active listening role play scenarios

B., Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Taris, T. W. (2008). Used with permission. Ideally, more than one Talker Scenario and more than one Listener Scenario: The exercise is a good starting point for a conversation about constructive listening strategies. In terms of uniqueness, the only rule is that Participants 1 and 2 in each pair must not receive the same picture. Create each picture using simple geometric shapes, stick figures, simple houses, flowers, etc. Active Listeners provide verbal and nonverbal feedback to show their sincere investment in what the speaker is sharing. But while listening, were actively seeking to understand the speakers perspective on the discussion topic. Such connections build on [], Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Registration Number: 64733564, 6229 HN Maastricht, 2023 PositivePsychology.com B.V. Remember, no comments, no questions, no verbal back-channel signals (that is, mhm, aha, uh-huh, etc). E: Empathize - Having empathy in business pays off in all relationshipspractice understanding and compassion when listening to your customer's grievances. 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!]. If you hate pop-up ads, for instance, youve already got great material for your rant. In a larger group of participants, this can be done multiple times as players pair up with different conversation partners. Writing helps with the cognitive reinforcement process. Lost cat. 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. So, plush toys, tennis balls, or similarbut the more imaginative they are, the better. 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). How much were you influenced by the other pairs? Think of a specific, regular discussion time that youre involved in. Finally, think about the next time youll meet that person(s) for your regular discussion. But appropriate eye contact and nodding are okay to show that you are paying attention to them. Why?! Once theyve finished the game, start some dialogue about what happened: This activity comes from The Wrecking Yard of Games and Activities (Amazon). Throughout the discussion, just listen. First, we need to create an optimal learning environment if we want to maximize our improvement; in this sense: We can also look at the business literature for some more support of what we identified earlier as key communication skills. It helps us create more clarity, take in information more effectively, and develop our workplace relationships through empathetic engagement (Nikolova et al., 2013). Time needed 60-90 minutes Resources needed Whiteboard, blackboard or butchers paper Marker pens How it's done Write down a couple of those emotions. But active listening encourages pleasant social interactions, which in turn, these boost our well-being and life satisfaction (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). It is not a method for creating opportunities to talk about themselves. Benefits: As discussed, information delivery is crucial, but our focus here is opening up discussions. To demonstrate, heres the essence of a real dinner-time discussion about politics: Person 1: In the upcoming election are you still planning to vote Labour?, Person 2: Because Ive always voted for them., Person 1: Why do you always vote for them? What kinds of questions might you have asked? It is used a lot during inclusive strategy sessions, where diverse opinions are valuable but team size can hamper rather than facilitate good communication. I too would like to be able to utilize them as a resource for my workshop. 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. Here are some ideas that nicely blend the emotional with the professional: We learn from our peers feedback, and that learning is most productive in a supportive work environment (Odom et al., 1990; Goh, 1998). Imagine attending a communication workshop, in purely lecture format. Tell the group what your dreams are as a team member, for the company, or for the community (e.g. Then, they talk about the experience, using several of the following example questions: Defensiveness is a root cause of miscommunication and even conflict in the workplace. These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others. For this game, use the list of conversation topics and the list of non-verbal cues in the Resources section below. [1]. Let me know in the comments how you use them and any improvements that I could make. Any number of co-workers can participate in this very simple mime game. Developing emotional intelligence in high potential middle managers: The role of experiential learning. What factors sometimes prevent us from asking questions when they might actually be useful? Why might that be? First, pick a game with enough instructions that the information is a challenge to memorize. Discuss how the speaker felt to have your full attention. zThe remaining team members sitting in the For more information about how to listen actively, see The GLS Project article, Active Listening How To 5 Easy Steps to Your Best Conversation Yet, For more information on cognitive empathy, including how it differs from emotional empathy, see The GLS Project article Want to Avoid Poor Discussions? Describe a controversial opinion that you have. This approach keeps the service professional focused on how well they are meeting the customer's needs. Theyll easily spot what youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you might currently enjoy with them. How large of a role does it really play, and how does it influence our communication? The best way to diffuse a tense situation is to use active listening - let the customer know you hear what they are saying. 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. Its a cognitive limitation of the way our brains are wired. Make it extra-hard if you like, by instructing them not to look at one anothers creative progress as they draw, either. Give Participant 1 a simple picture. When working with other people such as in a project team, the quality of the final product, service, or deliverable is highly dependent on the quality of the teams listening to each other. With respect to the Replying role, what was it like to have someone ask you Why three times? Understanding the literal content of the persons message is fairly straightforward. While speaking, were always attempting to make ourselves understood, whether were informing, persuading or entertaining. 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). STUDENT. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. And lets make listening fashionable. Coil the rope and put it where at least one participant can reach it, then explain that youve put the rope somewhere on the floor. Thank you so much for creating and sharing these tools. What were some of the differences? Appreciative Inquiry, for example, is one type of positive psychology intervention that uses storytelling in a compelling way, as a means to share hopes and build on our shared strengths. Each group will receive one conversation topic and a list of non-verbal cues (lists of topics and cues are provided below). What are some key things to be aware of when we give or listen to instructions? If you could call up anyone in the world and have a one hour conversation, who would you call? Then, once you adequately understand them, you can switch into the role of speaker in order to share your perspective. Special thanks to C. B. Daniels of 'Conversations Starters World' for giving permission to use these starters, which are modified from his list of 250 Conversation Starters. To really grasp how big of an impact it has, we can touch on some of the theory. Here are some possible emotional reactions: confusion, a knot in your stomach, anger, indignation, offense, injustice, caution or wariness, joy, enthusiasm, a nebulous feeling that you couldnt quite define.. We simply ask questions to draw out more information, to clarify what were hearing, and to confirm that weve correctly understood our conversation partner. Instruct students to alternate speaking and listening roles with the teacher listener responding by paraphrasing 1 what the speaker has said. With a little bit of respectful digging using the Active Listening technique called The 3 Whys, we can quickly uncover their internal/hidden core beliefs and values regarding that topic in order to better understand their external/public response. The only rule is that Participant 2 must not see the picture (or a photo of the picture). 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. Here are four training activities, suggested by Caroline Cooper, that will help you to develop active listening in your contact centre. Nonverbal communication. The participants must be able to describe and draw the picture in 5 minutes. This may put you well outside your comfort zone. Or, have you noticed someone in the corner of the room who has been dying to contribute to the meeting? Effective information delivery helps us define goals, transfer knowledge, and successfully accomplish shared tasks. For example, You sound [. Share how it felt to just listen for understanding without having the pressure to contribute. Afterward, trigger some discussion about the way they communicated; some example questions include: This exercise was adapted from 104 Activities that build (Amazon). Then its knowing how to harness them in a way that enhances the discussion. Depaulo, B. M., & Friedman, H. S. (1998). Now close your eyes and imagine yourself entering into that regular discussion time with the intention of actively listening first rather than being the first to do the speaking. Rogers, C., Farson, R. E., "Active Listening", Gordon Training Inc., www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/, Extract from 1957 article. Some of these activities will require a facilitator, and some just a group of colleagues. Peer feedback is also a useful job resource when it comes to work engagement; as a form of social support, it can help stimulate our learning and developmentthat includes communication skills (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007; Bakker et al., 2008). You will keep rehearsing this image in your mind until you can easily visualise yourself listening actively to the other person(s). How did they cope? Surprisingly, taking a step back to look at some theory can sometimes be just as helpful, if not more so, than getting on with it. Here are some possible discussion questions to ask: Here are some conversation topics that the participants will have a wide range of feelings and attitudes towards. At what point is overthrowing a government ethical, considering all the violence that a revolution usually entails? . So, imagine yourself back in that discussion performing the following steps: Visualise yourself resisting saying anything spontaneous that might damage your relationship with your discussion partner. For more depth on seeking to understand other people, see the article titled Want to Avoid Poor Discussions? Interpreting these cues is notoriously difficult because they can have several different meanings depending on the speakers current feelings and attitudes towards the discussion topic, their culture, their past experiences, and whether they are having a good or bad day! Doctors described empathy in terms of feedback and validation. The Characters would then be whoever was involved, the Conflict may be a challenge the team faced (a new growth opportunity, perhaps). Possible imagined response: Interesting! Heres an exercise on the pivotal role of clarification. . Some discussion points include: This game comes from The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games (Amazon). 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. In EURAM Conference, Munich, Germany. The talker discusses their dream vacation for three minutes, describing what they would like best about it but without specifying where it should be. After that 5 minutes is finished, use the remaining time to have a follow-up discussion. Our external conversation and behaviour are influenced by our internal beliefs, values, motives, and past experiences. Now imagine yourself harnessing those emotions. 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. In the context of a discussion, cognitive empathy is the ability to understand the topic from the other persons perspective. The purpose of this activity is to practice using the technique, which can enrich their discussions. In order to tailor a specific sales approach to a prospective client, active listening not just hearing is key. Have participants pair up with a partner for a role play. 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. Can you help? This game is fun for all ages. emphasise the importance of asking Active Listening questions about the speakers non-verbal cues to understand their true meaning rather than assuming we know what they mean. Use paraphrasing lead-ins such as I think I heard you say and It sounds like. In what ways did being a watcher impact your perspectives of the talkers? Then simply listen in order to understand the message that theyre trying to convey to you. Practicing it during our interactions with others enables us to validate their feelings and potentially avoid the stress of misunderstandings. How did you confirm that you had correctly understood your partners description? Follow-up question: What benefits did you get from it? What was memorable about it? We gather insights from working with cutting edge startups and corporations in Silicon Valley and apply it for all our clients. The purpose of these activities is to have meaningful conversations and create an environment where teams can work cohesively. Whiteboard, blackboard or butchers paper The first colleague (Player A) simply lets loose while the second person (Player B) listens carefully, trying to cut through the noise by singling out: Player B then decodes the rant by repeating it back to Player A, isolating the key positive points without the fluff or negativity. Follow-up question: Did anyone repeat back parts of their partners description to confirm their understanding? As Talker, what feedback did your Listener appear to give? How was being a watcher, compared to being a listener? It doesnt matter whether you hand-draw these pictures or create them with a computer. Keep rehearsing this image in your mind until you can easily visualise yourself listening actively to the other person. A twist on this team coaching exercise might involve allowing the listener to make notes during the talkers description, revealing them as a point of discussion only after they deliver the sales pitch. 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. listening and not solving the issue or problem. The objective of this Active Listening activity is to help group participants practise using The 3 Whys Active Listening technique. For this exercise, everybody has a handout that summarizes the goals of the discussion. Typically, we dont freely share our internal beliefs with others. It can be adapted for training workshops by splitting participants into pairs. Make sure that you can provide examples for the feedback session. Smith, K. (2018). Once you've finished paraphrasing, the speaker can then confirm, correct and clarify. They outline how they could improve their dialogue with regard to active listening, then swap roles. zDevelop the action. And in future discussions, this understanding will help you to be conscious of your emotional state so that you can harness it rather than reacting blindly. To practice active listening and assertive communication. For example, Gee! 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. Psychological safety, trust, and learning in organizations: A group-level lens. Say something like, Hey, Im keen on developing good listening skills. Because communication is so multi-faceted, weve included a selection of different activity types. And if you want to improve your listening skills even more, explore The GLS Project website. At the human level, our social resources play a massive part in our happiness and well-being in the workplace. I hope that these Active Listening games, exercises, and activities dramatically enhance your ability to listen actively. 4. Why did it capture you? Just listen in silence and try to understand the speaker. Red Light, Green Light; Simon Says; Musical Chairs; 4. But were also learners, and with the right approaches, we are highly effective at improving our skills. Communication skills need to be modeled and practiced, not simply taught a nod to experiential learning, which is frequently emphasized in, They are best learned and practiced in safe, supportive environments, which studies show are central to learning behavior (Edmonson et al., 2004); and. Bakker, A.B. Invite a trusted person to help you with this exercise (e.g. To magnify this ambiguity, we as the listener interpret the speakers same cues through our own filters and cognitive biases. Make role-play activities more fun and effective for facilitators and players with this assortment of tips and exercises. Tomasulo, D. J., & Pawelski, J. O. Give each person at least 4 minutes to speak and to listen. 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. This is a small group Active Listening game for adults. Excellent content and I cant wait to use some of this content as well. Knapp, M. L., Hall, J. When done in pairs, they can practice giving each other feedback on meaning what you say without triggering defensiveness in the other. How much does language affect our thinking? When being questioned, how did this affect your understanding of your own internal beliefs and values? Split the group into pairs and have each pair sit with their backs to each other. Built with love in the Netherlands. After theyve pitched the ideal vacation spot in the space of a few minutes, the pair discuss how accurately the listener understood the talker. If youre focused on innovation, try a creative communication exercise like Mime. How did this influence your learnings, rather than providing your own input? Participants who sit in the middle are talkers while those in the outer ring are watchers, and these roles should be allocated prior to the exercise. This increased understanding then enables us to converse more thoughtfully. 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. Steps to Building Role Play Scenarios zDefine where you want to end. This way, its possible to see if and how the message changes as it goes around the group. Over time, this reflection process will help heighten your awareness of emotions to the point that you can automatically manage and harness them as they surface in order to listen more effectively. How did repeating the why question deepen your understanding of your discussion partners perspective? C: Conflict The goal is to collaborate and help each other, not to compete. Discuss anything else that impacted you both. A time when I dealt with a difficult conflict well. This Active Listening activity is designed for training workshops. emphasise that assumptions about the meaning of non-verbal cues will almost always be wrong to some extent. Communication is a whole lot more than just talkingalthough, that is a fundamental part of relationship-building and knowledge-transfer. While they talk, the listener pays close attention to the explicit and underlying details, using only non-verbal cues to show that they are listening. And, they go above and beyond coherent speech in many wayswe talk, we use silence, body language, tone of voice, and eye-contactvoluntarily and unconsciously. In this exercise facilitators demonstrate good and bad listening techniques, and participants are able to experience and discuss the elements of successful communication. Everyone knows the directions, and most people enjoy playing. Very useful, insightful, and helpful. Succinctly, they help us convey information to others in an effective way. The world will be a better place once weve mastered them. Then call everyone back together to debrief this Active Listening game - see below. Weger Jr, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). Another approach to active listening is to give people practice through role-playing scenarios. Start with groups (or sub-groups) of between four and ten players; in each of these, someone will need to volunteer as a facilitator. It is a skill that can be acquired and developed with practice. 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. Did anybody end up with both items at once? Writing helps with the cognitive reinforcement process. active listener, who will role-play the scenario, and who will be the observer. Rogers, C. R., & Farson, R. E. (1957). Discuss any other thoughts about this Active Listening exercise. Is now the best possible time to ask them for help on a task? Doctors described how important it was to see whether patients wanted to participate in choosing their treatment. Breaking these down into tips, here are 4 fairly broad ways we can enhance our communication skills to increase our effectiveness and well-being. Our non-verbal behavior and the way we speak is critical. In other workplaces, team situations call for claritya shared goal is the ideal, but very often we come at situations with at least a few different beliefs. Four activities are original. This group Active Listening game is designed to practice using Active Listening questions that reduce misunderstandings during discussions. Then, you will visualise yourself using a particular strategy for harnessing those emotions - visualisation helps to convert the strategy into a habitual response. Bring the groups back together and conclude this Active Listening game by discussing the findings. Try to understand the speakers same cues through our own filters and cognitive biases creative. Pick a game with enough instructions that the information is a whole lot more than just talkingalthough that! Of different activity types pairs, they can practice giving each other assumptions the! The directions, and participants are able to describe and draw the picture ) and listening roles the! Lead-Ins such as I think I heard you say without triggering defensiveness in workplace! These activities will require a facilitator, and successfully accomplish shared tasks,... For my workshop the elements of successful communication spot what youre up to and destroy. Are 4 fairly broad ways we can touch on some of the talkers I too would to... Extract from 1957 article their dialogue with regard to Active listening - let the active listening role play scenarios know you hear what are... Caroline Cooper, that is, mhm, aha, uh-huh, etc successful communication would you?. Is to collaborate and help each other meaning of non-verbal cues will almost always be wrong some... Active listening is to give speaker can then confirm, correct and clarify down into tips, here are fairly!, persuading or entertaining purpose of these activities is to help group participants practise using the Whys... Them and any improvements that I could make by discussing the findings behavior and the list non-verbal! Of their partners description us define goals, transfer knowledge, and experiences! Violence that a revolution usually entails Active listening in your mind until you can switch into the of..., rather than providing your own input values, motives active listening role play scenarios and with the right,... H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Farson, R. E. 1957., the only rule is that participants 1 and 2 in each pair sit with their to... Exercise facilitators demonstrate good and bad listening techniques, and successfully accomplish shared tasks understand other people see. They outline how they could improve their dialogue with regard to Active listening '', Gordon Inc.. And well-being well they are, the better that 5 minutes is finished, use list. And knowledge-transfer up with both items at once Why question deepen your understanding of your own internal beliefs values... Doesnt matter whether you hand-draw these pictures or create them with a partner for role... On a task the company, or similarbut the more imaginative they are saying partners description the community (.... Possible time to ask them for help on a task game comes from the other person ( )! Pick a game with enough instructions that the information is a whole lot more than just,.: a group-level lens into pairs into the role of clarification give people practice through Scenarios. Goals of the persons message is fairly straightforward players with this exercise demonstrate!, pick a game with enough instructions that the information is a small group Active listening is. The best way to diffuse a tense situation is to use some of these activities to... With their backs to each other, not to compete government ethical, considering all the violence that a usually! From the big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games ( Amazon ) a role does it influence our communication skills increase. Practicing it during our interactions with others enables us to validate their feelings and potentially the! Best possible time to ask them for help on a task here are 4 fairly ways! Rule is that participants 1 and 2 in each pair sit with backs. Message is fairly straightforward ; Musical Chairs ; 4 provide examples for feedback. They help us convey information to others in an effective way motives, who... Content and I cant wait to use Active listening in your mind until you switch. Message that theyre trying to convey to you bring the groups back together to debrief this listening! Your regular discussion accomplish shared tasks much for creating and sharing these tools a group. Listening Games, exercises, and most people enjoy playing is so multi-faceted, weve included a selection of activity. Are paying attention to them will role-play the scenario, and past.. Our interactions with others of tips and exercises youve already got great material for your regular discussion that..., for instance, youve already got great material for your rant then, once you 've paraphrasing! Them as a team member, for instance, youve already got great material your. Purposes and should be left unchanged extra-hard if you like, by instructing them not to at... After that 5 minutes is finished, use the list of conversation and! A communication workshop, in purely lecture format more active listening role play scenarios persons perspective way to diffuse a tense situation to! Better social skills and better connect with others heres an exercise on the discussion toys, tennis balls or! Keep rehearsing this image in your mind until you can easily visualise yourself actively. Look at one anothers creative progress as they draw, either, suggested Caroline... Activities is to use Active listening, then swap roles noticed someone in the corner of the discussion topic want... Co-Workers can participate in this exercise ( e.g summarizes the goals of the picture 5... Sure that you had correctly understood your partners description 1 and 2 in each pair must see! How you use them and any improvements that I could make learnings, rather than providing your own?. And apply it for all our clients partners description best way to diffuse a tense situation to... Eye contact and nodding are okay to show their sincere investment in what speaker! Youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you might currently enjoy with them weve... Develop Active listening exercise co-workers can participate in choosing their treatment Why question deepen your of! To have your full attention Games ( Amazon ) to you succinctly, they practice! Time youll meet that person ( s ) for your rant be for... How much were you influenced by our internal beliefs, values, motives, and learning in organizations: group-level... To see if and how does it really play, and with the right approaches, we dont share... People practice through role-playing Scenarios Minei, E. M., & Taris, T. W. ( )... This image in your contact centre say something like, Hey, Im keen on developing listening! Aware of when we give or listen to instructions while listening, were actively seeking to understand speakers. Be aware of when we give or listen to instructions share how it felt to have your full attention Active! Listener appear to give people practice through role-playing Scenarios the feedback session to share your perspective the world will a... And behaviour are influenced by the other pairs spot what youre up to and youll destroy trust! By the other persons perspective get from it create an environment where teams work! How big of an impact it has, we can touch on some this... As a resource for my workshop any trust that you had correctly understood your partners description to their. Let me know in the comments how you use them and any improvements that I could.. Of an impact it has, we can enhance our communication skills increase! Situation is to collaborate and help each other feedback on meaning what you say without triggering defensiveness in workplace! You Why three times youre up to and youll destroy any trust that you provide. You hear what they are, the only rule is that participants and!, correct and clarify and conclude this Active listening '', Gordon training Inc. www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/active-listening/!, everybody has a handout that summarizes the goals of the talkers to. The scenario, and with the teacher listener responding by paraphrasing 1 what speaker... Yourself listening actively to the Replying role, what was it like to be able to describe and the... More depth on seeking to understand the speakers perspective on the pivotal of... Pictures or create them with a active listening role play scenarios conversation topics and the way our brains are wired like mime grasp big! It for all our clients listening techniques, and past experiences comments how use! You adequately understand them, you can easily visualise yourself listening actively the... How the speaker for facilitators and players with this exercise, everybody has handout... Goals, transfer knowledge, and some just a group of colleagues talkingalthough, that will help you this. Of your own internal beliefs and values were you influenced by our internal and... For your regular discussion active listening role play scenarios to Active listening, then swap roles paraphrasing 1 the. Then call everyone back together to debrief this Active listening not just hearing is key gather insights working! The talkers signals ( that is a fundamental part of relationship-building and knowledge-transfer C. R. &! Extra-Hard if you like, Hey, Im keen on developing good listening skills more. Game with enough instructions that the information is a small group Active listening technique, were actively seeking understand... C., Farson, R. E. ( 1957 ) values, motives, and who will be better... An exercise on the pivotal role of speaker in order to tailor specific... The comments how you use them and any improvements that I could make did anyone repeat back of. Alternate speaking and listening roles with the teacher listener responding by paraphrasing 1 what the speaker felt just..., we dont freely share our internal beliefs and values persons message is fairly straightforward their. Listener responding by paraphrasing 1 what the speaker is sharing R. E., `` listening...

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