Purpose: To help participants judge themselves in a positive light.

 Time Required: 15 to 20 minutes.

 Size of Group: Unlimited.

 Materials Required: None.

 The Exercise in Action: Use this futuristic scenario as an ice breaker or point of departure in your courses, suggests W. Greg Lanier, a training specialist with Duke Power Co. He reads them this text:

“In the somewhat distant future, people begin to explore the galaxy and to colonize other planets. In view of the great distances and traveling times involved, potential colonists may be put in suspended animation for transport. Some colonies certainly receive more colonists than can be accommodated, so there will be warehouses full of frozen people, ready to be defrosted as needed…if ever.

“You are a colonist about to be put in cryogenic suspension. You are filling out a lengthy form in which all of your demographic and professional characteristics are listed. You come to a question that asks you to list up to six adjective-noun combinations (such as “hard worker” or “good parent”) that describe you as a person. What would you list? What qualities do you have that would make someone else decide that you are worth thawing out?”

He has participants write out their list of six characteristics and then discuss them with each other. In larger classes, it is best done in small breakout groups; in small classes, a round-robin works well.