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Effective Communication Skill Exercises

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    Effective Communication Skill Exercises

    Word Ball

    The word ball game encourages spontaneous communication and helps relax a group of people. You'llneed a ball and enough participants to form a rough circle. Someone throws the ball and says a word. Thenext person has to catch the ball and say a related word. For example, the chain might go: SKY - BLUE -

    OCEAN - WATER and so on. Once comfortable with this process, try doing the same thing but building astory. This makes people focus on what the previous person says and make fast connections.

    Body Language

    Body language can communicate as much or more than your words. An exercise from the University ofIllinois Extension suggests focusing on negative body language. Work in pairs. One person should talkabout something they enjoy doing, such as a hobby. The other person, without speaking, should use bodylanguage to convey a negative response, such as crossing her arms, looking at something else, fidgeting,and rolling her eyes. After a minute or two, switch roles and repeat. At the end, discuss how it made theperson speaking feel. Focusing on negative nonverbal responses helps you to become aware of them inyour own behavior and to avoid them when communicating.

    Speaking Mirror

    It takes concentration to really listen and understand what someone is saying. The speaking mirror is anexercise for two people to try and demonstrate real attention and understanding. Nominate one of you asperson A and one as person B. Let A tell a story about his last holiday. While A speaks, person B shouldsilently act out what he is saying. This helps on two levels. First it forces person B to really understandwhat's being said so she can act it out. Person A, on the other hand, has to speak clearly and slowlyenough to be understood.

    One-Way and Two-Way Communication

    This is a blindfold exercise that shows the difference between one-way and two-way communication.Participants pair up and label each other A or B. The "A" people leave the room and put on blindfolds."B's" are told that when the A people return, they must guide them around an arranged route, such as outto a nearby tree and back. However, A people cannot talk. B's explain this to the A people. When theyreturn, A and B people swap roles and decide on a new route. However, this time they are both allowed tospeak. This is a free effective communication skill exercise you can use to build trust and foster teamwork.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/306574-free-effective-communication-skill-

    exercises/#ixzz2KOV9g65T

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    Verbal Communication Training Games

    Back-To-Back Drawing

    Split the group into pairs and seat partners back-to-back. Give one person in the pair a drawing of a shape,and give the other person a clipboard with a piece of blank paper and pencil. The person with the drawingmust give a verbal description of the picture for his partner to replicate on a piece of paper. Once

    completed, pairs should compare the provided shape with the drawing. Discuss whether or notcommunication was effective and if the message was received correctly.

    Blind Square

    Assemble the group in a circle with each participant at an arm's distance from the next. Seat participantsand instruct them to put on blindfolds. Place a rope in the center of the circle, and instruct all participantsto hold onto the rope while forming a square. Members of the task must communicate with each other tomove into proper position.

    Building BlocksAssemble groups of three participants each and ask them to assign roles of director, runner and builder.Each team is given a set of building blocks and construction paper. The directors from each group aretaken to another room to view a tower constructed from building blocks and construction paper. Directorsare the only team members allowed to see the tower. The director will give building instructions to therunner, who passes the information along to the builder. The runner is allowed to take as many trips to thedirector and builder as needed within the given time. Once the allotted time has elapsed, allow participantsto see the original tower and ask them to make comparisons to the team-built towers. Discuss difficultiesin conveying information between participants and how instructions could have been bettercommunicated.

    Shoe Tie

    Split the group into pairs and assign one person in each pair to give instructions on tying a shoe to hispartner. The individual receiving directions must follow instructions exactly as stated. While tying a shoeis an everyday skill, this activity reminds participants that specific directions and guidelines in even themost mundane tasks are required to be successful.

    The Tallest Tower

    Assemble packets of supplies for groups of four to five participants, with materials such as paper cups,

    Popsicle sticks, construction paper, cardboard, masking tape, etc. Do not equally distribute supplies; keepsupplies concealed so participants can't immediately recognize the imbalance of materials. Groups areasked to build the tallest freestanding tower with supplied materials. Groups will begin to notice thedifference in supplies and will barter, steal, or resign to the fact that material distribution was unfair. Oncethe given time allotment is up, bring the teams together and discuss how participants communicatedwithin their team, and how teams communicated with each other to accomplish the task.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/179622-verbal-communication-training-games/#ixzz2KOVNw7PU

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    Exercises on Barriers to Effective Communication

    Inattentiveness

    Effective communication requires the listener to concentrate on the speaker and comprehend his message

    correctly. The listener's mind may wander, which puts up a barrier to comprehension and understanding.Reflective listening is an exercise that can break down the barrier by forcing the listener to pay attention.He must focus on the speaker well enough to be able to repeat what he believes he heard. The speaker thenconfirms or makes any needed corrections to the perception.

    Strong Opinions

    Strong opinions often form a barrier to effective communication. Two people who have conflictingopinions often get hung up on who is right or wrong. This can be remedied with empathy, which doesn'tmean agreeing with the other person. It simply means understanding and acknowledging his viewpoint.Empathy can often be achieved through an exercise in which the two opposing parties temporarily change

    side. Each person argues the other person's position. This forces the two parties to put themselves in theiropponent's shoes and may give them valuable insights that facilitate communication.

    Lack of Focus

    A conversation may start off with a particular goal, but it often gets lost if one or both parties keepbringing up other topics. This barrier can be removed through an exercise in which the parties agree on agoal and write it down before beginning to communicate. Either person may point to the goal and redirectthe conversation if they perceive it is wandering in another direction. This is an objective way to keep thefocus where it belongs.

    Focus on the Past

    Communication is often obscured by bringing up past events that were not resolved. Suddenly theconversation isn't just about one issue. It's about everything that has gone wrong for the past severalmonths or years. A simple rule can remove this barrier: Neither person is allowed to bring up any pastevents. If one person does, the other is allowed to use a predetermined code word to stop and redirect himto the current discussion point. If certain past issues keep cropping up, schedule a time to address them ina specific conversation.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/97647-exercises-barriers-effective-communication/#ixzz2KOVh3fhx

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    Exercises for Verbal Communication Skills

    Giving Directions

    This exercise encourages the speaker to choose precise language, provide adequate detail and logicallyorder steps when giving instructions. Make a list of activities that require a series of steps to execute, suchas tying a shoe, wrapping a gift and planting a flower. Write each task on a separate index card. Oneperson in the group draws an index card and instructs the rest of the group on how to complete the task,without the use of any gestures and without saying what the task is. Ask one member of the group to actout the directions exactly as stated. Other members of the group listen and try to guess what the task is.

    Checking Perceptions

    By checking perceptions when you are engaged in a conversation, you affirm the person you are listeningto. This perception-check exercise helps with developing good listening skills. The activity is for pairs, soif you want to do it in a group, have everyone find a partner. The first person needs to talk about anysubject, stating about four to five sentences. The other should listen and, when the speaker is finished,repeat back to the speaker what he or she has heard, beginning with a phrase such as, "It sounds like..." or,"What I think I heard you say was..." If any misunderstandings exist, the speaker corrects and clarifies andthe listener asks additional follow up questions, if needed. Then, the two switch roles and repeat theactivity.

    Eyewitnesses

    This exercise shows how a story changes or gets distorted depending on the teller. How the activity playsout confirms research that indicates eyewitnesses to crimes view events filtered through their own pastexperiences rather than with an objective eye, according to the University of New Hampshire. Prepare forthis role-playing exercise by typing up the following story so you can project it on screen at the end of theactivity:'A southbound truck was turning right while a northbound sports car was attempting to turn left. When thetwo drivers figured out they were trying to turn into the same lane, they both honked but continued to turnwithout slowing down. In fact, the sports car seemed to speed up just before the crash.'

    Send four witnesses and a "police officer" out of the room and then read the scenario above to a witness inthe room, who is not allowed to take notes. Witnesses outside the room should have no knowledge of thestory. Call in one of the witnesses from outside the room and ask the witness who has just heard the storyto tell it to the second witness. After this, call in a third witness and ask the second to tell the story to thethird. Continue until all the witnesses have heard the story. Finally ask the police officer to come in andrecord information from the last witness on a white board or chalkboard, if possible. Compare the storythe police officer records to the original story. Ask participants and observers to describe how they feltduring this exercise. Discuss what conclusions they have drawn from this activity.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/154739-exercises-for-verbal-communication-skills/#ixzz2KOVqBeGR

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    Activities for Nonverbal Communication

    Follow the Leader

    Mix up a follow the leader game by changing leaders frequently, suggests the websitecreativekidsathome.com. Choose the first leader, then let her initiate actions which the rest of the groupmust follow. However, she may designate the next leader, by eye contact or gesture. Changing leadersdemocratizes the game and also encourages players to observe an array of different leadership styles.

    Human Knot

    Within a group of people, entangle your limbs, then try to unravel them, suggests Winona StateUniversity. If the group size warrants, divide the group into two smaller teams. Have each group sit in atight circle, whereby they can extend their arms and grab hold of a person not directly seated beside them.You can become tangled at any speed that feels appropriate, but detangle carefully, to prevent injury.Refrain from speaking during the entire process, encouraging players to use gesture.

    Acting Out

    Dramatize a text using just your hands, face and body gestures, recommends the websiteteachingenglish.org.uk. For dialogues or conversations requiring multiple characters, let students worktogether to try to embody and convey the text. You should encourage observers to guess the content andcontext before using words to discuss the challenges the group faced and their specific intent.

    Group Drawing

    Divide the group into teams and challenge them to collaborate on drawings based on a specific idea ortheme, recommends the website businessballs.com. Keep a firm five-second time limit and cue eachperson to contribute to the drawing, then pass it on. Make sure all individuals contribute to the picture,then create a second image, changing the order of the contributors. Alternatively, you should request thatteams exchange unfinished pictures or swap artists mid-way through the process.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/159440-activities-for-nonverbal-communication/#ixzz2KOZjbaZV

    Games for Effective CommunicationBuilding Blocks

    This game develops descriptive and instructional skills as well as teamwork. The game works best withsmall groups--a minimum of three people, up to six or seven--and requires two identical sets of buildingblocks.

    Four roles are involved: director, runner, builder and observer. One person is the director, one the runner

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    and one the builder. Everybody else is the observer, but if the group has only three people, all share theobserver role.

    Put the director and builder on opposite sides of the room, with their backs to each other, each with theirown set of building blocks. You, as the facilitator, are to build something with the directors blocks. Thedirector must then give instructions to the runner, who must relay those instructions to the builder in anattempt to have the builder create an exact replica of the directors blocks. Limit the activity to 10

    minutes, then compare the builders construction with the directors. Have the group reflect on theexercise. Take feedback from all four roles, then run the exercise again--make sure to create a neworiginal model for the director--to see how the team improves.

    Phrase Ball

    The goal in phrase ball is to encourage rapid-fire thought and communication to help prepare for themoments when you might be put on the spot and have to speak without preparation. Organize yourgroup--you need at least five--into a circle. In the first round, group members take turns throwing thephrase ball--a small, soft ball--back and forth. As each member catches the ball, he must say a simpledescriptive phrase, such as the friendly kitty or the funny movie.

    When everybody is comfortable with creating phrases on the fly, change the game slightly for the secondround. The person who holds the ball must start a phrase--"the happy puppy, for example--then throw theball to the next person, who must finish the phrase--"barked with excitement--and start a new phrase.Game play continues until everybody seems comfortable speaking extemporaneously. At that point, stopthe game to discuss the activity: how each participant's feelings changed throughout the game and whichround was easier.

    Get It Together

    This game builds your team's descriptive, listening and voice-recognition skills and helps develop trustamid confusion. Divide your group into pairs. One person in each pair should be blindfolded. It is the jobof the blindfolded person to retrieve specific items from the center of the circle based on the cues given byhis partner. This exercise seems simple enough when it starts, but it becomes more complicated as moreblindfolded people enter the circle and begin trying to find items. At the end, discuss the methods peopleused to tune out others' noise and confusion and focus on working as a team.

    Bull Ring

    Bull ring is a physical challenge that reinforces effective communication and teamwork. Tie several piecesof string or twine--one for each member of the group--to a 1.5-inch metal ring.

    The groups mission is to carry a ball, such as a tennis ball or softball, through, over and around a series ofobstacles and place the ball on a goal--perhaps a water bottle or a piece of pipe. If the team drops the ball,it must start again from the beginning. When the team has reached its goal, discuss the challenges, whatteam members learned and how people took the lead.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/167054-games-for-effective-communication/#ixzz2KOa2YZn5

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    Teamwork Exercise Games for Employees

    Group Juggle

    "Group juggle," from corporate trainer and motivator Kirk Weisler, is designed to help employees releasestress, improve time-management skills and conflict resolution skills. Three different kinds of balls orother soft objects are needed. This is a 30-minute exercise that uses a facilitator to introduce new balls intothe exercise. Group juggle starts with all the employees standing in a circle with only a small amount ofspace between each person. The first ball represents primary tasks. The ball is thrown to someone in thegroup. That person then must state what his primary work tasks are and then throw the ball to anotherperson in the group. Each person who catches this ball must also state his work tasks. While the first ballis still circulating in the group, the second ball is thrown. The second ball is the "curve ball," things in lifethat people have no control over. As with the first ball, the person catching this ball must state one item hehas no control over. The third ball follows the same pattern and represents distractions. All three balls willbe circulating in the group at one point. When everyone has caught each ball once, the game is over.

    Ten-Dollar Auction

    "Ten-dollar auction," from corporate trainer and international business consultant Gregory P. Smith,teaches employees the positive and negative effects of workplace competition. An auction is set up with agavel, auctioneer and a $10 bill. The employee group is told that a $10 bill will be auctioned and thewinner will have to pay the auctioned amount for the bill. Immediately after the first auction, a secondauction is held for a single $10 bill. This time, both the winner and second place bidder must pay the bidamount; however, only the winning bidder gets the $10. Typically, the auction becomes competitive andthe bidding goes beyond the $10 amount. Often, employees get caught up in the frenzy of competition andlose sight of the real value of the item being auctioned. Employees then examine how workplace

    competition can increase imprudent decision-making that may lead to fiscal irresponsibility. The positiveside of competition is the increased excitement and energy that healthy competition can provide.

    Mine Field

    "Mine field" is a teamwork exercise that builds communication and relationship building through trust.Objects are scattered about the center of a room. The area is taped off in a square. Employees are pairedup with one employee blindfolded, while the other is the guide. The challenge is for the blindfoldedemployee to make it from one end of the course to the other through the mine field, being guided verballyby the other employee.

    Day-Colors Exercise

    The "day colors" exercise is an employee exercise that illustrates how people see the same thingsdifferently. This helps build employee empathy, to help in conflict resolution. Understanding anotherperson's point of view helps reduce confusion that can lead to conflict because of a misunderstanding.Each employee will need a pen and pad of paper. Everyone closes their eyes and is told to imagine thedays of the week. They are then asked what color they see for each day and to write them down. Adiscussion follows where everyone compares the days of the week and their color choices.

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    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/376595-teamwork-exercise-games-for-employees/#ixzz2KOauFzgL

    Current Articles

    Reading Body Language: Sitting Positions

    :: ::Leadership, Training Articles, Negotiation, Body Language,Personal Impact,Attention and Focus,

    Meeting Skills,Persuasion Skills

    Humans are predictable. Magicians have taken advantage of this predictability for generations.Knowing how to read people helps you significantly in your negotiations, persuasions and overallcommunications. This ability to predict human behaviour is often related to our evolutionary past. Aswe have evolved to survive in our environment, we have acquired a lot of hardwiring in our brain

    which now simply dictate our behaviour. We are all too familiar with some of the common behaviourssuch as seeking water when thirsty or wanting to leave the meeting room when we can no longer holdit.

    However, some of these hardwiring and their consequences are more subtle and a careful observationcan give the observer a significant advantage in predicting the eventual behaviour. It's all about readingnon-verbal signals, where people are looking, their body orientation, their posture, their eyes, theirlegs and other gestures.

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    In this article, a particularly useful body language technique is presented that helps you read peopleand understand what people are likely to do before they do it and to use this knowledge to youradvantage. This also helps you to improve your communication skills as you don't have to relyprimarily on what people say and can read other non-verbal signals to understand them.

    Body Language

    Body language is a vast field, especially considering the differences between various cultures that usedifferent gestures to express themselves. A particularly interesting area within body language is sittingpositions. How do people choose a particular seat? What parameters influence their decisions?

    You may wonder why we should care about sitting positions. In certain situations, knowing wheresomeone is going to sit when they have a free choice can help you position yourself accordinglyperhaps for attention or to stay away from them. Sitting positions are particularly useful innegotiations, meetings, coaching, training, appraisal, interviews and so on.

    Remember, if there is only one seat available or if it is obvious where someone must sit either by

    design or from standard norms in society, then this particular observation of body language doesntapply. The technique explored here is useful when a subject has a free choice in choosing where to sit.

    Sitting Preference Example

    Suppose a person, say a client enters a room which is full of chairs. Where would he choose to sit? Isthere a pattern? What is the most important factor that defines their choice?

    There can be several parameters that influence a persons choice of sitting, but one parameter is morecritical and usually overshadows all others.

    Lets consider the setup shown above (see image at the start of the article). Which seats are the mostcommon places for people to sit? If people incrementally enter the room, is there a particular sequenceof chairs that they choose? Is there a pattern?

    Think about this before reading further. It is a nice puzzle to ponder over. You can then see the resultsin the illustration provided at the end of this article.

    What Make People Choose a Particular Seat?

    As you can see from the illustration (provided below), the most common seats are those that are circledin red. The reasons are as follows:

    People dont like to have their backs exposed. Hence, they often choose a location with theirback to a wall if they can. This comes from our natural defensive tendencies. If we have achoice, we choose the safest path.

    People want to sit where they can see other people who enter the room or the environment.People prefer to have maximum view of the environment.

    People are also slightly wary of windows. They like to be next to them, but not too close, just incase. Hence, in this example the most common seat is the one on the right. The one on the leftis slightly too close to the window and when people have a choice between the two (and all else

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    being equal) they will choose the one on the right. People in countries with less sun usually want to sit in the sun. Chairs with better sun may have

    a preference, unless the sun disturbs them because they have to look at a computer screen orsomething similar. In this example, if the circled chair on the left was in the sun (and this roomwas in a north European country such as UK), it is more likely to be taken first than the chairon the right.

    What Seats Are Avoided?

    There are also some seats that people would avoid unless there is absolutely no choice left. In thisexample, people would never choose to sit in seats circled in black unless all other seats are taken. Theproblem with these seats is that they strongly expose the back to others. A person sitting in one of thesechairs will be unconsciously vulnerable and would have limited view of what is going on behind him.

    When confronted with such a choice, a person may even prefer to stand (and spend more energy) while

    others are sitting. This helps him to be in a position of advantage since standing over others will allowhim to feel more in control and remain aware of his surroundings.

    Is There a Pattern?

    Humans are territorial and like to keep their personal space private. As a result, when sharing anenvironment with others, we tend to divide the area in our head and give as much space to others as wecan while claiming as much space as possible ourselves. Lets illustrate this with an example;

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    If a series of people who dont know each other enter the room shown in this picture, they are likely tochoose the following sequence of chairs; the first person chooses the best seat (1). The second personaims to be as far away as he from the other person, effectively dividing the space by two. The thirdperson chooses a seat away from the other two and this sequence continues. Remember, the generalrule of protecting the back still applies and can have a significant influence. Sitting next to anotherperson is toleratedso long as it has the best protection for the back even if seats are available furtheraway.

    Test Your Body Language Knowledge

    To become more familiar with this technique, choose a particular room with a series of seats andanalyse it to see where most people might sit. Good choices for such rooms are reception rooms,libraries, university/hospital common rooms and similar public environments. Wait until people start touse the room and see if your observation matches the reality. Expect to be amazed at the clear patternthat emerges and gives you a warm feeling of being in control. Who knows, you may even feel much

    like a true magician. Enjoy.

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    Group Problem Solving Exercise: Re-Zoom

    :: ::Leadership,Exercises, Team Building, Communication Skills, Exercises for Kids,Decision Making,

    Problem Solving,Questioning Skills,Listening Skills,Memory

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    Purpose

    This is a creative exercise which can be used to explore topics such as communication skills, leadership,problem solving decision making and perspective taking. Effectively, delegates must work together tosort a sequence of images by enquiring from each other and collectively decide on the best outcome.

    Objective

    Collectively sort a sequence of images without being able to see each others images.

    What You Need

    You need a series of images that form a sequence. A great source is Re-Zoom by Istvan Banvai,ISBN: 978-0613961684. The images move from small details to larger and larger which sets thetone of the sequence. If you use this book, separate the pages and prepare them as cards.

    Timer.

    Setup

    Distribute one picture to each person. Delegates should not show their images to each other. On your mark, the group as a whole should start working together to sort the series of images.

    The challenge is to sequence them without looking at each others images. Generally, you expect the delegates to start obtaining information from each other so each

    person can form an idea of the content of the images. Sometimes a person emerges as a leaderwhich greatly facilitates the process.

    Time the activity so you know how long it takes the group to solve the problem. You can usethis to collect statistics as you deliver the exercise in different courses.

    The activity stops when the group decides that they have finally got the full sequence. Thisusually takes about 15 minutes. Ask everyone to reveal their images and see if they had identified the correct sequence. Follow with a discussion.

    Timing

    Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes

    Activity: 15 minutes

    Group Feedback: 10 minutes

    Discussion

    How well do you think you performed, especially in comparison with other groups in the past? Whereyou effective in making group decisions? What worked well? What did not work well? Did you have aleader? How did the leader emerge? What was the effect of having a leader? Did you think of having asystem to increase the efficiency of your group communication and information exchange? If so, whatwas the effect of such a system? What did you learn from this exercise? What would you do in a futuregroup discussion to benefit from what you learned here?

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    Memory Exercise: Andy Says

    Purpose

    This exercise helps delegates to memorise physical moves and also improve reaction times when acommand is heard. The basic concept is very simple and can be easily applied to a variety of exercises,

    especially sport exercises. This activity is ideal for memorising specific moves or allowing participants tofocus and concentrate.

    Objective

    Execute a particular move based on a specific command while avoiding the execution based on a wrongcommand.

    What You Need

    An area large enough for carrying out physical exercises An optional prize

    Setup

    Ask participants to line up. Explain that you are going to teach them a series of moves. Make a specific move. For example, raise your right hand and point forward. Call this move 1. Make another move. For example, put your left leg forward and then return to standing position.

    Call this move 2. Present 4 more moves. Now, state a move number and expect participants to correctly execute it. Randomly go back and forward between the various moves and expect participants to correctly

    follow the corresponding move. Next, explain that you are now going to add a twist. Lets assume that your name is Andy. Explain

    that from now on if you say, Andy says move 1 then participants must follow that move. If yousay Move 1, then no one should move because you didnt say, Andy says.

    Let the fun begin by randomly saying Move X, Andy says move X where X is from 1 to 6 andexpect participants to move only when you say Andy says and at no other time.

    After a warm up session when participants have made a few mistakes but got the idea, explain thatyou now want to do a little competition. From now on, if anyone makes a mistake, he or she isdropped out of the game and should leave the rest to stand on one side. The remaining participantswould carry on until only one person is left which would be declared as the ultimatefocused

    winner. Carry on stating the command until only one person is left. While going through the commands use challenging remarks that can catch people off-guard. For

    example, after a while when a few participants have dropped out, point to participants who are abit further away from the others on the line and say, Can you move closer a bit?. Anyone whofollows this command has made a mistake because you didnt say, Andy says can you movecloser? There will be lots of Ahs and oohs, but this will make the exercise more entertainingand memorable.

    You can optionally give a prize to the winner at the end.

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    Timing

    Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes

    Activity: 10 minutes

    Group Feedback: 0 minutes

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