How to playfully shorten long introductions?
Braking others in their speech can be fun.
Recently, on the way back from a workshop on the train, we discussed how you could solve the problem of time consuming rounds of introductions in a playful way. Actually, everyone is supposed to introduce themselves briefly and succinctly, but - we all know it - certain participants don't get the hang of it and introduce themselves in a very rambling way.
The classic solution, which is often chosen, already consists of the two game design elements Constrained Communication and Time Limit. One constrains the communication by giving the participants e.g. three criteria in advance on which they should introduce themselves (e.g. name, profession, organizational unit etc.). In addition, a Time Limit is set to limit the speaking time individually (e.g. "no longer than 1 minute"). But this is where another problem begins: How do you enforce a time limit as a moderator in a friendly but firm manner? This is not easy, especially at the beginning of the workshop, where the aim is to create a good atmosphere and not to disrupt it by cutting off the participants?
How about delegating this thankless role of time control to the participants themselves, in such a way that, when the time runs out, everyone has the fullest understanding that it really can't go on any longer... Here is the EMPAMOS solution molecule, with which you can catch every stubborn speaker.
By the way, we were inspired to this solution by the card game Bermuda. You can introduce this method as follows: "Would you like to have a round of introductions in which the others literally lose their breath at your introduction?"
The molecule becomes interesting below the card Time Limit, of course, where the speaking time is limited by Physical Skills and the air that a participant in the Role of time keeper is able to hold during the introduction of another participant. The important thing here is that the person holding the air is sitting directly across from the speaker. If the speaker is lucky, he/she gets an expressive kind of Game Progress Indicator on top :)
