move the room with energizers
Tools to inject energy into the process, get people moving, and have fun.
Story-Building
A short exercise to bring ‘story-building’ to life: a key emerging concept in networked digital communications.
innovation
Step 1:
Read the articles and presentations in the references section below to gain an understanding of the subject. You might also send readings out to participants prior to the exercise, to ensure that everyone has a basic grasp of the concept of story building and why it is important.
Explain the purpose of the workshop: to practically explore the idea of moving from storytelling to story-building, an essential concept in a networked digital world.
Today we are going to build some stories together, by curating data and existing user content using a free web service called Storify.
Step 2:
Discuss with the group the kinds of stories that would be interesting and appropriate to build. They might be relevant to the workshop, program, or company; or they might be related to a personal passion.
The purpose is not to create a high-quality piece of content, but rather to experiment and try-out a versatile tool.
Step 3:
Get the participants to sign up to Storify. They can use existing Facebook and Twitter accounts, or create a new Storify account.
Give them basic instructions to get started:
Now build your story. Pull in elements from social media, news sites, and blogs, to make it as engaging and comprehensive as you can.
Be playful and have fun with it. Share your story with the rest of the group before the next workshop.
Facilitator notes
You can follow this session up with a group reflection on the experience. Try these questions: What have I learned about story building? What have I learned about the subject How can I apply this to my organisation/brand/client?
Staff picks
innovation
Apple-Drawing Ideation
The purpose of this simple exercise is to demonstrate three key principles useful for creativity and idea generation: quantity is a condition for quality; building on the ideas of others; the ideas we come up with are usually all the same. The format is simple, with small groups standing and drawing apples. At the end of the exercise the whole group reflects and draws out learnings and reflections.
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action
IDOARRT Meeting Design
IDOARRT is a simple tool to support you to lead an effective meeting or group process by setting out clear purpose, structure and goals at the very beginning. It aims to enable all participants to understand every aspect of the meeting or process, which creates the security of a common ground to start from. The acronym stands for Intention, Desired Outcome, Agenda, Rules, Roles and Responsibilities and Time.
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self-leadership
Stinky Fish
A short activity to run early in a program, focused on sharing fears, anxieties and uncertainties related to the program theme. The purpose is to create openness within a group. The stinky fish is a metaphor for "that thing that you carry around but don’t like to talk about; but the longer you hide it, the stinkier it gets." By putting stinky fish (fears and anxieties) on the table, participants begin relate to each other, become more comfortable sharing, and identify a clear area for development and learning.
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team
Crocodile River
A team-building activity in which a group is challenged to physically support one another in an endeavor to move from one end of a space to another. It requires working together creatively and strategically in order to solve a practical, physical problem. It tends to emphasize group communication, cooperation, leadership and membership, patience and problem-solving.
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action
Action Plan Workshop: The Arrow
This workshop aims to help participants define, decide and achieve their goals. By supporting participants to envision where they want to be in a number of years on a holistic level, and defining the steps that will take them there, participants get a clearer picture of the action they need to take.
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team
Appreciation Train
This exercise is useful for bringing groups together, to create interpersonal bonds, and to build trust. Participants stand opposite each other and have 30 seconds to give appreciative feedback to the other person. The group rotates until everyone has given feedback to everyone else. It is often used as part of wrap-up activities, to create an energized feeling to leave with.
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