Games as Tools

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Permalink Reply by Hans-Peter Korn on March 11, 2009 at 10:44

Yes, I participated in such a game! It was a "warm up" for a three day conference about "cross cultural communication".

It was very interesting ... and in the role of a guest visiting some of those groups practising very strange "habits" up to pulling visitors out of their room also sometimes frustrating....
The groups had to follow the rules 100% strict... without "opening" the rules to help the strangers to communicate...

So, for me it was more a "PCI-game" (PCI = Problem Creating Interventions) than a SF-Game.

Maybe this game can be changed a bit...

Cheers
Hans-Peter

Permalink Reply by Marco Matera on March 12, 2009 at 19:19

Thank you lot Hans-Peter. Yes I agree with you. it need to be used with carefull and not for a long time.
It is also a way to open a discussion about how play in training group.

Of course I'm courious how we can change it...

Cheers
Marco

Permalink Reply by Loraine Kennedy on March 13, 2009 at 13:13

Hi

This sounds to me very much like The UNO game described by Kirstn Dierolf in 57 SF Activities for facilitators and consultants.

Loraine

Permalink Reply by Katalin Hankovszky on March 18, 2009 at 14:46

I think too. I like Kirsten's comment on the game: "This exercise becomes sf mainly by focusing the debrief on the strengths and ressourdes of the participants. It is very important to ask what went well in the exercise and connect it with the participants' skills in intercultural situations."
and yes, as always: it's crucial what do we consultants explore.

so in this game maybe "It is interesting to note how groups deal with difficulties which may occure when the rules are different".

Permalink Reply by Marco Matera on March 20, 2009 at 21:11

A new game well new is a big word. Just a new version of the "resource gossip" by Peter Szabo

In a training group fro trainers and coach I just used the metaphor of the "diamond cutter." We do not change anyone and is not adding things that people change. If anything is helping to let go of the superfluous, the methods that do not serve to break the armor, which relieved the beauty that is inside each one. So it's like cutting a diamond, follow the lines of each stone, see the inside to be bright and free. And look at the beautiful, the diamond that is in all I think is very solution focused. Then I turned the " resource gossip"by adding a diamond thick paper. With different groups of people, each speaking of the resources of the person who simply listens, they writes a word or the most important resource on one side of the diamond. In the end the person who hears she/he bring home the diamond paper with all the resources that others have recognized in her/him. This is a diamond so fragile and precious as the awareness of her/his beauty. The problem is to create these diamonds to be built on which to write. If you have any idea ...
one possibilities maybe my English is not perfect but I think you have grasped the meaning of my words. Marco

Permalink Reply by Lina Skantze on March 24, 2009 at 20:04

Hi Marco!

Good metaphor and a great instruction added! Perhaps it might be a little complicated to make in the workshop? Another idea is to by cheap glass "diamonds" in a shop selling pearls. The participants can get an envelope with the words or phrases together with the "diamond" to keep in their pocket.

Lina