Conflict management dominos : co-create and learn through play

TIME

16.00 – 17.30, 2 September

GOAL

We propose to experience a game designed to teach and improve conflict management through collective intelligence in a playful efficient way.

CHALLENGE

For a team of middle managers, team leaders, or facilitators, the opportunities to discuss and learn from each other around conflict management are rare.
Those positions often feel lonely and fear of judgment is a strong limiter for sharing personal experiences amongst colleagues or even peers.
We have developed a tool in the form of a game that gives a framework for leading this kind of discussion in a playful manner, ensure by design a non-judgmental environment focusing on solutions and alternatives instead of proving a point or negative comments.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to tackle conflict management in a playful efficient way blending collective intelligence and gamification techniques.
Indeed, games can be a powerful tool to handle emotionally charged situations, as their playful nature puts distance between the topic and the participants, enabling them to share in a more truthful manner. In addition, game rules are preventing negativity by proving a strong frame for discussions and easy to enforce boundaries. Lastly, collaborative games bring focus toward the game’s goal, leveraging competitiveness to foster co-creation and collective intelligence.

In this co-creation workshop based on experience sharing, participants will use custom-made dominos to share the chain of actions and reactions of a specific past conflictual situation they want to improve. In the second part of the workshop, the domino mechanic will be used to propose alternative actions and collectively craft a better outcome to the situation, tapping on their own knowledge as well as some theoretical pointer given by the facilitators. Hence will they bring a satisfying conclusion to the specific situation and collectively improve their conflict resolution skills.

OUTCOMES

TANGIBLE

Game rules and workshop methodology with application in conflict management and beyond.
Strategy to solve their specific conflict situation.
Theoretical pointers with actionable tips for conflict resolution.

INTANGIBLE

– Playful experience and awareness that games can be a powerful tool to handle emotionally charged situations.
– Sharing of each participants’ personal approaches regarding the resolution of conflicts.
– Variety of actions and possible postures toward conflictual situations based on shared anecdotes from participants.

BRIEF OUTLINE / METHODOLOGY

According to our methodology, we aim at the following agenda for the workshop.

1-10: introduction, motivation, and icebreaker
10-30: first breakout in groups: sharing and selecting of the conflictual situation to be worked on in the second breakout
30-45: full room exchange and presentation of conflict resolution methods with actionable pointers
45-1h05: second breakout in groups: co-creation of alternative paths leading to the resolution of the situation
1h05-1h15: full room closing
1h15-1h30: feedback exchange on methodology and game implementation

AUDIENCE

Any participant in a situation of leadership or management or acting as facilitator in a conflictual environment. Participants will be asked to think and share actual situations they are experiencing or experienced in the past.