BRIDGING – ATTRACTING
3-6 people – Facilitator input needed
60-120 minutes
Instructions
Objective
- This exercise provides an opportunity to experience the behaviours, attitudes, values, and feelings associated primarily with the Bridging and Attracting Styles.
- Learning Journal pages 13-16 and 21-24
The Soft Power Cards are in 3 categories:
- Self-Disclosure.
- Building Strength in Others.
- Generating Excitement.
Exercise (up to 2 hours)
1. The youngest player goes first, picking a card from one of the three card categories. The player tells the group why (that is, for what personal learning needs) he or she has chosen to take a card from that particular category.
2. The player reads aloud the instruction on the card and, before performing it, asks one group member to evaluate his or her performance. The player then has up to 1 minute to prepare to perform the instruction.
3. The player performs the instruction and then gets feedback from the chosen evaluator. The player should respond to the evaluation only by Listening – the player should not try to explain or justify the performance. Other group members need not respond unless invited to do so.
Please see the following suggested evaluation criteria.
- How sincere, open, non-defensive, and spontaneous was the player?
- Did the player make effective use of the appropriate Influence Behaviours (primarily associated with the Attracting and Bridging Influence Styles)?
- Did the player “avoid” the difficult aspects of the instruction (for example, by doing the minimum, making a joke of it, or misinterpreting the
- instruction)?
- Did the player perform the instruction as him or herself, or did the player present a somewhat false, insincere, or misleading public image?
- To what extent did the player put energy, commitment, and power into performing the instruction? Did the player demonstrate sincerity and conviction?
4. The player may then ask for additional feedback from the other players, continuing to respond with Listening.
5. Play then passes to the player on the left, who repeats the sequence above
6. Take time to record useful feedback and learning in your Journal (5 minutes)
Building Strengths in Others Exercises
1
Select a group member you especially trust, even though you may not know the person well. Tell that person how you trust him or her in personal terms.
2
Tell each member of the group some aspect of him- or herself that you would like to get to know better.
3
Choose a member of the group. Ask this person for help in doing something that you really need and want to do.
4
Tell each member of the group something personal that you have learned about him or her while participating in the programme.
5
Choose another group member who seems stronger or more capable in an area where you feel inadequate or have problems. Ask this person for help in overcoming your inadequacy.
6
Tell each group member a significant strength you have observed in him or her. Use 100 percent feeling words—no logic allowed.
7
Tell each group member in turn one important way that you and he or she are similar.
8
Select another group member. Describe how you have been helped and strengthened by who this person is or what this person has done. Be sincere.
9
Tell each group member two things about him or her that seem really likeable or admirable to you.
10
Tell the other group members in what ways they can trust you. Disclose actively and selectively. Be positive and honest, making yourself vulnerable to this group.
11
Tell each group member in turn one thing you especially like about him or her.
Self-Disclosure Exercises
1
Tell the group what motivates you. Describe how you really are, not how you think you should be or how you would like to be perceived by others.
2
Tell the others something about yourself you usually do not reveal. If you tend to be self- effacing, describe a strength or something of which you are proud. If you tend to be self-promoting, then describe a weakness or something of which you are not proud.
3
Tell the group about an object that has emotional significance to you (perhaps some object you carry on your person). Describe how the object makes you feel.
4
Tell the group about a time when you showed unusual sensitivity, warmth, caring, and tenderness.
5
Describe your warm and caring qualities. Be sincere.
6
Up to this point in the Programme, what has made you most uncomfortable or stressed?
7
Describe how you would like to be different from the way you are.
8
Describe in detail exactly how you are feeling right now. Now describe how you would like to feel.
9
Select the group member who makes you feel most uncomfortable. Take responsibility for your own feelings. Tell this person how you react to him or her.
10
Tell others in the group about the difference between your inner and outer self—how you think others perceive you and how you really are inside.
11
Share something with another group member that you feel about him or her, but which is difficult for you to say.
12
Choose the group member who most threatens or overawes you. Take responsibility for your own feelings. Disclose how you feel in this person’s presence.
13
Tell the entire group something about yourself that would help them understand you better, but that is difficult for you to say.
14
Describe the last time you were really angry. Tell what led up to it and how you behaved.
15
Describe the last time you felt great pride. What caused you to feel this way? Describe the feeling as you experienced it.
16
Tell the group what career ambitions you have had that you have not achieved.
17
Describe one important way that you are inadequate to the demands of your position or your work.
18
Tell the group about a mistake you made at work that you regret having made.
19
Describe a recent situation at work that you found extremely difficult to handle.
20
Describe a personal weakness that you usually do not reveal to others.
21
Tell another member of the group how you would like to be more like him or her.
22
Describe one job-related task that you do not feel you perform well.
23
Describe a personal obstacle that you continue to have difficulty overcoming in your work or personal life.
24
Describe one thing you would like to change about your personality, if you could.
Generating Excitement Exercises
1
Think about the most exciting thing or event in your life. Describe it to the group in such a way that they will share your excitement.
.
2
Articulate your vision of the best thing that can happen in this Programme. Communicate enthusiasm and excitement.
3
Describe the kind of work group you would like to create if you could. See how many group members you can interest in joining your group.
4
Start a success fantasy of what this group might do if they really wanted to. You should begin the fantasy, then encourage other members to build on your beginning, and on each other’s contributions.
5
Get another group member energised and excited about working with or for you.
6
Tell each group member your vision of what she or he might become. Be sincere and convincing, using images and feelings.
7
Tell each group member something that you and he or she have in common that would make you good work partners.
8
Tell the other group members about the common values, interests, background (and so on) that should bind you all together into a cohesive group. Make them feel it!
9
Describe sincerely and with feeling the happiest event in your life.
10
Tell the group the one person in the world you would most prefer to be like and why.
11
You have been asked to deliver the eulogy at your own funeral. What do you say when you get to the podium?
12
Tell the group how your occupation is personally significant and meaningful— how it conveys or implements your most important values.
13
Tell the group how exciting it would be for all of you to work together in another activity during the programme.
14
Describe with feeling the most fulfilling or exciting work experience you have had.
15
Describe with enthusiasm the sort of work or job situation that would be ideal for you.
16
Tell the group about your favourite hobby, sport, or pastime when you were a teenager. How has it become important in your adult life today?
17
Describe your life five years from now.