| Game |  Opener |
Team-building |
| Categories: | Energizer |
Review |
 Communication |
Topical |
Purpose: To help participants get off their favorite subject— themselves—and listen to others.
Time Required: 2 minutes.
Size of Group: Unlimited.
Materials Required: None.
The Exercise in Action: Dan Sepe, a trainer with Solutions, Inc., Waipahu, HI, uses the “I” exercise in communication skills courses.
The exercise can be used with large or small groups and takes about two minutes. Sepe has all participants stand and gives them a topic to discuss with their peers for two minutes, such as the differences between being married versus single or the differences between men and women. However, throughout the conversation, they can’t use the words “I,” “me,” or “my.” If they use one of those words, they must sit down.
Sepe says that all or nearly all participants are seated before the two minutes are up. He says the exercise shows people how self-centered they can be during conversations. The only way to be successful in the exercise—and as a good listener—is to focus on the other person by using open-ended questions to encourage the other person to speak about their ideas.