“In the nearly 20 years I’ve been working with groups, it is, without a doubt, most transformational team building experience I’ve ever witnessed. It’s much easier than ropes courses. It’s more immediately impactful than personality typing. It gets you out of your head and into the more creative parts of your brain—in an instant. Plus it just plain feels good to just plain laugh with your co-workers. And what could be better than laughing while advancing your business goals?”I also offered a simple exercise you can start using with your team today called “Yes, but …” or “Yes, and …”?.
Here’s another one that’s just as quick, painless, valuable, and fun. It’s called “Tuned in or tuned out?”
What to do: Divide people into pairs. Have them introduce themselves to each other, conduct a short conversation, and find three things they have in common (3 minutes). Then, direct them to turn their backs on each other and remain silent. During the silence, the leader/facilitator asks group members increasingly difficult questions about how much they noticed about their partner, such as: “What color are their eyes? Their pants/skirt? Their shoes?”
The learning: Listening is the key to teamwork, and listening extends beyond words and even tone of voice and body language. Masterful listening requires us to pay attention to others on multiple levels.
Tip: Repeat the exercise another time with the same group (later in the day, week, or month) as a way of practicing the art of noticing.
Think of “Tuned in or tuned out?” as another essential practice for earning your team a standing ovation. While you’re getting good at noticing, others will be noticing you.
Originally published by BossaNova Consulting Group, Inc.
Andrea Howe
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