Teambuilding by drawing

Imagine: You have a team that needs to focus on communicating better: listening, providing directions and the courage to ask questions. In the last few months, there have been a few missteps because folks are not truly listening to each other.?

Some might call it poor management.?

Others may call it lazy employees.?

I call it speaking in a way to be heard but not listen to.?

It is a part of human nature until the group of individuals truly gel as a community with a common goal. This exercise helps folks go through the motions of communicating on a project and allow them to process how they can improve their overall interactions.?

Take your team and break them into three smaller roles:

Role A: Artists

• Complete the image with directions from Group B
• Initially not allowed to speak or ask clarifying questions.

Skills: listening to directions

Role B: Directors

• View the Instagram post as many times as they like.?
• Tell Group B how to draw it.?
• Do not share what the final image will look like.?

Skills: inspiring commitment, encouraging, read body language/energy, providing directions to complete project?

Role C: Viewers

• Watch the interactions between Group A and B
• Stay silent through the entire process
• Do not view the image

Skills: observing interactions, learning how to communicate better

Give the team about 15 minutes to work together to complete the image. At the 15-minute mark give them a break and ask some questions.?Remember to set guidelines to create an opportunity to uplift each other and share lessons learned.

How is the process going? How are you feeling?

• Ask Roles A and B to share their insights first. Allow a dialogue to happen as Role C continues to watch
• Ask Role C folks to share their insights

Go back to the exercise implementing some of the suggestions brought up by the role members.?

Consider moving folks in Role C into Roles A and B to see how the dynamics change because they were watching the scenario play out. It demonstrates the power of observation and action.

You may not have a beautiful image after the team builder, but you will have built some awareness on how to talk with each other and listen.?www.shineyjames.com