Free Time
To explore how it feels to be excluded—and to be excluding.
Library of facilitation techniques
The Thiagi Group
Workshop Activities and Training Games from The Thiagi Group.
110 results
Methods (110)
Job Description in 99 Words
Ask the participants to write what their job means to them in exactly 99 words (no more, no less), and then divide participants to explore and discuss the perception of their jobs.
The Anchor Effect
This jolt demonstrates how the natural human tendency of becoming heavily attached to a starting value can influence our decision making.
The participants work with two different versions of the same questionnaire. One version asks a series of questions that provide low anchor values, while the other version provides high anchor values. The debriefing discussion examines how anchoring affects our decision making.
Distance Makes The Brain Grow Stronger
This interesting exercise replicates research done by Evan Polman of New York University and Kyle Emich of Cornell University on construal level theory. You can find more information about this theory by visiting this page in Psychlopedia: http://www.psych-it.com.au/Psychlopedia/article.asp?id=79
The participants work with two different versions of the same problem. One version describes a problem faced by someone else while the other version identifies the problem confronting the reader. The debriefing suggests that it is easier to come up with creative solutions when people are thinking for someone other than themselves.
Working the Room
A major purpose of an opening activity is to help participants get acquainted with each other. Here's an opener that identifies and rewards participants who would make good politicians.
Three Questions
Even though Three Questions takes just a few minutes, it provokes the participants into reflecting for a long time.
Perservarence
When does perseverance become foolhardiness? Here's a jolt that explores this question.
Playing with Status
Participants are given a short script of 8-10 lines of neutral dialogue. The scene may depict a job interview (see the sample below) or a coaching session. Pairs take turns enacting the scene, playing with the status relationships through non-verbal behaviours.
Long Words
The real name of this jolt is Proactive Planning, but using that name will give away the key point that we want players to discover. Presented as a word game, this jolt lulls lures players to go after immediate gains in a mindless fashion only to regret the action later.
What Do You Do?
I dread the moment when people ask me, “What do you do?” I don't know how to explain that I am a performance technologist, or an instructional designer, or a facilitator. So I cheat by saying that I am a trainer.
Here's an activity that helps you become more fluent in explaining what you do for a living.
Bottle Tower
Teams of 4-5 members are competing to build the highest free-standing tower using empty water bottles and rope - a different version of the Marshmallow challenge.
Double your money
This game is effectively shows the power and advantages of collaboration and can be a practical demonstration of the Prisoner Dilemma