| Game |  Opener |
 Team-building |
| Categories: | Energizer |
Review |
| Communication |
Topical |
Purpose: To show participants how different roles and communication styles affect group dynamics.
Time Required: 15 to 20 minutes.
Size of Group: Unlimited, but participants should work in small groups of four.
Materials Required: Envelopes and “job descriptions” prepared in advance by the trainer.
The Exercise in Action: Paul Bernard, a corporate management skills trainer at K-Mart Corp., in East Brunswick, NJ, rotates participants through a series of “roles” in group-based activities to help people see firsthand the value of the different roles and communication styles assumed in group situations.
Upon arriving at his workshops, each participant is given an envelope with “Do Not Open” written on the outside and is assigned a seat, typically within a group of four. After the workshop begins and introductions are completed, participants are asked to open their envelopes and read the contents silently.
Typed on a slip of paper inside the envelopes are “jobs” that participants are asked to perform during small-group exercises, and accompanying job descriptions. Some job titles include: Mr. Can Do Positive Attitude (responsible for countering any negative statements made during the meeting with a positive statement), Group Leader (asked to keep group on the subject and maximize participation), Question Asker (given preselected questions to ask throughout the exercise), and Time Keeper (responsible for ensuring that the group members stay on schedule). Each group has a similar set of job titles at its table.
The “catch” to the exercise, Bernard says, is that no one at the table is allowed to divulge their job title, just perform it. Participants may ask others what motivates them to do their jobs, but job titles cannot be revealed until the end of the exercise (although many are correctly guessed). When new small groups are formed, the game starts anew as participants take on different roles.
Bernard says the exercise “creates added participation and improves concentration.”