As a recruitment consultant at Project Resource Partners, I’d like to share a slice of our corporate culture that's a little unconventional. Every Friday morning, we ditch the typical office routine for a fun and energising activity "2 Sides in 2 Minutes" game.
This game recognises the critical need for effective, adaptable communication within the workplace. It aims to foster a culture of open communication, understanding, and appreciation of diverse perspectives. This is not just about conveying messages; it's about building a collaborative and high-performance culture.
Here's how it works, or at least how we at PRP use it: someone in the team takes on the role of the speaker, presenting their viewpoints on a topic drawn from a deck of cards — ranging from light-hearted to serious.
Last week I pulled out a light-hearted card “cats are better than dogs”. Now the serious ones go more along the lines of ‘micro-management can be a good thing’. But the twist is that I must articulate both sides of the argument within two minutes! Now that definitely sounds easier that what occurred that Friday morning. In my rushed reasoning these were the premises I blurted out – you’re going to have to bear with me…
My FOR side had me convincing the room that cats are the most spiritual, meaningful and omniscient of the pets that always seem to know something that you don’t, whilst dogs are completely void of any intelligence further than tricks for food.
On the flip side, I argued that there is nothing like a persons best friend than a dog, the obvious ultimate companion as represented in all the heart throbbing, tears flowing Hollywood movies. Whilst cats are quite the opposite, they are solitary and sleazy animals that run on their own schedule acting like parasites, using their host only for comfort and convenience.
Now 2 minutes is a long time, especially when you are put on the spot… and in this activity you have to fill it, which meant for me, each side came with a personal anecdote to convey my message, whether it was true or not was my teams job to decipher.
The final part of the activity rests in the team to decide if my heart and mind lies in the For argument or the against. Let me know which one you think is correct.
Whilst I’m probably the one that loves this game the most in my team, everyone feels the collective energy boost in the room. There’s laughter, constructive feedback and adrenaline to start the Friday and the weekend off right.
Now in all seriousness, whilst fun, the activity is really helpful to encourage efficient and effective communication, this process is not just about speaking; it's an exercise in listening, understanding, and critically analysing different viewpoints.
At PRP we don’t really play the game as intended but I wanted to share with you how it goes here on a Friday morning, however there is a lot more insight and guidance to be gained from this activity that Renée and Shelley have so wonderfully created. I highly suggest checking it out here.
So, here's to playing openly, being adaptable, and having fun along the way. And a big thank you to Renée and Shelley for creating such a powerful tool for professional growth!
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