day colours/colors exercise (individual

perspectives, emotional triggers, empathy,

johari window, respecting personal
differences)
This is a very simple quick and fascinating exercise to illustrate how people
often have different views of the same thing, which is central to
understanding empathy and many related concepts.
The activity may be used as an icebreaker or larger discussion exercise, for
groups of any size and age/seniority, subject to appropriate facilitation for
your situation.
Example explanation and instruction to a group:
Emotions and feelings within each of us are 'triggered' in different ways. We
think differently and therefore see things differently. We often do not
imagine that other people may see something quite differently to how we
see the 'same' thing. Management and relationships, in work and outside of
work too, depend heavily on our being able to understand the other person's
view, and what causes it to be different to our own.
To illustrate this, and to explore how mental associations can 'colour' (US-
English 'color') our worlds differently:

1. Close your eyes and imagine the

days of the week
2. What colour is each day?
3. Write down the colour of each day

Review and compare people's different colour associations, and - where

people consciously know and are willing to share their reasons/associations -
review these differences too.
Note: If anyone sees all the days as the same color, or sees no colour
association at all, or perhaps sees or senses a more powerful alternative
association, then this is another equally worthy personal viewpoint and
difference.
The days of the week are a simple fixed pattern. Yet we see them in different
ways. It is easy to imagine the potential for far greater differences in the way
we see more complex situations - like our work, our responsibilities and our
relationships, etc. Human beings will never see things in exactly the same
way - this is not the aim or work or life - instead the aim should be to
understand each other's views far better, so that we can minimise conflict
and maximise cooperation.
fancy dress exercise (ice-breaker, self-
expression, mutual awareness)
A very quick and easy ice-breaker, requiring no equipment or preparation.
The game can be used to make introductions a little more interesting than
usual, or as a separate ice-breaker activity.
For groups of any size. Split large groups into teams small enough to review
answers among themselves.
Instruction to group:
• You are invited to a fancy dress party
which requires that your costume says
something about you.
• What costume would you wear and why?
• Take two minutes to think of your
answer.

Review:
Simply by asking people to explain their answers briefly to the group/team.
The exercise can be varied and expanded for groups in which people know
each other:
• Ask people to write their answers on a
slip of paper (in handwriting that cannot
easily be identified), and to fold the slips
and put them in the middle of the table.
• In turn group members must each pick a
slip of paper from the pile and read the
answer aloud.
• On hearing all the answers, group
members must then try to match the
answers to the people present.
psychological contract 'iceberg' exercises
(the psychological contract, work/life
alignment, organizational development,
motivational understanding,
employer/employee relationships, leadership)
The Psychological Contract is increasingly significant in organizational
management and development.
The Psychological Contract 'Iceberg' model diagram assists explanation and
exploration of the subject.
Ask group members to create their own version of the Psychological Contract
'Iceberg' diagram - individually, in pairs or teams, and review/discuss as
appropriate for your situation.
Versions of the 'Iceberg' may be mapped according to different perspectives,
for example - how people see it currently; how they'd prefer it to be; from a
personal, departmental or workforce standpoints.
The exercise can be used as a basis for all sorts of learning and development
activities, for example relating to:
• motivation and attitude
• work/life balance and wellbeing
• organizational structure and purpose
• alignment of people with organizational
aims
• work/management/leadership
relationships with employees
• mutual awareness (employee/employer)
and organizational transparency - and
 especially in identifying hidden or confused
perceptions which may be obstacles to
improving employee/employer relationships

Refer to the Psychological Contract theory and within it whatever related

learning concepts might be helpful to your situation.
Johari Window is particularly relevant.

silent touch exercise (listening skills, non-

verbal communications, body language)
If you want something a bit different, here's a great quick one for
highlighting and developing non-verbal awareness.
Each delegate does this in turn:
One person (the 'touchee') stands against a wall facing it. The rest of the
group, one by one, walks up to the person, places a hand on their shoulder
and says their name (the toucher's name not the touchee). The person being
touched must not look around to see the toucher. Then repeat the exercise
using a different order for the touchers, this time without saying their
names (you may need to point to people to control the order).
The person being touched has to use their various senses more acutely to
guess the identity of each toucher (the 'feel' of the shoulder-touch, maybe
smell, the sound of the approach, etc.)
You must explain to the whole group the whole exercise before it starts. You
must instruct everyone not to disguise the spoken touch or the silent touch.
The 'winner' is the person who guesses most of the silent touches, which
means you need to keep a tally of each 'touchee's' correct silent guesses.
Review and discuss only after everyone has had their turn as the 'touchee',
otherwise clues will surface and benefit the later touchees. When reviewing
you can refer people to brain types and styles, and particularly right-side
brain strengths, which generally enable greater sensitivity and awareness for
this type of exercise. See the Benziger theory. (Thanks Chris Baker)