LIFE STORY LISTENING EXERCISE
Purpose:
Test people’s listening skills in a natural setting.
Supplies:
None
Process:
Use as an icebreaker or activity related to communication issues.
Set up the exercise as an activity to test how clear and concise you can be in communicating to others. State this is “speaking” practice for you and your partner. This is important!
Ask everyone to stand up and partner with someone they don’t know or don’t know as well as others. Get them to stand face to face a couple of feet apart.
Have them decide who will go first. Then tell them that the first person is going to tell their partner their own life story in two minutes, from birth to present. Time it.
Make sure everyone fills the two minutes. Once completed, switch roles and the other person tells their life story in two minutes.
After the pairs are done sharing their stories, tell them to stop and turn their attention to you as the facilitator. Inform them that this is actually a LISTENING exercise, not a speaking exercise.
Now instruct the first listener to repeat back the other person’s life story in 90 seconds. After that, switch and the second listener repeats back the other person’s life story.
Once done everyone can return to their seats.
Discussion:
Ask for feedback from the group. How well did everyone listen? Not telling them it was a listening exercise is key. We want to see how well you listened in your natural state.
Lessons:
In communication, listening is more important that speaking. We have two ears and one mouth. We should listen twice as much as we speak.
Listening should be active, we should become part of the discussion as we listen and ask for clarity, ask questions etc. as we listen. We will remember more if we are engaged
TIP – Listen as if there will be a test at the end of the discussion. You will be more present and engaged if you have this mindset before you start.