Sticks

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Demonstrate how physical cues and pressure communicate intent without verbal speech.

Use it when: Use during leadership, interpersonal communication, or team coordination sessions when participants need a physical, nonverbal demonstration of how pressure influences a follower.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have mobility limitations, physical vulnerability around the abdomen or chest, or personal reservations about close proximity and physical contact with coworkers.

Group arrangement: Pairs; an odd participant serves as a safety spotter and nonverbal observer.

Timing: Source specifies 10 to 20 minutes for movement plus 15 to 45 minutes for debrief; compressed to 25 minutes for standard workshop delivery.

Materials and tools

• One wooden dowel (3 to 4 feet long, roughly 1 inch in diameter) per pair
• One countdown timer visible to the room

Before participants arrive

1. Clear a wide, open floor space free of chairs, bags, and tripping hazards.
2. Inspect dowels for splinters or rough ends; sand if needed.

Say this to open

Find a partner of similar height. You will hold a wooden stick suspended between your bodies without using your hands. One person leads while the other follows. You must remain completely silent throughout the movement. If the stick drops or you feel uncomfortable, simply catch the stick with your hands and reset.

How to run it

1. Pair up and position 3 minutes

   Participants pair with someone of comparable height. One dowel is given to each pair. Partners decide who is A and who is B. Partners position the stick horizontally between them, pressing it lightly against the torso near the solar plexus or belly button without touching it with their hands.

2. Round 1: Eyes-open movement 6 minutes

   Partner A leads Partner B across the room for 3 minutes without talking. Neither person touches the stick with hands. If it drops, they pick it up and resume. At 3 minutes, call time; Partner B leads Partner A for 3 minutes under identical rules.

3. Round 2: Eyes-closed follower 6 minutes

   Partner A leads while Partner B follows with eyes closed for 3 minutes. Partner A monitors room obstacles to keep Partner B safe. Total silence remains in effect. At 3 minutes, switch roles: Partner B leads while Partner A follows with eyes closed for 3 minutes.

4. Pair reflection 4 minutes

   Partners set the sticks on the floor and discuss in their pairs: How much pressure was necessary to communicate a turn or a stop? When did pressure feel excessive or unclear?

5. Whole-room debrief 6 minutes

   Gather the full room. Take 3 to 4 observations on how leaders signaled direction and how followers experienced pressure.

Debrief questions

• How much physical pressure was needed to communicate a turn, and what happened when pressure increased beyond that minimum?
• What difference did closing your eyes make to your focus on the stick and your partner?
• How does this dynamic of Cue, Pressure, and Response reflect communication habits in your day-to-day work?

Finished output: Every pair completes silent navigation rounds and identifies the minimum pressure needed to signal direction.

Remote

This activity requires physical proximity and cannot be run remotely in its original form. For a remote alternative on nonverbal calibration, run a mirror exercise via webcam: one person leads slow hand and arm movements while their partner mirrors them in silence, followed by swapping roles and debriefing signal clarity.

Hybrid

In-person pairs complete the physical stick balance. Remote participants pair together on video to conduct the silent mirror exercise. Bring both cohorts together for the debrief to compare how physical and visual feedback loops function.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may step out at any time or participate as safety spotters and movement observers.
• Partners who prefer not to make torso contact may press palms against opposite ends of the stick instead.
• Anyone may release contact immediately whenever balance, pressure, or comfort is compromised.

If the session gets stuck

Pairs push too hard and the stick hurts or feels unsafe.

Pause the room and remind participants that the goal is minimum pressure required to hold the dowel up, not force.

Participants giggle or talk to give directions.

Gently signal silence; remind them that nonverbal feedback is the core constraint of the exercise.

Terms used here

• CPR (Cue-Pressure-Response): A communication loop where a leader offers an initial signal (cue), applies calibrated force only if needed (pressure), and the partner adjusts accordingly (response).