- Goal:
The goal of this method is to foster decision-making, negotiation, and consensus-building skills as participants work together to rank characters from guiltiest to least guilty. This activity promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and effective communication within the team.
- Description:
The "Abigale Story" is an engaging decision-making exercise where participants are given a story involving multiple characters. They must determine and rank the guilt of each character from guiltiest to least guilty. The activity starts with individual assessments and progressively moves to pairs, small groups, and finally the whole group to reach a consensus. This process helps participants experience and practice negotiation, persuasion, and consensus-building.
- Required materials
- Additional:
- Instruction
- Step 1:
Distribute a printed or digital version of the Abigale Story to each participant and read the story while drawing the characters and story on a flipchart. Ensure everyone understands the story and the characters involved.
- Step 2:
Give participants 3 minutes to individually rank the characters from guiltiest to least guilty based on their interpretation of the story.
- Step 3:
Split participants into pairs and give them 5 minutes to discuss and create a common list ranking the characters from guiltiest to least guilty.
- Step 4:
Combine the pairs into groups of four and give them 10 minutes to discuss and agree on a common list. The goal is for each group to reach a consensus on the ranking.
- Step 5:
Continue combining groups to form larger groups (e.g., groups of eight) and give them time to agree on a common list. Repeat this process until the entire group is combined into one large group.
- Step 6:
As a whole group, participants must discuss and agree on a final common list ranking the characters from guiltiest to least guilty. Write this final list on a large flipchart.
- Step 7:
Facilitate a debriefing session to discuss the experience, focusing on the decision-making process, negotiation techniques, and challenges faced in reaching a consensus.
- Additional tips:
• Ensure that all participants have an opportunity to voice their opinions and contribute to the discussions.
• Encourage active listening and respectful dialogue during discussions.
• Be mindful of time management to ensure each stage of the activity is completed within the allotted time.
• It may be challenging for the group to reach a consensus. To create a common list, they can vote and decide by majority rule.
- Debriefing question
- Did you notice that the story leaves much to individual interpretation, such as the age of Abigale? Would your ranking change if she were 13 years old?
- Are you satisfied with the final ranking agreed upon by the group?
- What strategies did you use to determine the guilt of each character?
- How did your views change (if at all) after discussing with your peers?
- What were the most challenging aspects of reaching a consensus in your group?
- How did you handle disagreements and differing opinions within your group?
- What did this activity teach you about decision-making and negotiation?