Exercise 15: Simon Says

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                        EXERCISE FIFTEEN
                           SIMON SAYS

This is a relatively simple exercise.  If done quickly, it can
provide some frustration but also some fun.  It's also good for
those of us who think we are always listening and don't really need
to do this sort of exercise.

1. Explain to the group what you are doing and why.  You might say:
"Most people don't communicate or listen accurately in either
individual conversations or a group setting.  What we're going to
try now is to see how well you can listen to directions."

2. Pass out a sheet of paper to each person.  Tell them that you're
going to give them some simple directions to follow using a sheet
of paper.  Let them know that you will give the directions only
once and that you will say them clearly but quickly.  The group
must follow the directions without any questions, and you will not
repeat any directions.  (The directions follow.)

3. After you have read the directions to the group, and they have
followed them, have everyone open the sheet they end up with and
ask them to raise their hands if they think it's correct.  You
don't need to keep score, but usually 25 percent of the
participants will do everything correctly.

4. Get a discussion going if it hasn't already started.  Some
suggested questions might be: "Why do you think so many people
didn't do the exercise correctly?"  "Would anyone have done better
if this were an important group task or item of business?"  "What
would have helped?"

5. Use the exercise to lead into a discussion about hearing versus
listening, and what it means to your group.


                   SIMON SAYS DIRECTION SHEET

Read these out loud, clearly but quickly.


1. On the top of the left-hand side write the name of the country
you live in at present.

2. Along the right-hand side write the name of the state you live
in at present.

3. Draw a line from the top right-hand corner to the bottom left-
hand corner.

4. Draw a line from the center of the top to the center of the
bottom.

5. Fold your paper along the center line with the left side over
the right side.

6. Now draw a diagonal line from the top left corner to the bottom
right corner and write your first name three times on the diagonal
line.

7. Fold your paper into thirds and hand it to the person next to
you.

                        GETTING FEEDBACK

If you and your group got something out of the last exercise, the
following one will take the idea of accurate communication and
listening one step further.  In fact, you might prefer to work
through the following exercise instead of the previous one; use
your judgment and be flexible.  In this one the importance of
feedback in communication is emphasized.  Without some sort of
feedback from the listener, neither the speaker nor the listener
really knows whether the information that has been communicated has
been received accurately.

• Lois M. Frey, UVM Extension, RR #4, Box 2298, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 223-2389, email: lfrey@sover.net
• "Group Development: Creating Group Effectiveness" by Duane Dale, DFD Associates, 99 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-3402 (moving to 764 South East Street, Amherst, MA 01022 after 8/1/98);
• Bob Biagi, 142 Cherry Lane, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 549-1412;

Comments to: crs@uvm.edu
Reviewed as of 4/20/98