Tools and Techniques for Engagement and Connection
These tools and techniques can bring equal value to you and your organization as you work with board, staff, volunteers, and the community. Connecting differences does not happen by chance. By creating structured ways for people to connect and have meaningful conversations we will engage each other and offer incredible opportunities to see each other as individuals and help diversity happen.
Each one of these techniques will:
- Enables each person to have a voice and be included.
- Allow introverts an opportunity to think in silence.
- Helps people listen because they have written down their thoughts.
- Generates multiple ideas and viewpoints.
- Fosters a nonjudgmental environment.
- Prevents any one person from dominating.
- Helps level the playing field and the power dynamics.
If you have questions on using these techniques, please contact:
Marge Smith, 609-213-5673 or mlsprin75@gmail.com
RESILIENCE, RESOURCEFUL & REIMAGINED
It is incredibly important that in this time when the good we all have been doing is invisible, that we share the positive ways we have been resilient and resourceful so that people will have hope and learn about each other’s solutions to help ourselves and our organizations.
ACTIVITY: Please fill in this open sentence so you can briefly go around and then share y reading your open sentences:
My name is ________. I am associated with _______________.
I care about ______________because ________________.
Please share one way you or your group has been resilient and/or resourceful:______________________.
TECHNIQUE: Open Sentences
Sometimes in our culture people feel attacked by questions because it they think the answer can only be right or wrong. For instance, if someone asks you, “Why do you care?” or “Why do you give?” it has a totally different impact than providing an open sentence such as, “I give to _______ because, or I volunteer because_______, or I care because_________.” In each of these instances I hope you see that be enabling each person to have a voice and be heard you gain insight into motivation and values. In addition, notice when people write something down ahead of time, they feel free to then listen because they aren’t constantly thinking of what to say.
INSPIRING IDEAS AND TAKE-AWAYS FROM THIS EVENING
ACTIVITY: Please fill in these open sentences:
My name is ________. I am associated with _______________.
One or two of my key take-aways or something that inspired me this evening_____________________________________________.
TECHNIQUE: Open Sentences PLUS Sharing Take-Aways – What Others Learned
This is based on the idea that if we allow people to reflect, write down and share with each other the learning they experienced it can become more embedded in their consciousness. As we are limited to one workshop per time period, it offers everyone a glimpse into the other workshops’ meaningful content. We also learn by listening to each other’s take-aways.
ACTIVITY: USING AN OBJECT TO SYMBOLIZE
- Your Organization’s Mission or Vision
- Your Volunteer Work or why it’s meaningful
- Something Good You’ve Seen Happen
- Something That Reflect One of Your Values/Care About
- A Goal or Something You or Your Group Accomplished
- Something I’d Like to See Happen
- Find something in the room that represents one of the above.
- When it is your turn to share:
- Tell us your name and affiliation.
- Show your item and explain how it represents one of the above.
TECHNIQUE: Selecting an Object that Represents Something One Can Talk About
Selecting an object that connects a person to an idea, an activity, or something they care about enhances inter- and intra-personal emotional intelligence. It enables the person to be reflective and it is easier to communicate when holding an object in one’s hand. One doesn’t need to worry about what one is going to say because the object itself allows for focus and frees them from worrying about what other people are thinking. At the same time, people listen more intently because it’s interesting and it appeals to their visual intelligence. They are also more apt to remember the content.
ROSE, THORN,BUD
ACTIVITY: Please fill in these open sentences:
My name is ________. I am associated with _______________.
Activity: Rose – Thorn – Bud
PLEASE WRITE DOWN A SHORT RESPONSE TO EACH:
- Rose—a way your organization (or you, personally) has bloomed…
- Thorn —a challenge your organization (or you, personally) experienced…
- Bud — a blossoming your organization (or you personally) envisions…
TECHNIQUE: Rose – Thorn – Bud
These three words help frame a meaningful discussion. Notice that it starts with the positive rather than the negative, acknowledging that although we have experienced many thorns this past year, some good things have happened. It is really important to acknowledge the success of ourselves and others because we need to communicate what is going right rather than focusing on the negative. Why would you want to invest time, talent, or money into something that is not blooming?
STOP, START, ACCELERATE
ACTIVITY: STOP, START, ACCELERATE
Please fill in these open sentences:
My name is ________. I am associated with _______________ and also write down a short response to the following:
- STOP—Something you or your organization stopped doing…
- START — Something you or your organization started doing that was successful…
- ACCELERATE — Something you or your organization accelerated…
TECHNIQUE: STOP, START, ACCELERATE
These three words provide a framework for thinking about an event, or a particular topic, i.e., use of volunteers, communications, or fundraising. When given the opportunity to write it down and share, individuals can think independently, and you can hear the range or commonalities of opinion. It provides an opportunity to identify the changes that have and are occurring. Based on this input we as individuals or organizations will be more apt to develop plans for action. Also, it levels the power dynamic. Frequently, what happens is that the powerful person speaks, and everyone agrees without being able to voice their opinion first. This technique promotes everyone having a voice, hearing different perspectives, and developing an action plan based on everyone’s input. Remember, how we design group interaction truly impacts how people are sometimes unknowingly muted.
GRATITUDE
Please fill in these open sentences:
My name is ________. I am associated with _______________ and I am grateful for_______________________because__________________________________.
One way I like to express gratitude is____________________________________.
TECHNIQUE: GRATITUDE
Studies show that a culture of gratitude is a critical factor in creating a positive, inclusive, and productive environment. Too often, we wait until the end of the game to cheer. However, people really need support and positive feedback in order to stay motivated and on task. A
A simp0le thank you is always appreciated but is all the more meaningful when you are specific. That way the person knows their contribution has been noticed and they feel more valued. Expressing gratitude benefits the giver, the receiver and the observer, creating a sense of well-being and happiness.
Tic-Tac-Toe
Please fill in these open sentences:
My name is ________. I am associated with _______________ .
- Ask participants to draw a quick 3-by-3 grid
- Have participants fill in each area of the grid with a
- “Key value for themselves or their organization
- (Allow 3 minutes for everyone to fill in their grids.)
- Then each person in turn shares a word from their grid.
Go around the group and ask each person to share one word on their grid.
- As each person shares, group members put an x on their own grid if they have that value listed if you have that Value in common.
- “tic-tac-toe” could be three in a row (up, down, or diagonally).
Please fill in this open Sentence so we can each learn what each other has learned:
One of my Take-Aways from The ___________ Is____________
TECHNIQUE: Tic-Tac-Toe with Your Organization
Nonprofits are centered around values and what creates meaning for your staff, volunteers, board, and donors. This technique enables each person to reflect on what is important to them and gain insight into what motivates. By surfacing the values, we feel closer together and perceive the good that exists while fostering a sense of community and connectedness.
For example, you could position this activity around your donors, i.e., I give to ______because it represents my values. Please fill in the tic-tac-toe grid. Volunteers could share why they volunteer by filling in the grid with why they volunteer by doing the same, providing insight what resonates with them and how to thank them.
