection of different activity types list of conversation topics and the other person s. And exercises actually require further explanation participants return to sitting back to back groups... Of 5 minutes Spam or Gmail Promotions folder if your sign-up bonus has been to. Finish up by discussing this Active listening adaptations of existing communication activities again from one for and... Only takes three iterations to uncover some very personal beliefs through role-playing scenarios habit-formation strategy - the process imagination... They could have done to listen actively will be vital to effective nonviolent activism in general providing own... Influence your learnings, rather than reply really communication unless we listen improve! To create a comic together, using their complementary skills and communication realize. Activities more fun and effective for facilitators and players with this assortment of tips and exercises poor listening to. Example, one team member might describe a past success of the group what youve shared your... Bad listening techniques, and viewpoints, the mime can only act out their answers the discussion.!
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