Communication
exercises include every activity we offer, but there are several
exercises, activities or games we have that put emphasis on
the value of good communication.
Communication
is an extremely large label that is attached to a great number
of problems in life. Many times you will hear we need to improve
the communication, top-down, between department, etc. However,
improving communication is very, very difficult to improve.
Why? Because
EVERYONE thinks they are good at communication..
It is
similar to bad drivers. Bad drivers are everywhere. However,
if you sat in a Saturday DMV classroom with people trying
to delete points off their record, none of them would admit
to being a bad driver.
The reality
is that at times, we are all bad drivers. And at times, we
are all bad communicators.
It takes
self awareness and an honest effort to improve to really have
an effect on communication.
Our communication
exercises are designed to help participants become more aware
of the importance of their own communication.
Get
It Together
The purpose of this exercise is to practice clear communication and develop
keys to trust during challenging and confusing times.
This
event will remind people in each position what the other role feels like
and lend insights to improving relations between the two.
A
glimpse into Get It Together
After
pairing up, one blindfolded person goes into a large circle to retrieve
certain items, with only their partners instructions as guidance. The
catch here is the partner must stay on the outside of the circle. Still
seems fairly simple until all the pairs are in the middle at the same
time.
This
activity is a step beyond our Trust Walk team building exercise and helps
participants experience the need for trust, the need for planning and
the difficulties of communicating while being both coach and coachee.
Spiraling conflict and a gathering
storm within the team but finally a strategic solution!
High pressure, stress, conflict and
divergent views that reflect the real life work place are simulated in
this well thought out and remarkable mind-bender game.
Every team member
is an important spoke in the wheel of an organization and wields a significant
influence on the group process. In this game, team members will find themselves pitted against
each others views. They must work through frustrations and differences
of opinion to solve this strategically challenging exercise.
A glimpse into Let Go My Ego:
Participants
will be asked to pick a partner and form two parallel lines with the partners
facing each other. A bar is placed along the index fingers of the team.
The team has to co-ordinate the movement of the bar based on the instructions
provided. A solution for this exercise is almost impossible!
While Let Go My Ego
is a 'team'- based activity, it also emphasizes the accountability of
each individual and their responsibility to communicate well.
Learning Maze A step into the unknown and a fascinating
peek into group processes !
Do you have wonderful
thinkers but do they buckle under pressure in unforeseen business situations?
Do mistakes get swept under the carpet and forgotten? Does your group
shy away from risks?
We have all heard
the adage “learning through our mistakes”. Teams can now experience it
through Learning Maze. Facing unforeseen situations is common in organization but it is important for a team to learn, grow and
move ahead from the experience. If you want your team to discover how,
then try out Learning Maze.
A glimpse into Learning Maze:
Teams
usually have a very good time as they balance their way through the stones.
As the name suggests the game literally involves stepping through an array
of stones in solving a problem.
The
planning processes that each of the teams go through in dealing with the
challenge can be fascinating for the facilitator. You will also gauge
the manner in which your teams deal with their mistakes and will be able
to identify the individuals who discover these mistakes within each team.
Ideal
For: Coaching, communication, group processes.
Perfect Square
The Perfect Square is an easy event that can be very powerful. A blindfolded
event represents many of the 'filters' we view the world through. With
blindfolds on, communication can be difficult.
Interdependence is
clear in this activity and group consensus can be difficult to reach,
but very important.
A glimpse into
Perfect Square:
Putting the group
in a circle, they all reach forward to grab a rope that is laid down in
front of them. After putting on their blindfolds, the group must form
a perfect square. Once the group feels they have formed the perfect square,
they take off the blindfolds to see how close they are. Seemingly easy,
this activity is challenging.
Ideal For:
Problem solving, trust, critical thinking, pure fun, communication.
Team
Shackles Overcome challenges by ‘unlocking’ the
compartments in the mind!
If people in your organization tend
to work in isolation or in ‘compartments’, if information sharing or seeking
a co-worker’s counsel is non-existent, then you need Team Shackles. Team
Shackles can bring about a paradigm shift in attitudes toward fellow workers.
The game demonstrates how the whole team can benefit if there is willingness
to seek and give help. It will also build confidence within the group
and disprove the notion that some things are impossible.
A glimpse into Team Shackles:
This exercise has a simple setup but
offers a great challenge. Within each team participants are ‘handcuffed’
to each other. The challenge is not only in each pair untangling the Shackles
but in the entire team getting disentangling within a given time limit.
In this game you will notice some stereo-typical
behavior among participants. Although the game requires the entire group
to untangle, pairs that have managed to un-cuff earlier than others will
usually not offer their help to other team members until time is running
out or sometimes not even then. It was not in the 'rules'!
The game attempts to correct this behavior
and develop a more supportive and helpful attitude among participants.
Another
important piece of communication, especially for managers,
is coaching. Coaching peers and employees is very often misunderstood.
We offer several team building activities centered around
coaching. Read more...
Bayer Healthcare Diabetes
Weyerhauser
Baxter Healthcare
Duke Energy
Foster Farms
U. of Vermont
Citigroup
ServiceMaster
BD
Codman, A J&J Co.
Roche Diagnostics
Aristocrat
"Thank
you so much for all your help! The group LOVED the exercise
and we want to do more.
In
fact, we just had our monthly team rally in which we
conducted a team opinion survey. One of the comments
that I received back was that they wanted more "games"
and exercises built in to our team rallies!
I
will definetly be using your resources again hopefully
in the near future.
