Communication & Listening

Companion to What's My Coaching Style? Facilitator Set (#RBWCHF)

What's My Coaching Style? is coaching assessment for management development that measures personality style and explores how it relates to coaching and interpersonal relationships. Coaches and managers identify and understand personality traits, learn how to capitalize on personal strengths, and minimize potential weaknesses.

Includes 1 print Self-Assessment. TRAINERS: order one Self Assessment for each individual.

Self Assessment Table of Contents:

• 18-item assessment with pressure-sensitive response form
• Scoring and Understanding Your Coaching Style
• What is Coaching
• What is Style
• Coaching + Style = Coaching Style
• Why is It Important That I Know My Coaching Style
• Scoring What's My Coaching Style?
• Interpreting Your Scores
• Is There a Best Coaching Style?
• Too Much of a Good Thing?
• Action Planning
• References

Understanding personal style is the first step to developing successful coaching relationships. By responding to the 18-item What's My Coaching Style? inventory and receiving feedback from coachees, participants identify their personal style and build an understanding of the people they coach.

What's My Coaching Style? is coaching assessment for management development that measures personality style and explores how it relates to coaching and interpersonal relationships. Coaches and managers identify and understand personality traits, learn how to capitalize on personal strengths, and minimize potential weaknesses.

Accurate, easy to use, and apply, the coaching assessment measures an individual's preference for one or more basic behavioral styles: Direct, Spirited, Considerate, and Systematic. With this knowledge, individuals can better understand why they behave the way they do, learn how to adapt their behavior to improve interpersonal relationships, develop rapport, and ultimately, become more effective coaches.

The What's My Coaching Style? Assessment starts with an 18-item inventory that takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Each of the 18 items is a pair of statements. With a limit of 5 points, assessment-takers distribute points between the two statements in each pair - indicating the degree to which they feel the work describes their behavior. Scoring the assessment reveals a "My Coaching Style Profile" and a dominant preference for one or more four personal styles: Direct, Spirited, Considerate, and Systematic.

Look under your thumb, share, and get happy at work!

The Get Happy at Work Thumball discussion prompts help create a more positive workplace by allowing colleagues to share goals, discuss challenges, and build relationships. Focusing on Positive Emotion, Engagement, Meaning, Accomplishments, and Relationships, the prompts help surface sources of happiness as they draw out individuals' personal qualities, work challenges, professional goals, and organizational dynamics. By putting a positive spin on important discussion topics, the Get Happy at Work Thumball helps promote optimism, identify areas for organizational improvement and build a happier workplace.

Share your reaction to whatever prompt lies under your thumb. Thumball is a soft 6" stuffed ball with loads of applications!

You could also purchase our UNZIP-it! with Get Happy at Work Card Deck (Product Code #: BLZPAJ). These cards contain the same awesome prompts as our Thumball!

GET HAPPY AT WORK THUMBALL PROMPTS

The 32 prompts on this Thumball explore...

• Workplace opportunities, challenges, and accomplishments
• Upcoming priorities
• Experiences and learning moments
• Personal and professional goals
• New risks, learning, or skills you hope to explore
• Meaningful mentors, people, and relationships at work

[NOTE: Silver Series Conversation Prompts are available as Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! Pocket & Deck, and Virtual/Remote PPT.]

** TIPS & FACILITATION SUGGESTIONS **

1. Explain your goal.To maximize participation, explain that your goal is to promote shared understanding and build a happier, more supportive environment.
2. Don't rush it.Appreciate that some may not be able to give quick or pat answers to a prompt; others might want to take some time to discuss their thoughts. Don't feel rushed to get to the next question. Rather, give people the time needed to discuss what's on their mind.
3. Take notes.Thumballs have a great way of teasing out important information. Keep a notepad handy in case you hit an issue you'd like to revisit later.
4. Give each player a “pass.”If a player finds a prompt particularly difficult, invite them to take a PASS, ASK A FRIEND, or request a DISCUSSION.
   

NOTE: This ball is part of Trainers Warehouse's exclusive Silver Series Thumballs. (C) Trainers Warehouse.

MORE RESOURCES

• Tips & Suggestions on Facilitating Thumball Experiences
• How Deep to Discuss
• 7 Tips to formulate great questions
• More tools for great conversations
• Discover Your Thumball Style
• How Deep to Discuss Infographic

What's My Communication Style provides employees at all levels insight into their everyday communication with others.

Communication skills are critical if your organization is going to thrive, particularly during challenging times. You can dramatically improve communication skills by building a better understanding of personal styles and their effects on others. What's My Communication Style is a proven process that identifies an individual's dominant communication style and the communication behaviors that distinguish it, then helps individuals learn to flex their style with colleagues.

Based upon the work of William M. Marston, and often referred to as DISC, the HRDQ Style Model provides a simple and powerful model that learners can apply to how they communicate, lead others, manage time, learn, coach and sell.

An excellent takeaway for participants, each 4" x 6" HRDQue Card is a quick-reference tool that features the HRDQ Style Model, summarizes each style, and lists their characteristics.

Order 1 Facilitator Guide per instructor, 1 Workbook (#RBWCSW) for each participant, and 1 Que Card (#RBWCSQ) for each particpant. In addition, 1 Assessment (#RBWCSG) for each participant or if perferable, an online assessment (#SOLASC) is available.

What's My Communication Style provides employees at all levels insight into their everyday communication with others.

Communication skills are critical if your organization is going to thrive, particularly during challenging times. You can dramatically improve communication skills by building a better understanding of personal styles and their effects on others. What's My Communication Style is a proven process that identifies an individual's dominant communication style and the communication behaviors that distinguish it, then helps individuals learn to flex their style with colleagues.

Based upon the work of William M. Marston, and often referred to as DISC, the HRDQ Style Model provides a simple and powerful model that learners can apply to how they communicate, lead others, manage time, learn, coach and sell.

The Print Workbook deepens participants' understanding of the assessment results and is used during the workshop. Organized for easy follow-along, it includes background information and theories about communication, an explanation of the HRDQ Style Model, in-depth interpretive information, individual and group activities, and a personal development plan.

Order 1 Facilitator Guide (#RBWCSF) per instructor, and 1 Workbook for each participant.

All Adrift is a short energetic activity to get teams working together, exchanging views and agreeing priorities. The activity is supplied digitally, for use in virtual or face-to-face training sessions.

THE ACTIVITY

Ideal for use as a virtual training activity or virtual training energiser (and also suitable for face-to-face classrooms too), each team member receives a Brief, telling them the scenario: they are crew members on a yacht, on a sailing holiday off the west coast of France.

An emergency arises when a fire starts in the galley and quickly spreads. They quickly inflate and launch a dinghy but much of the yacht is consumed by fire and they are able to grab only 14 items before abandoning ship.

Teams have a list of the 14 items and are asked to select the top ten most useful items for the situation. Once chosen, they must rank the items 1 to 10, with No.1 being the most important.

First, participants must do this on their own to provide an individual ranking. Then, participants are asked to work in their teams to prepare a 'team' ranking. Both individual and team rankings are recorded on a Ranking Form. There is also a Score Chart, so all the rankings can be scored and compared.

How effectively did participants work together as a team? What did they score - individuals and teams? How well did teams perform compared with individuals?

The chart is based on an 'Expert Ranking' provided by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI). Teams may choose to challenge this ranking but it will need to be a well-founded challenge!

Clear thinking, convincing argument and team rapport are all vital!

An ideal starter or team energizer on any course.

TRAINER'S ROLE

• Briefly introduce the training activity in plenary. Explain the activity has two parts, the first is for individuals to do on their own. The second is for team members to work together on the task.
• Allocate teams (3-4 per team) and put into breakout rooms.
• Send a copy of the Team Brief and a copy of the Ranking Form to each participant. If necessary, participants can draw up their own Ranking Form on paper.
• Tell them they each have 15-20 minutes to complete the task, on their own.
• After the allotted time ask them to now work as teams and repeat the ranking process. Announce teams have 30 minutes.
• Visit the breakout rooms to observe teams at work.
• Stop the activity at the allotted time. Issue the How to Score chart, so that all rankings can be scored.
• Debrief in a plenary session. Ask for volunteers to share their individual scores, then ask the same of teams. Alternatively, ask for a show of hands for each rating band. Explain the scores are based on an RNLI ranking.
• How did teams perform? How did they work as a team? Did a leader or coordinator emerge? How easily did they reach consensus?
• Were the consensus decisions of the team better or worse than the individual scores? What do the outcomes indicate?
• A flipchart/shared whiteboard might be useful - to list key points.

Full guidance is provided in the Trainer's Notes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• To grasp the essence of a situation
• To think clearly and logically - and use common sense
• To evaluate levels of importance
• To be able to put a point of view convincingly
• To be prepared to compromise

CONTENTS

• Trainer's Notes
• Team Brief
• Ranking Form
• How to Score Chart

This Northgate training activity is delivered through an online portal and comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 24 participants per training session within the license-holding organization.

All Adrift is designed by Northgate Training Activities.

This is a downloadable product. You will receive emailed instructions on how to download the software. It may take 1-3 days to receive this email, depending on the day of the week that the order is placed.

The Expedition Online is a teamwork and planning activity supplied digitally, for use in virtual or face-to-face training sessions.

THE ACTIVITY

Their mission is to travel to a location deep in the desert to collect a vitally important letter (that could mean the difference between life and death). They have a map, a vehicle to travel in and a coded message that will reveal the location - but little else. What data do they need in order to plan the expedition? They must formulate eight carefully constructed questions in order to get that critical information.

Now they can start planning in earnest. They’ll see there are three possible routes – all need investigating. Who does what? Do they demonstrate attention to detail? Are they conscious of time?

They must also choose four people to go on the expedition itself. What attributes are they looking for? They can select members of their own team or candidates whose details are supplied in the Team Brief – or a mixture of both.

Their vehicle is subject to strict weight restrictions, 900 Kg max, so fuel, water, food, first aid, tools etc must be carefully chosen for each stage of the journey. Emergency supplies MUST be carried; other items are optional - but all have weight implications. Teams use Checklists to plan the packing of the vehicle and ascertain total weights. Get it badly wrong – and the expedition fails!

If all safety precautions are adhered to, of the three possible routes, only one is realistic. Will teams realise this or will they take unjustifiable risks to get back to base ahead of their competitors?

TRAINER'S ROLE

1. Briefly introduce the session, divide the group into teams and issues team briefs, a map of the Gozo Desert and a Data Request Form.
2. Teams have 15 minutes to brainstorm eight questions that will give them the data they need to plan the expedition. They note these on the Data Request Form.
3. After 15 minutes collect the Data Request Forms and hold them until the Debrief (for analysis/discussion).
4. Whatever data was requested, issue each team with a Critical Information Sheet. This gives teams all the information they need to plan their expedition.
5. Observe teams in action. Make notes on their teamwork, delegation, leadership, planning skills and time management.
6. After 90 minutes call a halt. After a break issue copies of the Team Review Sheet for teams to work through.
7. Ask each team EITHER to give brief feedback on how they worked together and what their final decision was, OR, if time allows, ask teams to prepare a more substantial presentation.
8. Lead a general debrief on the activity – there are lots of issues. Summarise the key lessons learned. Relate these to the workplace and how improvements might be made in real life.

Full instructions, discussion notes and learning points in the Trainer’s Notes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• how, as a team, to address the overall planning process
• to ask the right questions early on, to identify key issues
• the importance of accuracy and attention to detail
• basic logistics
• to select the best personnel for the job
• to evaluate different options

CONTENTS

• Trainer’s Guide (supplied as a PDF)
• Team Brief (supplied as a PDF)
• Gozo Desert Map (supplied as a PDF)
• Handout: Critical Information (supplied as a PDF)
• Handout: Team Review Form (supplied as a PDF)
• Checklist (supplied as a PDF)
• Data Request Form (supplied as a PDF)

This Northgate training activity is delivered through an online portal and comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 24 participants per training session within the license-holding organization.

The Expedition is designed by Northgate Training Activities.

This is a downloadable product. You will receive emailed instructions on how to download the software. It may take 1-3 days to receive this email, depending on the day of the week that the order is placed.

Time Trial is a SHORT, sharp activity to deliver KEY LESSONS on time management supplied digitally, for use in virtual or face-to-face training sessions. In this 60-minute activity participants are faced with a stream of emails and ongoing projects.

THE ACTIVITY

It’s the start of a new week and the general manager at Cavendish is faced with a lot of ‘things to do’. It’s the perfect time to take a few moments to organise the week ahead:

• Plan the diary
• Prioritize the workload
• Decide where/how to best utilise staff
• Arrange meetings where necessary
• Learn to sometimes just say ‘NO’

Teams - or individuals - have two forms: Your Diary and Your Action Record, on which they record their responses.

In addition, the emails reveal some organisational problems and at the end of the activity participants are asked what underlying issues they were able to identify.

A scoring system allows teams' time planning skills to be assessed and scored. Teams then have a benchmark for improving their time management skills and productivity in the workplace.

The activity is straightforward to facilitate - full details are in the Trainer’s Notes.

TRAINER'S ROLE

1. Issue emails to teams (or individuals).

2. Tell teams they have 60 minutes to complete their task.

3. Issue forms: Your Diary and Your Action Record.

4. Observe teams (but do not get involved).

5. After 10 minutes issue the first of six additional emails - and one more every 10 minutes so that the final email is issued just a moment before the 60 minutes is up.

6. At 60 minutes stop the session and move on to the debrief.

7. Debrief the activity by leading a discussion to the whole group. Work through the forms, reveal the ‘right answers’ and allow teams to score their forms. They can then compare their decisions - usually provoking a lively discussion and plenty of disagreement. (Remember, the principles of time planning are the issue - rather than exactly the right response to a particular email).

8. Summarize the key learning points and announce the winning score. (Performance rating indicator supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.)

9. Issue 20 Top Tips handout to take back to the workplace.

Full guidance, discussion points answers are supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.

CONTENTS

• Trainer’s Notes
• Team Brief
• Sets of Emails
• Handout 1: Your Diary
• Handout 2: Your Action Record
• Handout 3: Top Tips
• Specimen Answers for completed Handouts 1&2

This Northgate training activity is delivered through an online portal and comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 24 participants per training session within the license-holding organization.

Time Trial Online is designed by Northgate Training Activities

This is a downloadable product. You will receive emailed instructions on how to download the software. It may take 1-3 days to receive this email, depending on the day of the week that the order is placed.

This engaging, interactive Emotional Intelligence exercise is a perfect workplace discussion tool. These 30 EQ conversation prompts will improve mutual understanding and help teams develop stronger emotional intelligence skills. The resource is suitable for use in both virtual and face-to-face training sessions.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING ACTIVITY LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Learn about the emotional intelligence in an interactive way
• Help participants’ identify their own EI strengths and weaknessses
• Build a list of the skills and attributes associated with good EI
• Understand ways to improve emotional intelligence
• Reduce stress and make relationships at work (and in life) more rewarding

HOW THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING ACTIVITY WORKS

Emotional intelligence skills are critical to creating a positive work environment, in which productivity, staff well-being and morale can prosper.

In this engaging activity, you'll show small teams of participants one of the 30 discussion cards (online or printed version). Each card poses an EI-related question that requires a response. Participants are asked to:

1. Individual responses: Participants consider their own response and jot personal notes on a handout or notebook. The individual response allows for self-analysis and through trying to reach a team consensus, the card is shared and discussed.
2. Group Concensus: Teams then discuss their answers within their small group and must agree on a team response. People learn from hearing viewpoints from others and having to give reasons to support their own.

The activity is not in any way a test. Each member of the team has their own forms, so any notes participants make about themselves are strictly for their eyes only.

Facilitators have many options for how they use the cards. The can shuffle the cards and move from question to question. Choose just the few prompts the prefer to discuss. See how many topics they can cover in the allotted time.

30 CARDS - 3 TYPES OF PROMPTS

The 30 cards are broken into 3 categories. Each category has a different question and response format.

1. Response Cards (10 cards) - these prompts pose a specific question for consideration. These cards might ask, for instance, What strong personal values influence your actions and decisions?
2. Yes/No Cards (10 cards) - these ask a yes/no question, then prompt players to consider why they answered as they did. For instance, they might ask if you agree or disagree with a probing statement.
3. Task Cards (10 cards) - these require to participants to consider the action they might take in a certain situation. For example, Consider how you might regulate your own emotions in a given situation.

Together, the cards show how EI is about self-awareness, self-restraint, empathy, self-esteem and good social skills - and about regulating emotions rather than allowing them to take centre stage.

After the debrief, there is a handout for individuals to take away, to use as a memory aid.

PARTICIPANTS

• 3-24 (up to 4 teams of 3-6 per team)

TIMING

• 1 hour + debrief

LEARN MORE

TRAINER/FACILITATOR ROLE

• Introduce the activity in plenary session. When using virtually, arrange the group into teams of 3-6 and install in breakout rooms. In the classroom, teams simply sit at different tables.Issue the set of 30 cards to view on-screen (in a virtual or face-to-face setting) or you can print them (if in a face-to-face setting).
• Teams work through the cards one at a time. If time is limited, you may choose to omit certain cards - or give a time-guide of, for example, two minutes per card.
• Observe teams in action and collect any interesting interactions for the debrief.
• Halt proceedings after the hour and allow teams a few moments to reflect on the session.
• Lead a debrief in plenary to bring out the learning points. The Trainer’s Notes includes a commentary for every card.
• Finally, issue the Handout that summarizes the topic and gives tips for the future.

PACK CONTENTS

• Trainer’s Facilitation Notes (PDF file)
• PowerPoint Presentation (PPT file)
• Set of 30 'Cards' (PPT and PDF files)
• Handout A: Response Form (PDF file)
• Handout B: Tasks Form (PDF file)
• Handout C: Notes on EI (PDF file)

FIVE-YEAR LICENSE

This Northgate Training Activity comes with a five-year license for repeat use with up to 24 participants per training session within the license-holding organisation.

Emotional Intelligence Training Activity is designed by Northgate Training Activitiesand supplied digitally via the Northgate Trainerhub.

MORE FROM TRAINERS WAREHOUSE

TRAINERS WAREHOUSE is your one-stop shop for training tools that make learning more innovative and fun. You'll find loads of team building and emotional intelligence tools, as well as fidget toys, reusable table tents, and signage solutions for classroom management.

This is a downloadable product. You will receive emailed instructions on how to download the software. It may take 1-3 days to receive this email, depending on the day of the week that the order is placed.

GAIN AWARENESS OF PERSONAL STRENGTHS

Based on theories of psychologist William Marston, the HRD Press DISCStyles assessment helps organizations understand how behaviors impact the success of their employees--and their bottom line -- and improve communication and conflict resolution skills. The HRD Press DISCStyles assessment has been crafted specifically to assist organizations in understanding how behaviors impact the success of their employees—and how it all links to the bottom line.

The DISC Styles Facilitators Guide contains all the information you need to run an effective an engaging DISC session. The opening pages of this Leader’s Guide provide you with an overview of each program option—the half-day (4 hours) and the full-day (7.5 hours) as well as preliminary information you will need. Following these pages are The DISC Presentation Outlines for both options.

Although guidelines or “scripts” for conducting activities and/or presentations are provided, you still must prepare for the session in advance! Don’t expect to just wing it and get great results. You will want to customize the script by including your own stories and examples or making key points that are particularly relevant to your participants

THE FACILITATOR GUIDE - HALF-DAY OR FULL-DAY PROGRAM

• Program overview for 4-hours and 7.5-hours event
• DISCStyles Presentation Outlines: includes page references for presentations, activity listings, and scripts
• Presentation - slides to share with participants
• Activities - description of the activity and debrief
• Scripts - what to say when introducing the session or activities within it.

NOTE: while guidelines or “scripts” are provided, facilitators are advised to prepare adequately fo the session. Customize the notes to your needs, include personal stories, and add examples that will be relevant to your participants. If you want excellent results, don’t just wing-it!

BENEFITS OF USING DISCStyles

• Gain awareness of personal strengths and motivations
• Uncover career development opportunities
• Improve methods for interpersonal communication
• Enhance conflict resolution ability
• Create 360-degree feedback for your leaders
• Build and strengthen teams
• Improve professional relationships internally and externally

SAMPLE TOPICS

• Your Behavioral Style Tendencies, Strengths, and Struggles
• Your Management Strategies and What Motivates You
• Your Communication Preferences
• About the Four Basic DISC styles
• How to Identify Another Person's Style
• How to Use Adaptability for Greater Success

ASSESSEMENTS SOLD SEPARATELY

Use the Facilitators guide and purchase either of the following from Trainers Warehouse:

• HRD DISCStyles Assessments, 5-pack paper assessment (#RBWHDSC)

The Emotions Card Deck provides a path to emotional intelligence and personal growth.

Emotions are a fundamental part of our human experience, yet understanding and navigating them can sometimes be a challenge and this card deck for educators and facilitators is designed to enhance emotional literacy, develop essential skills for managing emotions, and facilitate meaningful discussions. Each card features a unique emotion or feeling ranging from joy to sadness, excitement to fear. The cards cover a wide range of emotions, empowering individuals to identify and understand their feelings and those of others which promotes self-awareness, effective communication skills, and empathy.

Each of the 57 double-sided cards also features a thought-provoking question related to the emotion depicted. These questions inspire group discussions and encourage sharing of experiences, perspectives, and strategies. Through sharing their emotional experiences, individuals realize that their feelings are not unique and have been experienced by others, fostering a sense of connection and support. The reverse side of each card adds an exciting twist to the learning experience and provides endless opportunities for play-based learning and interactive fun.

CARD DECK INCLUDES

57 double-sided emotion flashcards
4 single-sided color-coded Mood Meter cards
1 double-sided product description card that includes a QR code to Activity Guide with step-by-step instructions for 13 activities
1 single-sided card with list of emotions presented on flashcards

FEATURES

• The color of each card's outline corresponds to the 4-quadrant Mood Meter matrix, which sorts feeling based on intensity (one one axis) and pleasantness (on the other axis).
• Printed on premium quality card stock with a matt finish
• Flashcard size: 8 ½” x 5 ½”
• Durable and easy-to-store box 9" x 6"
• Cards are suitable for all ages from youth to adult

ONE DECK - OODLES OF ACTIVITIES

This deck is incredibly versatile and can be use for by a number of professionals developing EQ skills:

• Educators looking for activities to foster emotional literacy and a stronger classroom culture
• Guidance counselors seeking group or one-on-one activities
• Out-of-school professionals exploring ways to support social and emotional learning
• Facilitators & Adventure Practitioners seeking a tool for team development work with diverse groups across all ages

RollaBall! is so much more than a team building activity. This multi-faceted inter-team development exercise emphasizes the need for multiple departments to work together toward a common goal. This challenge is SO fun! Each team is challenged to create one-third of a runway that will carry a ping-pong ball from the starting point to the end of the line. Each section of the runway will look different and require a different set of resources.

At first, teams won't know whether they should compete or collaborate--most assume it's a competition. At the outset, they're asked a set of multiple choice questions, which get them started in assembling the resources they'll need to build a ball slide. Over time and through a series of coordinated meetings, teams find that all they need each other in order to succeed. The dynamics of the exercise make it an excellent negotiation game, but it can also be used for communication skills training, project planning, and more.

This activity is for face-to-face classroom use. Digital files are supplied via the Northgate Trainerhub. You will receive an email within 48 hours of purchase with instructions on how to activate via the Northgate TrainerHub. You will need to supply your own hard copy contents (most of which you'll have in a work closet) and detailed below.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Practice working effectively within a team
• Uncover assumptions about competition
• Explore the advantages of collaboration with other teams
• Negotiate for limited resources
• Develop trust by sharing resources and information
• Communicate effectively
• Listening well to others

The Activity

Each team has to build one third of a runway to carry a ball from one end to the other. The three parts are:

• A tower and starting block plus the first section of the runway
• A longer piece of runway to include two curves
• An uphill section with a basket for the finish

Teams answer a set of multiple choice question to get the resources they need. Teams could share the answers with other teams but usually fail to do so. Nonetheless, each team will need to borrow resources from other groups or the complete structure will not be built. So why not share answers?

Once they have their resources, teams can begin building their runway parts - there is a meeting area where teams can discuss how the separate sections can fit together. The activity stresses the point that different departments need to work harmoniously together for success. What this means is sharing information readily and establishing good communications. Different parts of an organization are not rivals, they need to collaborate for success.

PARTICIPANTS

• 9-21 (three teams of 3-7 per team)

TIMING

• 1 hour + debrief

LEARN MORE

Trainer's Role

• Introduce the activity.
• Divide the group into three teams.
• Set up a neutral area for inter-team meetings.
• Issue Briefing Sheets and construction materials when teams answer multiple choice questions correctly.
• Observe the teams in action, noting behaviours. Often teams begin by trying to compete and by withholding information, whereas the whole point is to share information freely and work as one big team.
• Bring teams together and test the completed structure.
• Issue review forms and conduct a Debrief, rounding off with Action Plans for performance improvement.

Pack Contents

• Trainer's Notes
• Team Briefs A, B & C
• 20 Questions Forms
• Team Review Form

You will need to supply your own hard copy contents (most of which you'll have in a work closet) which include:

• 50 sheets of 8.5"x11" paper
• 3 Ping Pong Balls
• 3 rolls of Sticky-Tape
• 3 Pair of Scissors
• 3 Rulers
• Bag of Paperclips (approx. 90)
• Rubber Bands (approx. 100)

Kind Cards is a set of 52 cards, including two wild cards, designed to enhance your kindness skills at work. Each card outlines a unique act of kindness, along with its benefits, practical tips, suggested scripts, and thought-provoking questions. On the back of each card, you'll find reflection questions, providing a space for you to record your experiences directly on the card.

Kindness is a skill, and like any skill, it varies among individuals. Needing help with kindness doesn't imply someone is unkind; it presents an opportunity for personal growth at all levels.

For Individual Contributors: Upskilling kindness improves collaboration and goal delivery.
For Managers: Kindness is your top retention tool; upskilling enhances team commitment and performance.
For Executives and Business Owners: Set a kind tone for the business; it results in higher retention, engagement, and overall organizational performance.

COLOR-CODED FOR EASY REFERENCE

The 52-card deck has three categories of cards, plus 2 wild-cards focused on practicing self-kindness.

• Red: Personal Growth and Self-Reflection (18 cards)
• Blue: Communication and Connections (17 cards)
• Yellow: Relationship Building and Support (17 cards)

On each card, find 7 elements:

1. A prompt for a kind act
2. Guidance on how to identify kindness opportunities
3. Examples of how to act on that kindness
4. Numbered cards to help pair that act of kindness with other acts
5. Ways to incorporate the kind act going forward
6. Questions to reflect on the act of kindness, its impact, and how it felt do perform the act
7. Emoji that aligns with the theme of the kind act

FOUR QUESTIONS FOR KIND CARD GROUP ACTIVITIES

INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS & OPPORTUNITIES

If using Kind Cards for group activities, team building, or EQ and kindness training, set out a deck of cards and ask players to select a a card that describes a...

• Kindness skill you're strong in -- and how it benefits your team
• Kindness skill you want to develop -- and how it might benefit your team
• Kindness action that could enhance team effectiveness
• Kindness act you value and hope others will extend to you
• Recent act of kindness you extended or received -- and how it made you both feel

Have participants share the card they selected and discuss why they chose it.

TEAM ASSESSENT

Alternatively, as a team, select 1-2 kindness acts, in which your team is...

• Currently really good at
• Could use some work on
• Might benefit from enhancing

USING KIND CARDS - INDIVIDUAL KINDNESS PRACTICES

Each week, simply choose a card randomly, or in order. Read the suggested act of kindness carefully. Keep the card with you as a reminder and actively look for opportunities to practice the kindness mentioned to a colleague. After performing the kind act, answer the reflection questions on the back of the card to capture the experience. If the opportunity doesn't arise, hold onto the card for the right moment or pick a new one to explore a different act of kindness.

DOZENS OF USES

• Team Building Activities
• Onboarding and Orientation
• Cultural Sensitivity and Diversity Initiatives
• Manager Training
• Internal Communication Campaigns
• Icebreaker Activities
• Conflict Prevention & Resolution Workshops
• Daily Huddles or Check-ins
• Company-wide Kindness Contests
• Company Values
• Critical Conversations
• Virtual Team Engagement
• Leadership Development

KIND CARD DEVELOPER, JAMIE GRACEFFA, PRESENTS...

POWERPOINT DEMO

Try the facilitation techniques described here!

Each Card is 4 1/2" x 5"

Unlock your team’s potential with the Personal Style Inventory (PSI) 5-Pack of paper assessments. This bestselling assessment, grounded in Carl Jung’s personality theory, enhances self-understanding, fosters growth, and improves workplace relationships. For over 25 years, PSI has empowered employees to break free from old behavioral patterns, promoting effective communication and collaboration. Invest in self-awareness and watch your organization thrive! Transform your training and relationships today with PSI.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Identify an individual's dominant personality style.
• Learn about the 16 different personality styles.
• Discover the characteristics, strengths, and potential blind spots of each style.
• Understand how each style interacts with the others – and how to improve these relationships.
• Discover what types of tasks are suited – or not suited – to each personality style.
• Develop an action plan to improve performance and relationships with others.

HOW IT WORKS

The Personal Style Inventory (PSI) identifies deep-seated style preferences along four paired dimensions:

• Extroversion or introversion
• Sensing or intuiting
• Thinking or feeling
• Perceiving or judging

The PSI makes it easy for people to "see" how they think, act, and feel. Plus, with eyes wide open, you've taken the first step toward improving your organization's communication, teamwork, leadership, and interpersonal relationships.

Order 1 Facilitator Guide (#RBPSIA) per instructor, and 1 Assessment for each participant (sold in packs of 5 assessments)

The paper assessment takes fifteen minutes to complete, and we recommend you allow at least one hour for the interpretation of results, debriefing, and action planning.

PRACTICE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS

These workplace scenarios, developed by Trainers Warehouse, address common categories of workplace dissonance. Each includes one or more roleplays that ask participants to consider their strategy in addressing a sticky situation. Each is an opportunity to either build or erode trust, which is key to effective working relationships.

BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS

The 18 scenarios contained in this deck cover a broad range of topics. As players practice, observers and facilitators can help identify successful approaches and outcomes. There are no “right answers.” The goal is simply to practice having difficult conversations in ways that build trust. Find roleplays that explore these four areas:

1. Conflict Resolution: Addressing differences and misunderstandings. Managing conflicts between team members or dealing with disputes within the team can be challenging. Successful outcomes require players to address issues tactfully, mediate disagreements, see things from diverse perspectives, and find solutions that maintain a cooperative work environment.
2. Performance Issues and Giving difficult feedback. Addressing performance issues like poor productivity, missed deadlines, or quality concerns, is a common challenge for managers. Give them an opportunity to practice giving constructive feedback, setting performance expectations, and developing improvement plans. Successful roleplays will consist of delivering difficult messages, providing feedback that’s specific and actionable, improving communication, and preserving relationships.
3. Sharing feedback and facilitating tough conversations within teams. Peer feedback is a valuable tool for professional development and collaboration. Feedback scenarios focus on giving specific, constructive, and supportive input about an individual's or team's growth and development. Productive conversations should foster a culture of collaboration and understanding within the workplace.
4. Leadership: managing change, crises, and growth (multi-person role-plays). Effective leadership can help motivate excellent work, create a positive organizational culture, and inspire action. Practicing multi-person scenarios will help leaders navigate challenges, guide teams, build alignment, and make decisions. Judge your success based on whether constituents feel heard, and everyone understands the way forward, with minimal stress, anxiety, and uncertainty.

24-CARD DECK CONTAINS SCENARIOS AND FACILITATION TIPS!

Work-Plays deck (4" x 6") contains these 24 cards:

• 18 scenarios
• 1 Overview/cover card
• 1 Learning Objectives
• 1 Listing of 18 scenarios
• 1 Facilitation Suggestions
• 1 Example scenario
• 1 Debrief Suggestions

The deck comes in a beautifully designed box. The cards are a hefty 330 gsm, so they won't wear out!

NO RIGHT ANSWERS

Remind players that there are no "right answers." Rather these provide an opportunity to practice difficult conversations in a safe space. While you're players may not experience these exact situations in their workplace, they will raise familiar issues. Often, practicing with cases that don't strike too close to home is easier because it allows players to take some chances and try out new techniques to apply to more "real life" situations.

FACILITATION SUGGESTIONS

TIPS TO MAKE BEST USE OF SCENARIOS

1. Choose a role play scenario.
2. Select which conversation you’d like to practice.
3. Decide to conduct a one-on-one or multi-player roleplay.
4. Decide if role players will practice privately or in front of a small group.
5. Read the scenario to the group and/or distribute the situation to roleplaying participants.
6. Remind players: “There are no right answers. The exercise is about getting practice and discovering effective techniques.”
7. Select “observers” to help identify effective or problematic approaches.

FRONT-OF-ROOM FACILITATION TIPS

If you choose to demo difficult conversations in front of the room, keep these tips in mind:

• • Explain that participants will take turns having these difficult conversations. Let them know that you plan to stop and start frequently, so the group can discuss techniques that are effective and/or phraseology that inhibits productive dialogue.
  • Let participants who are playing the “difficult person” know they can ham it up as much as they want, but if an argument is compelling, they should respond positively.
  • Change role players frequently. Invite observers to raise a hand if they have an approach they’d like to try. Invite role-players to raise a hand if they’d like a “reliever” to step in.

Learning activities perfectly suited to your content!

The closer learning is to real work situations, the better the learning transfers to the real world.

Real-world relevance is why LearningSim's 5-Step Simulations strike the perfect balance of complexity, engagement, power, and ease of use.

Pick up one of these mini-simulations or role-play scenarios. Use them "as is"; or tweak them to your content and training needs. This robust collection contains 35 files and templates with more than 50 scenarios on topics such as decision making, ethics, customer service, giving feedback, negotiation, sales skills, leadership, safety, presentation skills, and more. Plus you'll find instructions and templates on the essential steps to prepare, present, facilitate, and debrief the experiences for maximum learning.

Durations: 30-120 mins. Downloadable file includes 300+ pgs. of reproducible content. MS Word files. Single User license.

View Table of Contents

What You Get

• 28 Ready-to-use training simulations in 16 topics, each with facilitator, learner, and partner material
• Editable Microsoft Word files filled with simulation content
• Sample simulation template in Articulate Storyline (.story) file format
• Trainer and designer guides and templates with helpful suggestions on how to blend 5-Step Simulations into existing courses and training programs
• All included in a singlecost-effective license that fits your needs

New in Version 2!

• Articulate Storyline simulation example (with .story file)
• 6 new simulations, now including safety topics
• Templates for writing your own 5-Step Simulations
• The 1-page "Sneaky Training Technique" template

This is a downloadable product. After you make your purchase, you will receive a link where you can download the software.