Hello All!
Good Morning! Have you noticed how differently our brains are working right now? Forgetting what day of the week it is? Can’t remember the last time you wore anything “business casual?” Not sure you’ll recognize your favorite barista without their face mask. Try this exercise to stir up some conversation:
Memory Test:
Adapted from Virtual Team Building Activities by Michelle Cummings
- Have your coworkers find a piece of paper and a writing utensil.
- You will read off a list of words for your coworkers to try and remember.
- They cannot write down those words until you have finished reading ALL of the words.
- Give them 1-2 minutes to try and remember as many of the words as possible. Have them write down somewhere on the paper how many words they were able to recall.
Here is the list of words:
- Dream
- Sleep
- Night
- Mattress
- Snooze
- Sheet
- Nod
- Tired
- Night
- Artichoke
- Insomnia
- Blanket
- Night
- Alarm
- Nap
- Snore
- Pillow
Re-read your list for folks to check their memory. Some debriefing questions to discuss with your team:
- How did you do?
- First & Last Word: How many of your got “Dream” and “Pillow?” The first and last words are often what folks remember. Does this this relate to any instructions you’ve given to your employees/kids/spouse/etc.?
- Repetition: How many of you got “Night?” It is important to communicated early and often. What are some messages that you may need to re-communicate in the midst of the quarantine?
- Surprise: How many of you got “Artichoke?” Why do you think that is? Anomalies stand out! How can you use that to your advantage when communicating with your team? Your family?
- False Memory: How many of you got “Bed?” This was not one of the words on the list, but people often “fill in gaps” with associations and assumptions. What gaps are people filling? How can leaders remove potential for assumptions?
I look forward to the day when the Challenge Course can be available to help your teams reunite. Until then stay safe, stay healthy, stay connected!
Thank you,
Amy “Jesso” Watson
Challenge Course Manager
(503) 538-2763, ext. 105