Soft Shoe Shuffle

Soft Shoe Shuffle

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Term2.png SOFT SHOE SHUFFLE
Facilitation Technique used in cases of extreme polarization of ideas. Using this technique a physical space is created between different opinions and different roles, by moving around a room. People are allowed to "act" their opinions, in a sort of physical discussion. The difference of opinions is accepted and analyzed instead of denied.This technique is considered particularly useful in cases of strong polarization of opinions, since it allows to find points in common between people that have very different ideas, avoiding a complete isolation of one or more people from the rest of the group [1]


Toolkit.png Conducting Soft Shoe Shuffle
  1. Gather all the participants of a group in a big space where they are free to move.
  2. Ask to one of the participants to express is point of view on one question relative to the meeting purpose
  3. Ask to the rest of the group to move around the room according to the level of agreement to the other person opinion.
  4. Take a few second to observe how people positioned themself around the room.
  5. Look for eventual isolated subjects, whose opinion always differs from the rest of the group.
  6. Ask the isolated person to verbalize his / her opinion
  7. Ask to the rest of the group if no one shares the same opinion or has some thoughts in common.


Often there will be someone that will share at least some of the opinion of the isolated person, that will feel more accepted in the group. Even in case there is no agreement with the isolated opinion the perosn will feel he / she has been heard and will consider him / her self again as part of the group.[2]



References

  1. Accelerating Performance: powerful new techniques to develop people, Par Sunny Stout Rostron, 2002)
  2. Accelerating Performance: powerful new techniques to develop people, Par Sunny Stout Rostron, 2002)