An activity to explore welcoming and interaction: each person alternates between welcoming and being welcomed, experiences strong emotions, and discovers group dynamics. The goal: to create connections, establish a supportive framework, and reflect on each person’s role in interactions.
Method, with a group of 30 people
I designed and co-created this exercise to explore the theme of welcoming.
For example, with a group of 30 people, 10 chairs are arranged in a circle. The activity takes place in three rounds (each lasting 5 minutes):
- In the first round, 10 people sit on the chairs and are tasked with welcoming the other participants moving around the space.
- In the second round, 10 different people take their places on the chairs.
- In the third round, the final 10 participants sit down. This way, everyone experiences being both a welcomer and someone being welcomed.
This exercise is well-suited for addressing the theme of welcoming. However, I believe it can also be adapted to explore other topics, particularly interaction. There are twice as many people moving around as there are welcomers. As a result, some may end up welcoming groups, while others welcome individuals. Those moving around may sometimes feel welcomed but can also feel excluded if no one approaches them. Similarly, welcomers may occasionally find themselves alone, with no one coming to them.
Emotions and the Framework
This exercise evokes strong emotions in participants, both in their interactions and personal experiences, tied to the themes of interaction and individual roles. The instruction I gave was: “What does welcoming mean?” For the welcomer, it’s not about providing information but about showing interest in the person being welcomed, building a connection, asking questions, understanding their needs, and listening attentively. It is the responsibility of the seated person to create a supportive framework for the person they are welcoming.
This approach to building a framework is crucial in interactions, especially for someone in an organizational role, dealing with beneficiaries or partners. It involves establishing a framework that fosters connection, dialogue, co-creation, or service delivery.
The Theme of Interaction or Service
While this exercise was designed to explore welcoming, I believe it can also serve as a useful foundation for addressing other topics, particularly those related to interaction or the service one aims to provide. The emotions experienced during the exercise enrich subsequent reflections, as they are rooted in the participants’ personal experiences.
Additionally, during this exercise, some participants may face challenges, while others may succeed at certain moments. Observing how others act around you is also part of the process. This informal exchange is incredibly enriching, as it allows participants to learn from and discover each other’s approaches.
