Dartmouth L.A.B.

Session 1: Know Yourself

Facilitator Training Packet

6 October 2014

Description: Students will work together in groups based on personality type to complete a “How to Bake A Cake Activity” and present their results. Students will then engage in discussion to analyze their personality test results to identify their strengths and weaknesses and how they manifest in a group setting. Students will discuss how they see themselves vs. how others might see them, and explore the importance of diverse personalities in a group setting.

Objective: By the end of this session, participants will be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses and how they manifest in a group setting.

Session Outline:

Time Required / Description
20 minutes (ALL) / Dinner (eat and mingle)
Opening remarks – program introduction (Austin)
●What do you intend on getting out of this program? And how will you hold yourself accountable?
●What is said here stays here, what is learned here leaves here. Make sure it’s clear that all discussions are confidential.
5 minutes / ●Introduction to activity and instructions: Participants divide into four groups based on the results of their True Colors inventory. Facilitators should divide up based on their own personality colors to observe groups.
●Each group will be given a large piece of chart paper and a marker, and the simple instructions to "explain how to bake a cake." No further instructions should be given -- the groups can interpret that in whatever way they'd like.
●After instructions given, transition to different areas of the room for group work
15 minutes / ●Participants carry out activity
●While the groups are working on this, facilitators should observe behaviors and pull relevant snippets of the participants’ conversations. Chances are, they each say something that is typical to their personality styles that can be pointed out later (See “Common Themes” below for reference)
15 minutes / ●Each group presents their “How to Bake a Cake” instructions (a few minutes for each group)
●Facilitators from each group share general traits of each color and behaviors/ conversations they noticed that fit into the common themes of the different personality tests
(Common Themes):
BLUE:
●It's all about the process...they like to get everyone's input and spend more time talking than doing
●They often have a "theme" for their cake (e.g. "we made a birthday cake!") --> this makes it more personal
●If given an option to choose a marker color, they get very excited but have a hard time making a decision
●This group is often the loudest, laughs the most, and often doesn't actually finish the task
●No one's input is wrong or incorrect --> they value relationships and don't want to tell anyone that they're wrong
GREEN:
●Cake steps will be most detail oriented. Will often include things like the types and sizes of utensils to use in the process, amount of time to bake for, etc.
●Steps are often numbered, and sometimes sub-numbered: (example below) --> very analytic and logical thought process (Add ingredients to bowl - flour, egg, water)
●Process of activity will often take a long time because they are perfectionists and don't want to miss anything.
●Will sometimes add steps afterwards and use arrows to insert them into the list (they always have a list)
●Quick to correct each other during discussion --> often think their ideas are the best
GOLD:
●Often makes references to recipes and family member's specialties (e.g. "grandma's bundt cake") --> immediately looks to the past and how things have been done before (stability, dependability)
●Usually has best handwriting --> organized, orderly, neat
●"Wash dishes" is often included as a step.
●Will plan what to do for their "presentation" (who says what, etc.) --> always prepared
●Will follow instructions literally and stay on task --> they like rules and always follow them
ORANGE:
●Will often say things like "go to store and buy cake" or "follow directions on box" as entire process --> creative thinkers, like to solve problems quickly and then move on
●Rarely spends much time on task...other conversations often emphasize characteristics such as witty, bold, competitive, etc.
●Won't take task seriously because they don't like being told what to do. Don't like following rules either.
●Once chart paper part of activity is done (they always finish first), they will sometimes physically stand up and start goofing around --> fun-loving, spontaneous, physical, impulsive
5 minutes / Analysis of personality tests and disclaimer:
●True Colors is an inventory designed to help you better understand individual differences - like any personality test (and especially one this short), it is limited and we acknowledge that. You have a primary and a secondary color according to this test, which signify your preferred styles. The colors you do not choose will have some characteristics that are representative of you, too: much of this is context-dependent. Also, one color is not better than another color, and the goal of this activity is to promote understanding of difference, not to separate ourselves. Personality tests can be reductive but are a good segue into self-reflection.
5 minutes / ●Transition to small pre-chosen groups (of mixed True Colors results) for discussion, each with 2 facilitators
10 minutes / ●Learn names
●Quick Icebreaker (up to facilitators!)
●Create group constitution (parameters of discussion that will make everyone feel safe/respected)
35 minutes (in small groups) / Discussion (feel free to add your own questions and to choose among these)
Follow up from cake activity:
●Initial reactions? Did anything surprise you?
●How did it feel to work in a group of people with similar personalities to you?
●What is the value of identifying “personality types” in this way? How do these types help us make sense of situations and interactions? Evaluate the usefulness and limitations of personality typing.
Perception vs. Self-perception
●What was a strength or weakness of your personality type that resonated with you? Give an example of a time when this trait affected an interaction.
●Think of a time when you had a conflict or misunderstanding with someone, does conceptualizing personality through this framework provide any insight into that experience?
●What have we learned about how others might interpret our attitudes or behavior?
●How did you see yourself in high school? How do you want people to see you at Dartmouth?
●Do others see you how you see yourself? Why or why not?
●What is the value of having diverse personalities types in a group?
10 minutes / Rejoin as a large group for conclusion and recap
Introduce Bridge Activity 1.5:
●Question: From the list of 40+ possible values, please select 10 that are the MOST important to you, and ten that are LEAST important to you. Consider why you prioritize some over others.