Start with a question. Make room for another perspective. Choose one thoughtful way to serve.
Before you begin
These original activities invite practical reflection on listening, humility, service, and shared decisions. They are conversation prompts, not validated assessments or measures of leadership.
Choose an activity together. Times are flexible; allow more time or stop when needed.
Sharing is optional. Anyone may pass, reflect privately, or use a fictional example.
No one needs to disclose faith, beliefs, personal history, or sensitive workplace experiences.
Agree on privacy and respectful listening. Do not record or repeat another person’s story without permission.
Facilitators: invite, do not evaluate. Make space for disagreement and close with a small next step the team can freely agree to.
Choose a question and flip the card for facilitator steps and reflection.
Activity 1
What might I hear if I listen to understand before I try to solve?
Listen before responding
About 10 minutes
Invite pairs to choose a low-stakes work situation. Either person may pass or use a fictional example.
Let one person speak without interruption. The listener then says, “What I think I heard is…” and asks what they missed.
Switch roles. Before offering advice, ask whether the speaker wants ideas, a question, or simply to be heard.
Pause and reflect
Which thoughts competed for your attention? How did your perception of the situation change when you checked your interpretation?
One next step
Choose one conversation this week in which you will ask what kind of support is wanted.
Activity 2
What did we observe, and what meaning did we add?
Separate noticing from assuming
About 12 minutes
Read this fictional scenario: a teammate is quiet during a planning meeting and leaves before the discussion ends.
Privately list what is observable, then list the thoughts and interpretations you added. Invite volunteers to share different possible explanations.
Together, write one respectful question that would help you learn more without assigning motives.
Pause and reflect
How did your experiences shape your perception? Which interpretation did you treat as a fact before checking it?
One next step
Agree to ask one clarifying question before acting on an assumption.
Activity 3
Whose need could we understand better before we offer help?
Notice the need
About 15 minutes
Choose a routine team process, such as onboarding or handing off a task. Name the people affected without discussing private personal details.
List what you know about their needs and what you are assuming. Choose someone who can be invited to describe their own experience.
Plan a small offer of support. Include how you will ask permission, who will do it, and when you will check whether it actually helped.
Pause and reflect
What does service look like from the other person’s perspective? How might your preferred solution differ from the support they want?
One next step
Make one specific, optional offer of help and accept the answer without pressure.
Activity 4
Whose perspective is missing from the decision we are about to make?
Make room at the table
About 15 minutes
Choose a small decision the team genuinely has authority to make. Clarify any limits and who makes the final decision.
Offer quiet thinking time, then invite each person to contribute or pass. Welcome written input when speaking aloud is not comfortable.
Summarize the options and concerns before deciding. Explain how input shaped the choice and set a time to review its effect.
Pause and reflect
Which voices influenced your interpretation most? What changed when you considered a less familiar perspective?
One next step
Record one concern to revisit, along with a review date the team agrees to.
Activity 5
Where could I replace certainty with curiosity?
Practice a humble next step
About 10 minutes
Privately recall a low-stakes moment when your first interpretation was incomplete. No one needs to disclose a personal mistake.
In pairs or silently, complete: “I first thought… Another possibility is… A question I could ask is…” Use a fictional example if preferred.
Invite volunteers to name only a future practice, such as checking understanding, crediting a contribution, or asking for feedback.
Pause and reflect
What made it easier or harder to reconsider your thoughts? How can humility support accountability without asking anyone to share more than they want?
One next step
Try your chosen practice once and privately notice what you learned.
Activity 6
What small change would help us serve one another more consistently?
Turn reflection into shared care
About 15 minutes
Invite optional observations about a routine that helps or hinders the team. Keep examples focused on the process rather than blaming a person.
Choose one small change within the team’s control. Ask who benefits, who might carry extra work, and what consent or input is still needed.
Agree on an owner, a reasonable trial period, and a check-in. At the check-in, ask whether to keep, adapt, or stop the change.
Pause and reflect
How do different perceptions of the same routine affect what each person needs? What would useful support look like in everyday behavior?
One next step
End with one clear, voluntary commitment rather than a long list of promises.
Keep the practice small and honest.
Return to the question: did our next step help the people it was meant to serve? Let what you learn shape what comes next.
