Communication skills mini-workshop

Developing active listening and verbal communication skills while increasing awareness of how communication barriers affect story comprehension and interpretation.

Duration: 45 minutes. Introduction: 10 minutes. Exercise execution: 20 minutes. Summary: 15 minutes.

Difficulty level: 5/5

Number of participants: Minimum 6 people

Preparation

1. Sets of plastic building blocks (one set per group of three). Each set contains 2×6 identical blocks of varying sizes and colors (reference photo of the set and an example arrangement).

2. Stopwatch for each team.

3. Paper and pens.

Introduction

• Divide participants into teams of three. Assign each member a role: Sender, Receiver, and Observer. If the total number of participants is not a multiple of three, some teams may have two Observers.

• Each team sets up chairs back-to-back, with their backs touching. The Sender and Receiver sit on the chairs, while the Observer sits nearby, positioned to see both participants

• Distribute a set of blocks to each team and explain the roles:

  • Sender: Describes the figure they have built using only verbal instructions, so the Receiver can replicate it exactly. The Sender cannot ask questions (e.g., “Have you finished?”) nor interact with the Observer.

  • Receiver: Listens to the instructions and builds their figure without speaking, asking questions, or seeing the Sender’s figure.

  • Observer: Ensures the rules are followed, takes notes, controls the time, and announces “Completion” once the Receiver finishes. If the figure is incorrect, the Observer says "Start over", and if time allows, the team retries the exercise.

• Explain the task: The goal is for the Receiver to replicate the Sender’s figure within the given time. The structure should not be too simple (e.g., one block stacked on another). Demonstrate an example or show a reference photo.

• Establish restrictions: The Sender and Receiver must not see each other or their blocks.

• Under your guidance, Senders construct their figures.

• Begin the exercise: On your signal ("START"), the activity begins.

Instructions

1. Participants begin the exercise in teams, following the instructions given during the introduction.

2. Your task is to monitor the exercise and ensure that each participant adheres to their assigned role. 

3. Observe carefully so you can share your insights during the summary while also keeping track of the allotted time.

4. The exercise should be repeated until the time runs out. If a team successfully completes the task early, they can repeat the exercise, rotating roles. 

Helpful tips

Repeat this exercise at least three times so that each participant has the opportunity to experience every role.

Summary

• Once the exercise is complete, invite the Observers to share their conclusions on what contributed to success or failure in creating the identical figure. 

• Then discusses with Senders and Receivers the experience, asking:

  • What obstacles did you encounter in this communication?

  • What worked well for you?

  • What would you change or improve before starting the exercise?

  • What key takeaways can be applied to interpersonal communication and storytelling?