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Colourblind® Online

4 - 28 participants

Develops effective communication and team building skills and helps virtual teams recognise problems caused with imprecise communication and language

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Overview How to use Example of use

Unlock the power of effective communication and team building with the online adaptation of the renowned and award winning Colourblind® game. This experiential learning activity is designed to highlight and address the challenges of imprecise language and communication in virtual teams. It's not just a game; it's a transformative experience that hones active listening and verbal problem-solving skills in a group setting. Success hinges on a range of skills: effective listening, precise questioning, adept group management, clear summarization, and consistent feedback for understanding.

Easily facilitate the activity on popular online meeting platforms like Zoom, MS Teams, Whereby or Google Meet. With video cameras off, participants rely solely on the quality of their verbal communication. The group works together to gather information that will allow them to solve a puzzle. A number of team and individual skills are required to be successful: information and group management, effective listening and questioning, strong chairing skills, the ability to clarify and summarise and the need for feedback to ensure understanding.

Ideal for 6 to 28 participants. For optimal engagement, we recommend a maximum of 14 participants per session. For larger groups of 28, consider running two parallel sessions.

Develop effective communication, team building, and problem solving skills
Set up and manage an effective communication system that everyone understands and can use efficiently
Develop a dialogue which will lead to a common understanding of abstract concepts
Deliver a successful solution to the problem
To consider how to improve both communication systems and the quality of the messages which those systems support
To practise effective listening and refine questioning skills
To develop flexibility in communication skills, changing and adapting language to meet the needs of others
To understand communication is culturally specific
Ensure shared references are used to achieve common meaning

Colourblind® has been used for over 25 years by companies around the world from corporates to sole traders this activities has proven to deliver real world business value. An example of how to use Colourblind activity within your organisation or with clients is our 6 week communication skills mini programme.

We have also extended this activity and developed Colourblind Plus with three additional ways to use the activity. Experiential Learning Tools is the only way to access Colourblind Online, subscribe today to gain instant access.

In an era where remote work and virtual collaboration have become the norm, the importance of effective communication cannot be overstated. Enter Colourblind® Online, a game-based experiential learning tool designed to address and enhance communication within virtual teams.

Uses:

Team Building: Colourblind® Online serves as an icebreaker for new teams and a bonding exercise for existing ones. By navigating the challenges of the game together, team members foster trust, understanding, and camaraderie.
Communication Training: The game pinpoints common communication pitfalls, such as ambiguity, assumptions, and lack of clarity. Teams can identify their specific weaknesses and work towards rectifying them.
Leadership Development: Facilitators can use Colourblind® Online to identify emerging leaders within a group. Those who exhibit strong chairing skills, effective questioning, and the ability to clarify and summarize stand out, providing valuable insights for succession planning.
Remote Work Adaptation: For teams transitioning to remote work, the game offers a practical, hands-on experience of the unique communication challenges they might face, preparing them for real-world scenarios.
Feedback Culture: The game emphasizes the importance of feedback for understanding, encouraging a culture where team members actively seek and provide constructive feedback.

Outcomes:

Enhanced Communication: Teams walk away with a heightened awareness of their communication strengths and areas for improvement. They learn the value of precision in language and the pitfalls of assumptions.
Strengthened Team Dynamics: By working together to solve the game's challenges, teams develop a deeper understanding of each member's working style, leading to improved collaboration in real-world projects.
Skill Development: Participants hone essential skills such as active listening, information management, and effective questioning, all of which are transferable to their daily tasks.
Increased Engagement: The interactive nature of Colourblind® Online ensures participants are engaged and invested, leading to better retention of the lessons learned.

After completing your Colourblind® session, it's crucial to reflect and analyse. Dedicate at least 30 minutes for a comprehensive debrief. You can either craft your own set of probing questions or utilize the ones provided below. Colourblind® Online zeroes in on two pivotal facets of communication:

Selection and management of the communication system and medium.
Precision and quality of the communicated content.

Communication Area 1: Information Management
The exercise inundates participants with information. To solve the puzzle, a systematic approach to information gathering, sorting, and retention is essential. Consider these debrief questions:

Did we set a clear objective early on?
How did we ensure early access to all relevant information?
What methods did we employ to sort and retain information?
How did we validate the accuracy and relevance of our data?
How did we challenge assumptions and transition from unknowns to knowns?

Workplace Application: Reflect on your personal information management. How do you filter and store pertinent data? How can you enhance your information management and avoid information overload?

Communication Area 2: Group Dynamics and Leadership
Successful completion of the Colourblind® exercise hinges on effective group communication. Reflect on:

How well did we listen to each other?
Did we prevent side conversations or sub-group dialogues?
Was there a designated leader or did one organically emerge?
How did we ensure inclusivity in our discussions?
How did we adapt our communication strategy during the exercise?

Workplace Application: Think about your team's communication dynamics. How do you ensure everyone's voice is heard? How do you choose discussion leaders? Are there evident communication patterns or alliances within your team?

Communication Area 3: Shared Language and Meaning
A cornerstone of the Colourblind® exercise is establishing shared descriptors. Reflect on:

What descriptive methods were most effective?
How did descriptions evolve over time?
How did we validate and clarify ambiguous descriptions?
Were there any cultural or linguistic barriers?

Workplace Application: Consider the jargon or specialized language you use. How do you ensure clarity in your communications? How do you validate your understanding of received messages?

Communication Area 4: Valuing Diversity

The exercise showcases diverse communication styles. Reflect on:

What individual communication strategies stood out?
How did participants adapt their styles to accommodate others?
How did individuals ensure mutual understanding?

Workplace Application: How can insights from this exercise enhance your training or teaching methods? Are you aware of your communication preferences and their impact?

Real-world Example: In one Colourblind® session, participants used culturally specific references, like "Star Trek symbol," which might not resonate universally. In your professional setting, how do you ensure abstract concepts, such as organisational values, are universally understood?

Information

Delivered: Fully remote/virtual activity
Available: To all subscribers
Activity created: 2020-10-02
Average duration: 60 mins
Participants: 4 - 28

Thank you to you and the ELT team so much for working so diligently to put together a platform to quickly execute an impactful virtual teambuilding activity like Colourblind. We are tremendously grateful and can't wait to continue our RSVP journey.

Christine Pietrusewicz

Senior Trainer Leadership Development - Verizon

Find the right activity for you

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From communication skills with Colourblind to team building with Simbols or an icebreaker with Seeing the Point there's a broad range of activites to help you reach various outcomes.

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While our subscription plans offer the best value and most features we understand some businesses might only want to use one or two of our activities and would rather buy individual product licences. If this is your buinsess please contact our sister company RSVP Design directly.

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