14 Connection Toolkit Activities
Full list of connection toolkit activities that can be used to build trust and interpersonal connection
Dear collaborative discussion friends,
This week we are sharing the full list of 14 connection toolkit activities for easy reference. These activities can be be used to build trust and interpersonal connection among participants. All the activities in the toolkit have an activity key that indicates the level of the activity (beginner or advanced) and other characteristics using icons. Activities that help with fostering trust and connection among a group are denoted with the following icon.
If you missed the previous newsletter, 15 Playful Toolkit Activities, you can access it and our other weekly newsletters by subscribing below.
14 connection toolkit activities that help build trust and interpersonal connection
1) Activity 1.4 Understanding Your Identity in Collaboration
Activity 1.4 Understanding Your Identity in Collaboration. There are different ways of thinking about identity ranging from personal to social or perceived to ascribed. This activity encourages participants to reflect on the type of person or identity they bring (or would like to bring) to a discussion.
2) Activity 1.5 The Role of Values in Collaborative Discussion
Activity 1.5 The Role of Values in Collaborative Discussion. This activity encourages participants to reflect upon and identify their personal values and to explore the role that values play in group discussions.
3) Activity 1.8 Evaluating Your Discussion Style
Activity 1.8 Evaluating Your Discussion Style. This activity is designed to help discussion participants reflect on their own styles and needs during a discussion. It can also serve as pre-discussion preparation for facilitators. The survey can help facilitators better understand and support individual and/or group needs.
4) Activity 2.2 Embracing Contradictions
Activity 2.2 Embracing Contradictions. Contradictions can be helpful. They can help us to see complexity and develop flexibility of thought. Most issues (and people) contain contradictions. Instead of being stumped by contradictions, this activity encourages participants to lean into this discomfort and develop a “paradox mindset.”
5) Activity 3.2 Critical Feeling in Discussions
Activity 3.2 Critical Feeling in Discussions. Being aware of the emotional charge of a discussion is important. This involves being aware of personal emotional reactions as well as the reactions of others. This activity helps participants to reflect on their own emotional reactions while also asking questions to better understand the emotions of others.
6) Activity 4.1 Awareness of Social Identity (Identity Pie)
Activity 4.1 Awareness of Social Identity. This activity helps participants to become more aware of their own identities and worldview. They will reflect on key components of their identity and critically examine how identities are shaped by different experiences and show up differently in group discussions.
7) Activity 4.2 Listening to Understand
Activity 4.2 Listening to Understand. This activity is designed to help participants practice specific listening techniques that can be incorporated in everyday life. This activity can be adapted online but is described here as an in-person process that requires movement.
8) Activity 4.5 Nurturing Intentional Empathy
Activity 4.5 Nurturing Intentional Empathy. This activity helps participants practice intentional empathy by viewing a situation from someone else’s perspective and diving deeper into what they are thinking and feeling.
9) Activity 4.8 Expressing Beliefs with Confidence & Humility
Activity 4.8 Expressing Beliefs with Confidence & Humility. This activity helps participants develop strategies for better expressing their ideas in group settings with confidence but, also, humility. Participants will practice how to respond to disagreement productively and learn persistent but non-threatening discussion practices.
10) Activity 4.9 Taking the Perspective of Another
Activity 4.9 Taking the Perspective of Another. This activity helps participants use information, such as the values, personality traits, life experiences, and knowledge of another to view a situation from the perspective of this other person and to understand how these facets influence the choices others make in a given situation.
11) Activity 5.1 Identifying Your Civic Passion
Activity 5.1 Identifying Your Civic Passion. This activity provides an opportunity for participants to reflect on which civic issues are most important to them individually and how they might negotiate or advocate for these issues within a larger group. It uses a playful, competitive model to get groups thinking together.
12) Activity 5.3 Identifying Your Communities
Activity 5.3 Identifying Your Communities. This activity opens up the conversation and makes visible the many different understandings of the term “community.” Its meaning is often taken for granted. Participants also explore how they feel in relation to certain communities or how they exclude certain people from communities they are a part of.
13) Activity 5.4 Seeing Communities as Partners
Activity 5.4 Seeing Communities as Partners. This activity helps participants think of communities as partners, rather than recipients of funding, information, or external expertise. Instead of seeing them as having problems that "we'' need to solve, it enables participants to see a community’s existing assets and capacities to solve problems.
14) Activity 5.5 Identifying Knowledge in the Community
Activity 5.5 Identifying Knowledge in the Community. This activity explores where we locate knowledge in our community. Participants examine the different kinds of knowledge they have gained. This activity disrupts traditional notions of how we think about knowledge and where it is located.
Upcoming Events
Mark your calendars! Our next community gathering is Thursday, June 20th at 12 pm (EDT). During this gathering, we will provide an overview of new CDP website features, including how coaches can create a member account to access member only pages, such as certificate program templates & coach only resources. We will also go over the updated process and requirements for offering certificate programs, the administrative support we provide, and any questions you may have about offering certificate programs. All are welcome! Register here.
We also have a community gathering planned for Thursday, July 18th at 12 pm (EDT). All are welcome! Register here.
Looking forward to collaborating,
Ritu Thomas & the Collaborative Discussion Team