Facilitation Techniques and Workshop Activities | Library

Certificates and Advice

Here's a closing activity that combines awarding certificates and giving advice. Each participant picks up someone else's certificate. She hands over the certificate along with a piece of personal advice.

Au Contraire

critical thinking issue analysis thiagi skill building

Very often when people learn something new, they assume that they knew it all along. This way of thinking is called the hindsight bias. Participants receive one of two proverbs that contradict each other. Later, they are asked to come up with examples and explanations to prove that the proverb that they received presents an obvious truth.

One - Two - Four Dialogue

issue analysis review structured dialogue

This is a structured discussion activity for exploring a topic by answering questions in three different set-ups: individually, in pairs and in teams.

Five "-ful" Envelopes

thiagi idea generation issue analysis skills

Hopeful, joyful, peaceful, playful, thankful—these five words are written on the faces of different envelopes to create the five “-ful” envelopes.

According to Barbara Frederickson (and other positive psychologists), these five emotions are among those that contribute to happiness, subjective well-being, and flourishing.

This structured sharing activity helps participants discover how to increase the frequency and intensity of these emotions. This is the first step to increase one's happiness.

Circles in the air

icebreaker energiser remote-friendly

Draw circles up in the air with the index finger and observe the way the direction of the circles changes, as we change the vantage point.

Sticks - A Metaphorical Simulation Game

communication team teamwork action

When people interact or communicate with each other, they use certain amount of energy or pressure. Here's an activity that makes participants aware of such energy exchange and helps them explore how to manage this process.

Keep Your Finger on the Pulse

stress management thiagi action skills public speaking

Public speaking is reported to be one of the top stressful events for all people. This jolt uses that fact to make a learning point about the physiological effects of stress on the body. Participants take their pulse at the beginning of a session. They are later told they will be participating in a stressful event. When they retake their pulse, they realize how much the thought of the stressful event has caused their pulse rate to increase.