The Power of Perspective Exercises
Five easy ways to create a space for curious discovery and exchange.
Perspectives allow us to see different angles to our situation and expand our realities. We are often trapped in our little bubbles and struggle to see and open up to external views on a topic, a situation, or a problem.
As facilitators, we strive to open spaces where participants feel encouraged and safe to contribute with their perspectives, opinions, and ideas. However, this doesn’t always prove very easy because it requires carefully crafting an environment that encourages different perceptions and builds on appreciation for diverse opinions.
Setting a frame that invites open sharing and curiosity about differences early on in a workshop is essential to make way for different perspectives.
A simple way to do this is to run “perspective exercises.” These exercises aim to create awareness among the participants that our realities differ, expose assumptions that block us from thinking differently, and stimulate curiosity for exploring others’ perspectives. They also help the group adopt a no-right-or-wrong mindset.
Here are five examples:
1. Either/Or exercises. Ask people to pick between two options without revealing their choice. Then, have the group discuss openly what the people would like and why. Run a short reflection on how they perceived the experience.
2. Dilemma negotiation. Split the room in half. Formulate ideas or dilemmas with two options that people can agree or disagree with. Have the participants position themselves on the respective half and then discuss. If they change their opinion during the discussion, they can change sides. (If everybody is on one side, you can represent the other)
3. Perspectives Ping Pong. Also available as a card game, this method allows for a playful sharing and exploration of perspectives. Make a statement or ask a question. Then, have the participant go around and share their perspectives in a maximum of one sentence. Rules: No skipping turns (they can take their time), no repeating what has been said, no commenting or judging of other perspectives. Optional: you can do this in smaller groups and/or with a timer and/or see who comes up with the most perspectives.
4. Common sense busters. Have people come up with statements of what they think should be common sense and share them in the group to see who agrees? Have participants discuss differences in opinion.
5. Optical Illusions. Show them several images of optical illusions and explain how our experiences influence what we see.
The nice side effect of these exercises is that people will build connections despite their differences, and it helps you to get to know some of the diversity and perspectives of the group. The more you can get the participants to exchange perspectives, the more everyone will expand their realities.
For more information on Perspectives Ping Pong, contact thomas@lahnthaler.com or check out https://tractiontoolbox.ca/shop/perspectives-ping-pong/