5 More Favorite Toolkit Activities
Here are some more of my favorite toolkit activities. Explore, try them out, and share your experience and any tips or modifications in the comments section of the activity's website page!
Dear collaborative discussion friends,
This week I would like to highlight 5 more activities that I enjoy, which are not included in the selection of activities in our coach trainings.
These activities highlight aspects of collaborative discussion that can be difficult to navigate, such as addressing emotions that arise during a discussion, becoming aware of and suspending the biases & assumptions that we all hold, and practicing patience, generosity, empathy, & perspective taking. Try out these activities and share any modifications or useful tips in the comments section at the bottom of each activity’s website page!
If you missed the previous activity newsletter, 5 Favorite Toolkit Activities, you can access it and our other weekly newsletters by subscribing below.
5 more toolkit activities to explore and try out
1) 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.
Why I like this activity: This activity helps us turn our attention to something that can often be dismissed, ignored, or not addressed in discussions i.e. our emotions, when they actually play an important role in any conversation.
2) Activity 3.3 Awareness of Context, Bias, & Assumptions
Activity 3.3 Awareness of Context, Bias, & Assumptions. This activity will help participants to identify their own assumptions about an issue and put those assumptions in plain view of others during a discussion. This activity will demonstrate how these judgments affect how we communicate with others.
Why I like this activity: I love the technique this activity uses of having participants literally suspend their biases. By physically performing this action, I feel it makes it easier to mentally set aside our biases and assumptions during a discussion.
3) Activity 3.7 Practicing Generosity of Interpretation
Activity 3.7 Practicing Generosity of Interpretation. This activity helps participants develop a practice of patience and generous interpretation during discussions. By crafting and practicing specific “mind tricks,” participants can learn to listen and engage in discussions with a more generous mindset.
Why I like this activity: I feel practicing generous interpretation is often not our default, especially in challenging conversations. This activity really helps by providing some mental techniques participants can use to intentionally practice and build this skill.
4) Activity 4.3 Understanding Perspectives on a Continuum
Activity 4.3 Understanding Perspectives on a Continuum. This exercise makes visible a range of views on an issue as well as how hard it is to take on the view of someone else. It helps participants become aware of how strongly held views can lead them to be dismissive of the views of others.
Why I like this activity: I especially like how this activity asks participants to make the case for a viewpoint opposite from their own. I think this really helps participants build that muscle for perspective taking and being open-minded, which can be really hard to do in the moment.
5) 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.
Why I like this activity: I find the two part script that this activity shares for practicing intentional empathy really helpful. I also like how this activity gives participants the chance to refine their initial responses. I think this repeated practice helps them move from trying to problem-solve, which can often be our default response, to gaining a deeper understanding of the other person’s emotions and perspective on the issue.
Upcoming Events
5 Practices for Better College Discussions Workshop Series. Invite college students to register and attend these workshops for an introduction to the necessary skills for robust class conversations! The upcoming workshops in this series will take place online from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm (eastern) on October 9, October 23, November 6, and November 20. Share this link for them to register!
Designing Inclusive Discussions Workshop. During the gathering on Thursday, October 17 from 12pm to 1pm (eastern), we will be offering a free workshop introducing and practicing an expedited version of a brand new toolkit activity. All are welcome! Register Now!
Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago is hosting Guanacaste: The Transformational Listening Conference 2024 from October 24 to October 26. The theme of the conference this year is "Listening: A Path to Peace in a Polarized World". Dr. John G. Igwebuike, the founder of Guanacaste: The Lead Listening Institute, and one of our Collaborative Discussion Coaches, is organizing this conference. All are welcome! Register Now!
Looking forward to collaborating,
Ritu Thomas & the Collaborative Discussion Team