---
title: "Arc of Engagement Exercise"
description: "Small groups map their current working dynamic along a five-point arc of engagement and identify specific conversational barriers."
last_updated: "2026-09-07"
canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/arc-of-engagement-exercise/"
---

# Arc of Engagement Exercise

Small groups map their current working dynamic along a five-point arc of engagement and identify specific conversational barriers.

**Time:** 15 minutes. Source specifies 5 to 15 minutes; structured here for a full 15-minute check-in.
**People:** 4 to 24. Small groups of 3 to 6 participants working in parallel.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Assess team interaction and conversational openness midway through a collaborative session.
**Use it when:** Midway through a day-long workshop or project sprint when collaboration feels stalled or uneven.
**Skip it when:** Teams meeting for a brief transactional meeting or groups lacking shared work context.

## Materials and tools

- One flip chart or poster sheet per small group
- One thick marker per small group
- One reference handout showing the 5-point Arc of Engagement per small group

## Before participants arrive

1. Draw a curved arc labeled 1 through 5 on each group's flip chart before the session starts.
2. Distribute the Arc reference sheet to each table or group station.

## Say this to open

Teams take time to warm up and build trust. We are taking fifteen minutes to check where our working conversations stand right now. Look at the Arc of Engagement on your chart, decide individually where our group is sitting, and then share your view with your small group.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce the Arc (3 minutes)

Explain the five points on the arc using the reference sheet: 1 is Disconnected or Guarded, 2 is Transactional or Exchange of Facts, 3 is Positional or Defending Views, 4 is Exploratory or Inquiring, and 5 is Co-creative or Shared Flow. Ask each person to silently pick the number that represents their team's dynamic today.

### 2. Compare placements in small groups (6 minutes)

Group members take turns sharing the number they chose and one specific observation that influenced it. Each person speaks for up to one minute without interruption. Passing is permitted.

### 3. Identify blockers and adjustments (4 minutes)

Groups spend four minutes discussing what barriers or conversational habits keep them at their current number and what simple shift would help them move forward along the arc. One volunteer jots 1 or 2 bullet points near their arc.

### 4. Brief room check-in (2 minutes)

Ask each group to call out their rough average score (1 through 5). If time allows, hear one quick shift a group plans to make for the rest of the day.


## Debrief questions

- What conversational habit most easily pulls this group down to a lower stage?
- What single adjustment can we make in the next block of work to stay in exploration or co-creation?

**Finished output:** A shared team placement on a 1-to-5 scale with one written operational shift.

## Remote

Display the five stages on a shared virtual whiteboard. Have participants place an anonymous dot on the arc, then open breakout rooms of 3 to 5 people for 10 minutes to discuss barriers and needed shifts before calling them back for a 2-minute summary.

## Hybrid

In-person pods use paper flip charts while remote participants join a single digital whiteboard or video breakout room. Both groups report their average number to the room via chat or spoken check-in.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may share thoughts verbally, by pointing to the chart, or by writing on a sticky note.
- Anyone may pass on speaking during the round-robin without giving a reason.

## If the session gets stuck

**One dominant participant insists the team is at level 5 while others feel disconnected.**

Remind the team that divergent ratings are normal and invite an example of where conversations felt guarded without blaming individuals.

**Discussions become vague complaints about company culture.**

Direct the group back to their immediate interactions in the room today rather than general organization-wide issues.


## Terms used here

- Arc of Engagement: A visual framework representing the progression of communication from guarded interaction to open co-creation.

## Participant material: Arc of Engagement Reference

Stage 1: Disconnected / Guarded (Withholding, cautious, silent)
Stage 2: Transactional (Sharing data, facts, updates only)
Stage 3: Positional (Debating, advocating viewpoints, defending)
Stage 4: Exploratory (Asking open questions, discovering underlying interests)
Stage 5: Co-creative (Building on each other's ideas, shared flow)

Prompt: Where are our conversations right now? What is one barrier keeping us there?

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Relationship Makers Handbook, pages 33-34, which attributes the visual and text to Judith E. Glaser at Creating WE.

Retained the 5-point engagement arc concept, small-group format, and barrier discussion from Relationship Makers Handbook. UWT structured the 15-minute pacing, provided concrete stage definitions based on standard conversational dynamics, added access choices, and specified the reporting mechanic.

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/arc-of-engagement-exercise/