Activity 10
The Cold Entry Role-Play
15–25 minutesSkill practiceCommunicationWhole groupIn personVirtualHybrid
What is this activity?
Practise entering a conversation without preparation.
Preparation
Prepare a social or workplace scenario and an unexpected question.
How to run it
- 1One participant briefly leaves the group.
- 2Others start a realistic conversation.
- 3The participant rejoins and must contribute naturally.
- 4Introduce an unexpected question.
- 5Debrief what helped build rapport.
Example in Action
Ask a participant to leave the physical room, or, in a virtual workshop, turn their camera towards the door and physically step away. Meanwhile, the group starts a conversation. Invite the participant to walk back in and join it naturally. This physical movement helps switch the brain from passive observation into action. Afterwards, discuss what helped them enter the conversation and build rapport.
Make it your own
Adapt the topic, scenario or materials to suit your audience.
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