More Ways to Play

FLUSTER for Team-Building and Facilitating

Since we created FLUSTER, we’ve been amazed by all the creative uses people have found for it out in the world. We’ve heard from educators, HR professionals, therapists, and more, who all have ideas about how FLUSTER can help them in their professions. So we’ve taken the ideas we’ve heard or seen in action, as well as some of our own, and put together these ways that you can use FLUSTER outside of the usual social environments.

FLUSTER Clusters

Large-group team-building activity with the intention of introducing a lot of people to each other and quickly sparking meaningful connections. Think FLUSTER meets musical chairs meets... bingo?

The Goal

• To meet and have a conversation with the most people in the group!

Preparation

1. Take your total group size and divide by four

2. This gives you the number of “clusters” where small groups will gather

3. Use chairs or other objects as the gathering point for each cluster and put three questions at each (try a !, !! and !!! question)

4. Make a list with the names of all the people in the group and print a copy for each person

5. If you want, prepare a prize for the winner

How it works

1. Everyone gets a sheet of names and goes to a cluster (four people at each)

2. People will introduce themselves, check the people they met off their list, and then use the cards at their table to start a conversation

3. Every 5 minutes a facilitator will signal to the groups that it’s time to switch clusters

4. Everyone will seek out a new cluster with new people

5. Repeat for as long as you like, or until someone has checked all the names off their sheet

Common Ground

At a team-building event or connecting with new people? Challenge yourselves to find how much you have in common!

How it Works

1. Form a group of 4-10 people.
2. Someone starts by picking a card from the deck and answering that question.
3. Then, everyone who feels like they have some common ground with that answer gives a brief story or reaction about what they related to, such as a similar experience or shared feeling. 
4. The first player keeps answering questions until they have found common ground with the remaining people in the group.
5. Then a different player picks up a question and the process repeats until everyone has taken a turn. 

Around the Horn

Simple, intimate bonding exercise for a small to medium sized group.

How it Works

• One question is turned over from the deck and everyone answers it

• OR, each person chooses a question to ask the group and everyone answers it

   

SFW (Safe For Work)

If you’re short on time, but want to introduce FLUSTER into a professional environment and are worried it might be too intense.

How it Works

• If you’re short on time, just take out the !!! questions and tame the FLUSTER beast. Otherwise, then play as you would normally

Active Listener

Encourages active listening and provides the opportunity for partner introductions.

How it Works

1. Pair up

2. Each pair gets a few question cards

3. Each person answers a question and their partner listens to their answer

4. After everyone has answered, their partner will introduce them to the rest of the group with their name and something they learned about them from their answer