Finding Our Direction: The 5 questions
An activity to identify the direction in which your work should be moving.
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Reaching consensus around several alternatives
A polling process for any workshop where a decision between several alternatives is hard to reach
500 year gap
In pairs, one person describes a modern appliance to someone from 500 years ago
Email Questions
A virtual asynchronous start for an issues or problem solving workshop.
Name That Tune
In his book, You Are Not So Smart, David McRaney describes an experiment by Elizabeth Newton that explains the illusion of transparency. This happens during the communication process when others are not privy to same information as we are. While we may think all of our thoughts and feelings are visible to others, we often overestimate the actual transfer of information.
The participants pair up and one partner taps out a familiar song with fingertips. The finger-tapping partner predicts the listener will be able to guess the tune. These partners are surprised to discover that while the tune is obvious to them, their listening partner is unable to guess it.
Back to Back
This is an energetic improv game that can be used anytime during a training session. My favourite time to use it is at the end of a session for debriefing.
Participants pair up and stand back-to-back. The facilitator asks a question. The participants turn around and face each other and take turns sharing their responses.
Spectrum Mapping
Spectrum mapping is designed to reveal the diversity of perspectives and options around any given topic and to organize them into a meaningful spectrum. It’s valuable because it unearths information that plays a role in attitudes and behaviours that otherwise may not be visible.
Critical Thinking Mindset
A critical thinking mindset supports people to reflect by using critical thinking questions when they discover and discuss new information. Critical thinking involves the evaluation of sources such as data, facts, media, stories, observable phenomenon, and research findings. Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve a problem or to make a decision. Critical thinking skills are key to making better, and well-informed decisions.
Gannt Chart
This process is used to aid in planning projects by showing all activities that have to take place in the chronological order so as to reach a goal.
NUF Test
As a group is developing ideas in a brainstorming session, it may be useful to do a quick “reality check” on proposed ideas. In the NUF Test, participants rate an idea on three criteria: to what degree is it New, Useful, and Feasible?
Little Known Facts - I
People enjoy learning little-known facts (LKFs) about each other. (E.g. I have a twin brother / I always need to know which direction North is / etc.). They also enjoy revealing such facts to total strangers--perhaps because it makes them feel like celebrities. Participants guess LKFs about other people by asking Yes/No questions.
River Crossing
The river crossing game is one of many simple games that gives your group the chance to sharpen their problem-solving skills while having a bit of fun. Participants need to cross an imaginary river as a team and they need to get all members of the group safely there.