| Game |  Opener |
Team-building |
| Categories: | Energizer |
Review |
 Communication |
Topical |
Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of listening skills.
Time Required: 10 minutes.
Size of Group: Unlimited, but participants must work in pairs.
Materials Required: Many sets of dominos; diagram prepared in advance by the trainer.
The Exercise in Action: Shari Petrak, a liability claims training specialist, Nationwide Insurance, in Columbus, OH, pairs off participants and designates one person in each pair as the “sender” and the other as the “receiver.”
The sender is given a diagram showing a configuration of 10 dominos. The receiver gets a matching set of dominos. A barrier such as a notebook is placed between the two. The sender’s job is to verbally communicate the pattern shown on her diagram to the receiver, who tries to duplicate it. The sender is not permitted to see the receiver’s work. Petrak allows six to eight minutes for the exercise, depending on the complexity of the arrangements.
She follows up with a discussion of barriers to clear communication, such as using terms unfamiliar to the other person, giving instructions too rapidly, or failing to listen carefully to questions.