Inspire Team

Card Pieces

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#communicating with confidence
15 +
6

Goal

This short activity aims to enhance participants' empathy by developing communication and negotiation skills. Participants will work in teams, engaging in a card-bartering activity that challenges their collaborative and strategic thinking abilities.

Materials

    Instructions

    1. Prepare Materials

      1. Ensure you have enough participants for at least three teams of two (or three teams of three/four for optimal engagement. ).

      2. Gather playing cards and cut each card on the diagonal twice, creating four triangular pieces, each one showcasing the card in question.

      3. Mix all the pieces, placing equal amounts into envelopes for each team.


    1. Form Teams & Distribute Materials

      1. Divide participants into teams.

      2. Provide each team with an envelope containing the triangular playing card pieces.

    2. Sorting and Strategy

      1. Explain to the learners that the goal of the game is to collect the most complete sets of cards (all 4 triangular pieces) by the end of the game.

        1. What isn’t allowed? Stealing card pieces, forging card pieces, sabotaging or destroying other’s card pieces.

        2. What is allowed? All tactics are permissible unless explicitly stated as not allowed. This open-ended approach aims to foster creativity, strategic thinking, and adaptability in the negotiation process.

      2. Allocate three minutes for teams to sort their pieces, identify missing elements to complete cards, and devise a bargaining strategy.

    3. Bargaining Phase

      1. After the sorting period, initiate an eight-minute bargaining phase where teams can negotiate to obtain missing pieces.

      2. Individuals can bargain independently or collaborate within their teams.

    4. Scoring

      1. When the bargaining time concludes, count the completed cards for each team. The team with the most completed cards is the winner of the round.


    Optional Alternative: Use 3 smaller puzzles and divide the pieces up between the teams. Teams now need to barter and negotiate for puzzles pieces to build one of the puzzles. The team with the most complete puzzle by the end “wins”. 

    Background

    Preparation

    • Review the rules and steps of the activity to ensure a smooth facilitation. Familiarize yourself with potential challenges that may arise during the bartering phase.

    Technology Considerations

    This activity is designed for in person groups.

    No technology is required for this activity.

    Additional Context

    Strategic Communication: Participants learn to develop effective negotiation strategies within their teams, emphasizing the significance of clear communication, active listening, and collaborative decision-making.

    Problem Solving: The exercise provides a practical platform for honing problem-solving skills. Participants engage in critical thinking as they strategize to complete playing cards through negotiation and trade.

    Adaptability: The dynamic nature of the bartering phase encourages adaptability. Participants must adjust their strategies based on the evolving dynamics of negotiations, emphasizing the value of flexibility in communication and decision-making.

    Team Collaboration: Success in the activity relies on effective teamwork. Participants discover the impact of cohesive collaboration, emphasizing the need for a collective approach to problem-solving and negotiation.

    Tips for Localization

    • Consider discussing the role of trade and barter in Indigenous cultures and how ancestors traded furs, food, and materials to survive. Help learners make connections between the skills they used for this activity, and how those same skills would’ve helped Indigenous ancestors build and maintain relationships.


    Debrief Questions

    • Which negotiation strategies worked? Which didn’t?

    • How could teams do better at bargaining?

    • What skills, such as active listening or empathy, were important during the activity?

    • What role did collaboration play in this activity?

    • What similarities are there between the activity and real-world collaborations?


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