Who are you? The pirate ship exercise
This engaging exercise encourages participants to reflect on their roles and feelings regarding a specific topic in the group context. It serves as an effective opener for meetings by prompting personal insights and shared understanding.
How to run it
- 1
Display the image of the ship to participants, sharing your screen if online.
- 2
Ask each participant to think about which character in the image represents them in relation to the topic.
- 3
Invite participants to share the number of their chosen character and provide a brief explanation.
- 4
Facilitate a debriefing session to discuss insights and feelings.
- 5
Optionally, use this as an icebreaker by tailoring the question to a relevant theme, like online training.
Tips
Encourage openness and ensure a safe environment for sharing feelings.
Monitor the time to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate.
Use the shared insights as a foundation for deeper discussions in your session.
Variations
Consider adapting the exercise by changing the image to suit different themes or contexts, such as leadership or collaboration.
Where it fits
Frequently asked questions
When should I use Who are you? The pirate ship exercise?â–¾
Use Who are you? The pirate ship exercise when you want to: team kickoff; retrospective closing; workshop opening; project alignment; status check-in.
How long does Who are you? The pirate ship exercise take?â–¾
Who are you? The pirate ship exercise typically takes 10 minutes.
What materials do I need for Who are you? The pirate ship exercise?â–¾
Who are you? The pirate ship exercise requires no special materials — just participants and a space.
How difficult is Who are you? The pirate ship exercise to facilitate?â–¾
Who are you? The pirate ship exercise is rated beginner — straightforward to facilitate even without prior experience.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from SessionLab. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.