What you’ll leave with
Participants practise describing an observation, checking the other person’s view and agreeing a practical next step.
Before the session
- Create trios with speaker, receiver and observer roles. Use fictional examples to avoid turning practice into a live performance discussion.
- Explain that this is a practice activity, not an assessment of competence. Participants can observe or write instead of role-playing.
- Share the three scenarios and observer sheet in advance. Prepare a private way for participants to raise a concern and a clear route back from breakout rooms.
The run of show
Introduce the practice
Explain the four moves: describe a specific event, explain its effect, ask for the other person’s perspective, and agree a next step. Say: “We are practising curiosity and clarity. You do not need a perfect script.” Avoid presenting this as a validated assessment or a guaranteed conflict-resolution method.
Demonstrate and notice
Model: “In yesterday’s handover, the due date was missing. I could not tell which request to start first. What was happening from your side?” The receiver explains a competing constraint. Together agree a small change. Ask what made the opening specific and where the speaker left room for correction.
Practise in three rounds
Each eight-minute round has one minute to prepare, four minutes to talk and three minutes for reflection. Rotate roles so everyone has one turn as speaker, receiver and observer. Use a different fictional scenario each time. Observers describe words or actions they noticed rather than rating personalities.
Compare learning
Return to the main room. Invite patterns, not details about another participant. Ask which question opened the conversation and where an assumption crept in. List helpful wording. Discuss how the speaker could check the accuracy of an observation before giving feedback.
Draft a transfer plan
Individually choose a low-stakes future conversation. Write the observation, effect and opening question. Do not include private names or sensitive details in the shared document. Identify what information you would need to check before the real conversation.
Close and make room for questions
Invite each person to share one phrase they want to practise, or pass. Remind the group that serious misconduct or an unsafe power relationship needs a suitable organisational process, not simply a better feedback sentence.
Inside the participant worksheet
- Scenario A | A project update arrived after the planning meeting. The receiver was waiting for figures from another team. Agree how to communicate partial information sooner.
- Scenario B | A colleague interrupted twice during a planning call. The receiver thought the decision had already been made and wanted to flag a deadline. Explore both perspectives.
- Scenario C | A handover document omitted a named owner. The receiver assumed ownership was clear from a previous chat. Agree where ownership will be recorded.
- Speaker notes | specific event | effect | question | proposed next step
- Receiver notes | your perspective | constraint | what you can commit to
- Observer notes | exact words that described an event | question that invited another perspective
- Observer notes | assumption to check | next step both people accepted
- Personal transfer plan | what to verify | opening sentence | when to practise
Debrief questions
- Which wording described behaviour without labelling the person?
- Where did asking a question change your understanding?
- Was the next step explicit and feasible for both people?
Adapt it for your group
- With four participants, use two pairs and replace the observer with a written self-reflection after each round.
- For multilingual groups, allow preparation in a preferred language and extra thinking time. Keep the scenario details simple.
- If role-play feels uncomfortable, write two possible openings and discuss their likely effects instead.
After the session
Invite participants to reflect privately after a low-stakes real conversation: what did I check, what did I learn, and what was agreed? Do not request recordings or confidential details as evidence.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV agenda in a spreadsheet.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.