Team-Building Exercises – Communication

[Sultan Mahmud Sujon]

Exercises to Build Communication Skills

Your team communicates in many different ways: face-to-face, by Skype, by instant message, and by email. But does it do so effectively?

Use the exercises below to improve essential communication skills like listening, empathy and verbalization. Some of these will also strengthen team members' problem-solving, creative-thinking and leadership skills.

Exercise 1: The Blindfold Game*

In this activity, blindfolded participants must rely on their partners to navigate an "assault course" successfully.

Uses

This helps to improve communication and listening skills, and to build trust between partners.
People and Materials

Any size group works well in this exercise.
Enough blindfolds for half of the participants.
A large, private room.
Furniture and other items that you can use as obstacles.
Time

Around 15-20 minutes.
Instructions

Scatter furniture and objects around the room before the activity begins. Your course should be challenging, but still safe to navigate around.
Put team members into pairs and ask them to stand at one end of the room.
One person from each pair should put on the blindfold.
The sighted people must guide their partners across the room and give instructions to help them avoid the obstacles.
When each team reaches the other side of the room, partners should switch roles and then repeat the exercise.
Advice for the Facilitator

Talk with your group after the exercise. Consider these questions:

How did participants have to communicate differently to guide their partners?
How did their listening skills change and adapt when they were blindfolded?

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/team-building-communication.htm