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Information Gathering
Icebreakers / Short Exercises
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| Art Gallery - Creating a Visual Representation |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To explore a particular concept, idea or problem, in an enjoyable way.
• To develop shared understanding of the concept, idea or problem.
• To identify areas of uncertainty or misunderstanding.
• To identify lack of knowledge, which the facilitator can address in the rest of the session. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Coloured stickers or shapes (see note). Notes:
There is a variant version to this ice breaker which entails asking participants to prepare a collage from the materials you have for them rather than just a drawing. Instructions, timing etc for the variant version are included in brackets in the text. Whether you choose to use them will depend mainly on how much time you are able to allow. For this exercise you will need: Basic version:
Flipchart paper, coloured pens and coloured stickers or shapes. Variation:
As above, plus a collection of old magazines, journals, postcards, birthday cards or similar, scissors and glue pens.
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| Reviews |
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I have used this concept a number of times but rarely as an ice breaker. I find that, at the beginning of a course, the idea of doing a drawing, and then having to diplay it, can really put those who don't feel they have any artistic talent off and inhibit their learning.
However, I have used this varient frequently
a) Divide into 3 small(ish) group and give them 1/3rd of a circle. Ask them to come up with an image, or picture, to represent whatever concept, part of the course, etc you want them to think about. Ususally someone who has an ability will volunteer to do the drawing. When they are finsihed follow the guidence in the trainers notes. Then bring all the parts together into a complete circle and ask if the complete picture has any more meanings.
When I have used this at the end of a programme of training I done the exercise before lunch on the last day and photographed the image. Then I have framed it and given it to participants to take away with them.
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Bernadette Walsh
rated this item with 4 stars.
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| Bingo! - An Exercise in Communication |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to mix and get to know each other.
• To encourage networking.
• To help participants identify things they have in common with others on the course. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of any size. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
None. Notes:
This icebreaker is based on an idea from Trainers' Library member Rene Garcia-Evans. It's a fun icebreaker that provides a useful introduction to lots of different training courses. It can be particularly useful as an introduction to training that covers networking and communication skills. This exercise is suitable for any number of participants.
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| Reviews |
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This is a great exercise to use as an icebreaker for any type of course. I’ve used this icebreaker in sales, telesales, management and customer service courses and the feedback from my group is always a positive one. I feel the exercise works particularly well at the beginning of a course which involves questioning to build rapport as this exercise sets this up really nicely. It can also work really well when your course involves an element of problem solving, as nothing about the exercise says that your participants need to stay in the training room. I had one group running around the hotel getting to know the staff and the guests! The only criticisms are that it can be difficult to facilitate with a smaller group, especially if in an environment where they can’t really leave the training room and it can also be difficult to manage timings as you’re never quite sure how many people in the group can answer positively for each section. One way round this I’ve found is to use the same format but to change some of the questions on the bingo card to suit the type of group.
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Fabian Kenny
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| Course Content Bingo |
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Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 15 minutes for this module. Aims:
• To raise energy levels within the group.
• To emphasise some key content.
• To check participants' understanding of the content. Group Size:
This module can be used with very large groups of more than 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
You'll need to have created your own list of key words/concepts linked to the training. We suggest about 30 words and phrases to ensure the game lasts. You may wish to add some authenticity by writing the words out onto small pieces of paper/card in advance and putting them into a hat, bag or bowl and drawing them out. You may also want some small prizes for the winners. Notes:
This is an energetic and fun way to review what has already been covered in the training and is ideal for use after lunch.
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Used this idea today on a Risk Management course. Worked really well - in fact became quite competitive - re-inforced learning from earlier sessions - great energiser!
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Robert Corteen
rated this item with 5 stars.
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| Course Introduction - A Basic Introduction to Training Events |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To welcome the participants.
• To introduce the facilitator(s) and participants to each other.
• To introduce the facilities.
• To agree the course objectives and timetable. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of any size. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided. Notes:
This initial introductory module allows the facilitator to find out more about the participants, to understand their expectations and to match them as closely as possible to the course objectives. By getting participant agreement at the start of the course, boundaries are set for what will and will not be covered. Where necessary the facilitator will be able to change or alter activities that will not meet participants' requirements or to spend more time on those that will. The objectives and expectations can then be reviewed at the end of the day.
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| Reviews |
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I used 'course introduction' with a group on a departmental awayday. This really focused participants on the rationale for the day and allowed the groundrules to be discussed in a way that wouldn't have happened otherwise. The 'expectations of each other' allowed discussion of acceptable and desirable behaviour to be clearly stated in a department where several staff members are overbearing and dominatiing in such meetings usually. The main content of the day was more fruitful once this had happened.
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Serena Yeo
rated this item with 4 stars.
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| Getting To Know You - Networking and Communication |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to mix and get to know each other.
• To encourage the use of questioning and listening skills.
• To help participants identify things they have in common with others on the course.
• To help participants identify others on the course who can help them. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided. Notes:
This icebreaker provides a useful introduction to lots of different training courses. It can be particularly useful as an introduction to training that covers networking and communication skills. We've created a 'general' version of this game but you might like to adapt it to be more course specific. For example, in assertiveness training, one box could be labelled, "Someone who feels they tend to adopt submissive behaviour in difficult situations." Another could be labelled, "Someone who believes they can be a bit aggressive when stressed." If you do adapt the boxes to be more course specific, you'll need to brief participants that they are trying to find information from each other that is relevant to the training.
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| Reviews |
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I grew a bit tired of sounding like Cilla Black ("what's your name and where do you come from?") every time that I had to train a group of new starters. "Getting to know you" really sorts out that problem for me. The group dynamics become much more active and engaging; people feel much more comfortable discussing problems or asking questions during the course after I have run this exercise. During the debrief we highlight the importance of questioning and listening skills which are essential to communication and specifically sales. The message becomes much more engrained when it has been established right at the beginning of the training; also, the small prize (chocolate bars, sweets or even sometimes £5 bonus bond) is a very nice ending to this fun exercise. A great way to get familiar with other delegates and have fun and prizes at the same time!
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Rene Garcia-Evans
rated this item with 4 stars.
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| Goldilocks - A Listening Exercise |
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Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module (longer for larger groups or where you want to explore some of the learning in more detail) Aims:
• To test listening skills.
• To illustrate the dangers of making assumptions.
• To encourage participants to think about how they can check their understanding of information they receive. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of any size. It is possible to use this exercise in conference situations as well as more usual training interventions like courses and workshops. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing extra, but we suggest pre-preparing a flipchart sheet with the statements listed in the handout. We've included a recording of the story, which can be played to participants if you prefer not to read it yourself. This can add to the story telling atmosphere. The recording can be downloaded and played as an MP3 file on any compatible equipment, including, for example, a laptop or ipod. Notes:
We’d like to thank John Holloway for giving us permission to include it in the library. This module is suitable for staff at all levels and can be used as an icebreaker, simple listening exercise, or as a short exercise to demonstrate how assumptions are made. If You Like This Training Exercise:
You’ll LOVE ‘The Witches of Glum’ which is also available from Trainers’ Library. ‘The Witches of Glum’ has been endorsed by Show Racism the Red Card for its ability to make participants think about prejudice and stereotypes. To find out more about the great work this charity is doing to educate against racism, visit www.srtrc.org.
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Fantastically effective exercise. Really makes people think about their active listening skills. Andrew Pickin, Director, Motiv8 Development Ltd.
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Andy Pickin
rated this item with 5 stars.
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What a lovely exercise. Everyone knows the Goldilocks tale and this existing knowledge really helps drive the learning points home. I’ve used it in induction courses. It served a couple of purposes – it fulfilled the aims outlined on the site, but also helped new starters to recognise that no matter what their previous experience they still have opportunities for learning new things and that they may have a black spot here and there in which they assume knowledge that they may not possess.
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Martyn Allan
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I’ve used this exercise extensively in customer service and sales soft skills workshops and I’ve found it really difficult to find another exercise that beats it when it comes to highlighting how we naturally make assumptions and the importance of active listening. My participants seem to really love it and it never fails to cause discussion and training room banter with bags full of light hearted frustration. No-one has ever got all the questions correct yet! A simple, yet effective exercise, I like the fact that it uses Goldilocks, a story which most of us will be aware of from childhood. I find it really easy to then link this exercise in to the types of calls that my delegates make or receive, especially the common ones where we can assume we know what it is about and how to resolve it without stopping to listen to the customer. I’ve used similar exercises in the past and have been ‘put off’ as they have sometimes caused a little too much debate. However, with this exercise, it is easy to explain the logic behind the exercise to even the most analytical delegate.
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Fabian Kenny
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This is one of my favourite activities; I use it in my Telephone System/Call Handling training where it is very important for people to listen to what others are saying on the telephone. Reading a story to a group is fun and people make assumptions on what they have heard which means they learn a lot from the activity. This is great to use for Presentation skills, Train the Trainer, Assertiveness and Selling Skills.
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Helen Bojar
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I work for a small voluntary sector organisation with 5 full time and 2 part time staff. We had recently introduced customer service standards and to bring the policy alive rather than just sit on a shelf, I ran a team training morning session using Goldilocks as part of the session. Team training is a new addition to our team time together so as the newly appointed Team Leader (a change to my previous role with the organisation) I was a little apprehensive. The session started off well and discussions were really focused. When it came time to read the story of Goldilocks it at first raised a few smurks and frowns, however it went down well. Interestingly the boss only got 2 out of 12 for the quiz! His comment was - guess I wasn't really listening! Mmm really! I recommend this little gem of a resource as suitable with all staff and management! Having now used this as my first resource from Trainers' Library I certainly have confidence in using more.
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Elaine Smith
rated this item with 4 stars.
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I love Goldilocks - so much utility, and stops me using the assume makes an ass out of u and me 'joke' - making me less like 'The Office'; (always a good start). It nearly always creates controversy - 'Can you read that again?'. As such, what a great way to get people to listen actively, consider why people don't always 'get-it' first time, stops them tutting at each other, and maybe (just maybe) helps to improve communication by considering the ears half of the equation. It is foolproof, fast and fun.
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Phil Hawthorn
rated this item with 5 stars.
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What a simple idea and so effective. I've used it with new recruits to customer service teams and with senior managers in a local council. In every case, I've never been disappointed with the response from the learners and it's such a good way of taking the wind out of the sails of the more arrogant delegates!
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Graeme Yeates
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The Goldilocks exercise is a valuable method of demonstrating to candidates the way they make assumptions. I have used this module with both Customer Service Advisors and customer facing Production Staff as a way of testing their listening skills. By cleverly mixing a familiar story with a few challenging twists, it really stretches the short term memory and in my experience results in an up-beat atmosphere. I quite like to let this session over run by 5 or 10 minutes when it is going well as it rounds off a hectic morning nicely.
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Kris Clark
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I used the Goldilocks story in some customer service training. Some of the delegates didn't listen when I read the story, as they thought they knew it (as it is a popular children's tale). However, they soon learnt what a trap that assumption is when they then couldn't correctly answer the ensuing questions. In fact some people had been quite arrogant in their assumptions intially and quickly realised that this resulted in their undoing! The key learning for them came from the fact that they should always listen to what's being said, without making assumptions or listening from their perspective, as the speaker may go off on a tangent that they didn't expect.
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Fiona West
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I have always been a great lover of story telling while training and Goldilocks listening exercise has given me the opportunity to combine a good story with a great activity. Goldilocks really stresses the message of the dangers of making assumptions, but it does that in a fun and different way which gets participants engaged and sometimes a bit fiery when discussing the answers to the questions about the story. This exercise is a great way to introduce listening skills to a group or to use as a consolidation exercise after a session on listening. Fun is guaranteed!
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Rene Garcia-Evans
rated this item with 4 stars.
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| Gossip! - An Exercise in Communication |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to communicate effectively in order to gather all the information available.
• To encourage participants to think about how they communicate.
• To encourage participants to work co-operatively to solve a shared problem. Group Size:
This module is for use with a minimum of 8 participants, which is the optimum number for the exercise. If you have more than 15 in your group, split them into teams. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided. Notes:
This communication exercise is based on a logic puzzle. You will need a minimum of 8 participants, which is the optimum number for this exercise. However, we have included additional 'gossip sheets' which enable the exercise to be used in groups of up to 15. (If you have more than 15 in your group, split them into teams and see which team can solve the problem soonest.) Please note that where there are more than 8 participants some of the 'gossip' will be duplicated.
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| Reviews |
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I used the activity Gossip as part of a communications course. I had a group of eight so it worked out just right. I did have to give them a couple of hints to get them on the right path to start with but they succeeded in coming up with right solution. This is a great activity to put across the importance of good communication especially questioning and listening skills and not making assumptions. I will be using this activity again.
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Liz Fletcher
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I have recently used the above exercise on two different communication skills programmes. The first programme had 12 delegates so I had 4 observers which worked really well as they got an opportunity to practise feedback skills which we had covered in the previous session. The remaining eight delegates were each given the pre prepared laminated cards and given the basis instructions. It was interesting to see that once they had read the cards they then asked me what they were supposed to do now! Calmly I repeated the basic instructions! After a couple of minutes they all started to discuss what was on their cards and established the tasks they were required to complete. There were many issues with how they went about the task, and it was clear that although we had discussed, practised and agreed many aspects of effective communication, including things like questioning, listening and preparation, this all went out of the window in this exercise! The best things about this exercise are the many learning points and varied situations where this can be used. The delegates all found it interesting either as a participant or as an observer. This is definitely one that will be in my tool bag for many different situations!
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Carolyn Pickin
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I facilitate multi-disciplinary teams of healthcare professionals working in cancer care. Benefits of this sort of working are that each discipline contributes to decisions about treatment options for patients. Not all teams either listen or value other members' opinions. Tried out Gossip with a large team of 16 split into 2 groups. Worked fabulously well and showed them how problems cannot be addressed properly unless everyone in the team has a voice and that they record things logically and systematically. Thank you.
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Lesley Fallowfield
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| Green Fingers - Sharing Information Effectively |
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Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing at least 40 minutes for this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to gather as much information as they can to solve a problem.
• To introduce participants to one another in a fun way.
• To test participants listening skills.
• To provide participants with an activity to complete at home after the training. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 16 participants. Useful For:
Teams, work groups, manager groups and informal groups. You'll Need:
• One packet of flower or vegetable seeds per participant. (The handout contains a suggested list of plant seeds to include but you can download the Word version of the handout and substitute those we’ve listed for others if you prefer. Aim to choose popular and easy to grow varieties.)
• A plain envelope for each packet of seeds and one 6 inch diameter plastic plant pot for each participant.
• One copy of the handout for each participant. Notes:
This icebreaker can be used at the start of a course or as a quick energiser say, after lunch.
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| Guess What Animal I Am - An Exercise in Communication |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To give participants an opportunity to learn more about each other in a fun way.
• To demonstrate the benefit of open questions. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Pieces of A4 or A5 card.
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| Hopes and Fears - Establishing Aims and Objectives |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To establish participants’ worries about the training they’re attending.
• To identify what participants are hoping for in the training.
• To help establish/develop some objectives and ground rules for the training.
• To encourage an atmosphere of empathy and mutual support. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
A hat or other receptacle. Notes:
This can be a really useful introduction to training that participants might be worried about. A typical example is presentation skills, where participants are often worried about having to make a presentation to fellow participants.
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| Horror and Happy Ever After Stories - Sharing Experiences |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To provide an opportunity for participants to share good and bad experiences.
• To gather real-life examples that can be referred to throughout the training. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
Our thanks to Buffy Sparks for her help in writing this icebreaker. This exercise can be adapted to training on almost any topic, including, for example, sales, performance management, negotiation, change.
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| Reviews |
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I have only used this once as it needs careful setting up. It unfortunately led one delegate to break down in tears as her horror story was truly horrifying. Fortunately I managed to handle this sensitively but did not expect the level of openness from a delegate on day one! Good learning experience for me, but it does need contextualising from a facilitators point of view.
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Trish Stretton
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| Introductions - Learning About Other Participants |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information about themselves.
• To build rapport among participants.
• To start to identify core communication skills.
• To explore the use of the communication loop. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
This simple introductory icebreaker allows the facilitator to find out more about the participants. It also provides a means of encouraging participants to think about what makes communication effective.
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| Let's Dance! - Networking and Communication |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To introduce participants to each other.
• To encourage networking. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Music (see note). Notes:
Participants can become very familiar with the traditional ‘round the table’ introductions used at the beginning of many courses and workshops. Let’s Dance is a fun way of getting participants introduced to one another and works with groups that already know each other, as well as those that don’t. The icebreaker provides an ideal introduction to training around communication or networking, introducing concepts like information gathering, rapport building and breaking the ice when networking. You will want to play music during this exercise - so it also provides a great way of introducing music to the learning environment. However, please note you will need the appropriate PRS and PPL licences in order to use any music in any of your training.
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| Little Known Facts - Matching the Facts to the Participant |
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Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete (longer for large groups). In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information in a fun, lively and non-threatening way.
• To help participants get to know more about one another and identify some common ground/points of interest for them to use when working together.
• To inject energy and movement into the start of the day. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. Whilst it could conceivably be used for much larger groups, it would require much more time, or slight adaption. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. It can be used with people who don't know one another at all, or who have met/worked together previously. You'll Need:
A set of pens of the same colour and style - one for each participant. A set of cards (e.g., blank index cards) or slips of paper - six per participant. (The cards/pieces of paper must all be the same size.) Notes:
This icebreaker works best when there are at least six participants, in order to ensure there are sufficient responses to make it challenging. This icebreaker works particularly well as an introduction to communication skills, presentation skills and interpersonal skills courses. It is useful where participants are going to be working together in small group activities (pairs/threes etc.) during the course as it helps people to get to know informal/fun facts about one another, which can help them relate to one another more quickly. It can be used after more formal introductions have been completed.
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| Metaphor - Aims and Objectives |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To identify how participants are feeling.
• To explore their thoughts, fears and concerns in a comfortable way.
• To establish learning objectives for the course or programme. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
This icebreaker can be useful for putting participants at ease. It provides a tool through which participants can highlight concerns and areas for personal development in a non-threatening and potentially humorous way. It is particularly useful when training around areas that participants may feel uncomfortable about or which they may find challenging. The use of the metaphor makes it easier for participants to discuss their own development needs and any challenges that they face. Depending on the subject matter, it is also possible to use the metaphor as a theme for the course or programme. Course handouts and other materials can be branded and themed around the metaphor that is used. You will need to spend some time in advance of the session choosing a suitable metaphor for the topic(s) to be covered in the training.
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| My Picture Says... - Identifying Values and/or Objectives |
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Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes. Aims:
• To provide an opportunity for participants to learn something about each other.
• To help participants learn more about each other’s values and motivators.
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• To help participants identify group and individual objectives for the course/workshop they’re attending. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
For Version1:
A selection of images, each printed on to an A4 sheet of paper. The images could be very varied and include, for example, abstract images, landscapes, animals, people and holiday scenes. For Version 2:
A selection of images from Trainers’ Images (or a similar resource) that could be used to illustrate particular challenges, behaviours or problems that might be relevant to the participants. Notes:
The time needed for this exercise will be influenced by the number of participants in your group. Allow 5 minutes for the initial exercise and 2 minutes for each participant to explain their choice. We’d like to thank Nicki Davey of Saltbox Training and Events (www.salt-box.co.uk) for the idea for this icebreaker.
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I’ve used this icebreaker as the springboard for an introductory session.
It helped me to identify the challenges a teacher might be facing in his/her current practice. It's simple and applicable to learning about how to set individual problem-based goals. We then agreed to make the goals a together target and considered how addressable they are. What interests me is the way pictures can provoke learners' ingenuity prior to presenting their thinking.
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Wendy Hartono
rated this item with 4 stars.
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| Picture Race - An Exercise in Effective Communication |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To test participants' communication skills.
• To demonstrate the importance of breaking complex messages down into key points.
• To show the importance of effective questioning and listening skills.
• To show the importance of summary and clarification. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
For this exercise you’ll need two ‘Endless Landscape’ card packs for every team of 4-8 participants. These can be purchased from Trainers' Market .Notes:
You will need plenty of space for this exercise. Ideally, you’ll be able to position team members so that whispered conversations can not be overheard by others further down the line, and so that participants need to physically move in order to communicate with the next person in their team.
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I have used this exercise twice now and both times it has gone down well. It’s a good fun one to get people up and moving and brilliant for any session where communication and teamwork is on the agenda! We bought the beech endless landscape cards from Trainers Market for this exercise as recommend; they are bright colour and fun and the delegates loved them. There are many learning points to be drawn out of this exercise; how to break down information, check understanding, seeking clarification, asking for help, making sure that everybody knows what they are doing, two way communication… the list goes on!
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Karen Hickman
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We (Sheffield Hallam University) recently purchased the Endless Landscape cards from Trainers' Market and used them with the Chinese Picture Race exercise. This was used as part of an away day which had a focus on communication within the team and also teambuilding. The exercise was easy to set up and all participants enjoyed the activity. During the plenary we discussed how the team were communicating during the exercise and how this can translate to the workplace. The team made some very interesting connections to their work environment and also around assumptions that are made when messages aren't clear. In light of the learning from this exercise, the team are now developing new working practices in terms of team meetings and communications that go out to staff. I would recommend this exercise and I will in fact be using this again shortly for future away days.
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Tracy Barlow
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I have used the endless landscape cards in the Chinese picture race exercise with a group. I found it to be a very useful tool to get people taking about how we communicate and also how distractions affect what and how we communicate. As well as the Chinese picture race, the cards are extremely versatile and can be used with small or large groups.
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Maureen Callan
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This is an incredibly rich learning activity. Not only is it a great deal of fun and has a good competitive edge, it also provokes a great deal of discussion about the nature of communication. I have run it during team building days and during an appraisal skills session for managers. The Managers were told that it was a listening exercise and as a result they managed the listening part of the exercise really well, but failed to ask questions or ensure that messages were understood the by the whole team. I found that the less information I give the teams the better the exercise works. It provides strong team working and management analogies that are easy to translate into work scenarios.
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Helen Walker
rated this item with 5 stars.
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| Postcard Review - Post-Training Review |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To provide a memorable review of training participants have received.
• To remind participants of key learning points or action points from a course or workshop. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
A selection of picture postcards - one postcard per participant, and a few spare ones. Select postcards with a variety of images: Countryside, coastal, historic buildings, modes of transport, animals etc. Notes:
This exercise was developed from an idea submitted by Barbara Buffton. Barbara Buffton is an international training consultant, performance coach and published author. Much of her experience (and her clients keep coming back for more) is with large multi-national companies. She has had four books published, including The Which? Guide to Choosing a Career (1998). Her most recent book, Follow Your Dream, is available from http://www.bookshaker.com/product_info.php?products_id=134 Contact Barbara on info@bbassociates.freeserve.co.uk
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I use this exercise on a 5 day staff development programme (ILM Recognised Development Award) and as long as you remember to post the cards off 6 months later the comments are really positive and constructive. Many delegates have contacted me to say they had forgotten about the card until it arrived and it is amazing how much they had achieved since writing the postcard. Really good as a reminder and a refresher of the programme they attended.
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Trish Stretton
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| Questions, Questions - An Exercise in Effective Communication |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to gather information about each other.
• To encourage dialogue between participants.
• To illustrate the importance and benefit of open questions when gathering information.
• To illustrate the uses of closed questions. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
This exercise can provide a useful introduction to any training where it is relevant to show the importance of effective questioning. It highlights how much more effective open questions are than closed questions for gathering information, but also how closed questions can be used to clarify and check information.
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This module can be used as a nice ‘icebreaker’ and also illustrates the benefit of appropriate questioning. I actually only used this with me as the person being questioned and two people posing questions. I then facilitated a discussion on the types of questions asked and the benefits and drawbacks of each type. It prompted a very useful session on questioning skills and really encouraged the participants to consider how best to use questions in different circumstances. We were then able to list examples of the ‘best’ questions to ask in different scenarios. Again the module is useful because it highlights the good and less good without people having to share what they currently do and because the questions asked are not work related it is easy to highlight the benefits of using different styles of question without getting into detailed discussion about the wording of a specific question.
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Mathew Clark
rated this item with 4 stars.
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I used this exercise on a Communication skills day with predominantly home care workers in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of 'open'questions over 'closed' questions. The group quickly grasped what was required and I ran the exercise according to the instructions. They grasped what was required quickly and were able to draw their own conclusions. Several commented on how easy it was to change their questionning style with some thought and that they would remember the point of the exercise when working with their clients. A plentiful supply of chocolate given for good open questions helped I think!
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Robert Corteen
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| Something in Common |
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Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to find things they have in common.
• To consider the impact on relationships of finding common ground. Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
This exercise can be used as an icebreaker, and can provide a particularly powerful introduction to sales or negotiation skills courses. It can also be used as an introduction to equal opportunities and diversity programmes, where it can be used to highlight a potential barrier to equal opportunities. It can even be used to highlight one barrier to creativity and innovation within organisations. This is a great exercise for building rapport between participants and is particularly useful with a group that do not know each other very well.
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I used this module as part of a coffee break, after we had discussed Representational Systems. It was a great way to build on the benefits of matching language with more work on relationships and how this can be achieved relatively easily within a conversation. It prompted some excellent discussions and once again highlighted the benefit of building rapport. Again a very simple idea that can be adapted for many different types of workshops.
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Mathew Clark
rated this item with 5 stars.
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| Special Offer - The Importance of Summary and Clarification |
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Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.
Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of summary and clarification in effective communication.
• To test participants' ability to listen effectively, check understanding and summarise key points back to the person delivering information to them.
• To briefly consider some of the barriers to effective listening and techniques for minimising these.
Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.
Useful For:
Staff up to supervisory level.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This exercise can be used as an effective icebreaker to training where listening skills are covered or are particularly important.
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| Reviews |
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I used this on my trainers. It put them in their delegates shoes. They really struggled to listen to all the information when it was being read out. They found it hard to remember all of the important information until they were allowed to write it down and ask questions.
This taught them valuable lessons on learning styles and how to engage with thir delegates more to ensure effective learning.
The main lesson was that they need to test for understanding at more regular intervals when delivering training.
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Karon Campbell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I use this activity to test their listening skills and practice using checking questions to determine whether they have understood the offer correctly. As the offers are very complicated the delegates tend to ask many questions and write notes but always seem to get the offer correct. Again another valuable exercise.
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Liz Fletcher
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Special Offer was used as a listening exercise with a retail based group, which made the content of the exercise very relevant to them. It not only showed them the importance of clarifying listening and summarising information but the varying levels of success opened the delegates to the thought of individual differences and preferences in communication styles. Telling the delegates they were not able to make notes whilst they were listening added an interesting twist to the exercise.
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Gill Ince
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| Summary and Clarification |
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Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of summary and clarification in effective communication. Group Sizes:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff up to Team Leaders/Supervisor level. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
Summary and clarification are important in all forms of communication and this module is relevant to courses covering topics as diverse as interviewing (particularly behaviour based selection interviewing), counselling skills, negotiation skills, performance management, customer service etc. This exercise can be used as a short and snappy icebreaker to communication skills training.
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Used this quite effectively as an icebreaker for an interview skills workshop. Quick, neat and did the job about making assumptions in people’s meanings and how to help get the best out of interviewees. I could also see a use in customer service, resolving customer
complaints!
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Nicky McCrudden
rated this item with 3 stars.
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This exercise was very clear in it’s purpose and all the learners fell into all the pitfalls! The passage about Aunty Rita’s shopping requirements was very simple and while reading it I could think of different questions I’d need to ask Aunty Rita for clarification. The difference is very much when the learners heard it. They forgot about asking questions and made some assumptions instead. They did come up with a few questions for clarification, but when reviewing the passage found that there were lots more that they should have asked. This exercise was almost the opposite of the previous one – questions to probe, challenge & explore, in that if you have a candidate that likes to talk, it’s more about getting short clear answers from them to clarify their answers. All the learners felt that most of their candidates that they’d interviewed in the past were more likely to be in the second group, but occasionally for some roles they’d experienced the short answers too. They also felt that they needed more practice in asking these sorts of questions, as they felt they were more prone to getting into a discussion with the candidate, rather than clarify & summarise. Another excellent exercise. Thanks.
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Vickie de Vries
rated this item with 5 stars.
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| Sweet Review - A Simple Review/Preview Exercise |
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Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to review learning.
• To encourage transfer and personal application of learning.
• To check understanding.
• To agree any changes to a training agenda.
• To check that participants’ objectives are being met. Group Sizes:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 15 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
For this exercise you will need sweets of various colours – enough sweets for each person to take at least two. Avoid using nut-based sweets (e.g., Peanut M&Ms) due to the risk of allergy. Notes:
This exercise provides a simple, fun and totally random way of reviewing learning or setting up any desired outcomes for the day ahead. Prior to the exercise you will need to devise a different question/request for each sweet colour you have. For example, for a review, you might use:
• Red: Tell me what was your most useful learning point from the course.
• Yellow: What one thing will you do differently as a result of being here?
• Green: Who else will you need to share your learning or ideas with for it to be successful?
• Brown: What action are you going to take tomorrow as a result of your attendance on this course?
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| Reviews |
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I have used the Sweet Review at an awayday for 60 people and it worked really well. I also use it now at the end of the training sessions (depending on the delegates!) and it really ends the sessions with a fun and memorable evaluation and involves everyone.
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Sue Matthews
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| Talking Brochure or Sales Person? |
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Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for this module if working with a group of 10-12 participants. It is therefore ideal as a topic specific icebreaker. Aims:
• To identify how a sales person differs from a brochure.
• To highlight key skills used by ‘great’ sales people.
• For existing sales teams, to identify areas where the current approach could be improved. Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For:
Sales staff. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
This module provides trainers with a useful way of introducing sales skills training to those already in a sales role. It's a useful icebreaker to use to illustrate the need for change and to highlight areas for improvement. It is also suitable for use with those new to a sales role.
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This module can easily be used to start a Sales Training session and to encourage participants to really think about their roles and the importance of not just ‘feature dumping’. It is a simple idea which helps sales people to really reflect on what they do and to potentially notice how easy it can be to, as the title suggests, fall into the role of a Talking Brochure. It really opens up discussion about the importance of tailoring a sales approach to fit the customer’s needs and can lead nicely into talking about specific sales techniques such as questioning skills, listening skills and handling objections. It also works really well in getting participants to highlight their own areas for improvement without specifically looking at what they currently do.
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Mathew Clark
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I have recently incorporated the Salesperson Talking Brochure module within one of our enhancement workshops with fantastic results. It really gets the delegates to stop and think about what they are actually doing and reflect on how to approach their calls differently with Sales Agents figures improving as a result.
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Dawn Hicks
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