Beach ball conversations

Something I’ve noticed while working on teams of all sizes is that it’s often hard for people to communicate with one another efficiently and effectively.

Many times, for example, many people talk at the same time, which complicates things for a variety of reasons:

Because people are so focused on getting their point across (as opposed to listening), they rarely focus on the other people doing the talking.

And because those people are never heard, conflicts arise because no one actually hears what’s been said.

A simple, low-cost solution: buy a beach ball, pass it around. The person with the ball gets to talk. Everyone else just listens.

This gives the ball-holder ample time to communicate their point. While everyone else gets to listen intently, and think concretely about what they are going to say in response (instead of merely spitting it out).

Sure, it’s juvenile. But it may be the best way to train your team (and yourself) to communicate like an adult.