We¡¯re excited to release our newest game,
Ducks Amok (named by a Synthesis student during Game Design Camp). It¡¯s a game that works both types of thinking: you and your team will need to coordinate short-term plans, then switch your brains to discuss long-term strategy between rounds. But first, you need to learn the game. Because life¡¯s problems don¡¯t come with complete instructions. And neither do our games.
Be sure to check out the
Teams Mission Brief for more details.
Communication in Game Sessions
Jack's % of time speaking average in each game session
Reflection for Jack: What's the most effective way to share information with your team?
|
You contribute 0% of your teams¡¯ actions.
What contribution should each player make to the team?
|
|
You use 87% of your available AP.
How are you using your AP to contribute to the team goals?
|
|
If you notice that some of your teamwork data is missing or showing at 0%, it is because you have not attended a recent session featuring this game.
|
You¡¯ve been around Synthesis Teams long enough to know that good
communication means more than just talking to your teammates.
It¡¯s about being thoughtful in the
way we communicate: using
teammates¡¯ names, being clear and specific, and asking clarifying
questions. It¡¯s about speaking up
and responding to others.
This month, we¡¯ll take a closer look at these important aspects of
teamwork as we examine your
productive communication skills.
Jack, here's what we observed about your teamwork skills during recent game sessions: One thing you did especially well was using polite expressions like ¡°Okay, great¡± and ¡°I'm going to leave it to you,¡± which brought a positive and supportive atmosphere to your team interactions. Your readiness to acknowledge and affirm your teammates, as seen in phrases like "You can go ahead and change this," shows your ability to create a collaborative and encouraging environment. A next step could be to focus on adding more specific and detailed communication, which would enhance your teammates' understanding and help guide team interactions more effectively. For instance, when you express uncertainty, try to follow up with clarifying questions or more context to better align with team objectives. How does this contribute to effective teamwork? It ensures that everyone is on the same page, reducing confusion and making collaboration smoother for everyone involved. Keep up the great positivity, and with practice, your contributions can become even more impactful!
Observations based on your participation in game sessions in 3 of the past 4 weeks
On your journey to make any team you join better, you'll practice how to effectively communicate with everyone. Our Discussion sessions are carefully designed to provide opportunities for you to practice these critical communication skills in various ways.
Last week's theme was
"Black Swan Events." When we talk about risk, it¡¯s generally in terms of likelihood. However, that¡¯s not always the best lens. A black swan event is a rare, unexpected event, but with a huge impact. It seems highly unlikely beforehand but seems obvious in hindsight. Last week, we introduced you to ¡°black swan events¡± in the first half, and in the second half, we asked you to wrestle with a real one: the YR4 asteroid with a fluctuating risk of hitting Earth in 2032.
Communication in Discussions Sessions
Speaking % in Jack's Discussion session last week.
Reflection for Jack: How can you contribute to balanced communication with your team in Discussions?
Jack, here¡¯s what we noticed about your communication during last week¡¯s Discussion session: One thing you did especially well was bringing enthusiasm into the conversation with remarks like, ¡°I got a new bicycle,¡± which shows you are eager to share personal experiences with your teammates. Another great step you took was participating with ideas like, ¡°Maybe you got a new copy of it,¡± indicating you¡¯re thinking about what¡¯s happening in the discussion. To keep building your skills, you might try to engage more directly with your teammates¡¯ ideas by asking questions or offering thoughts connected to what they¡¯ve shared. This could help create smoother conversations and show your teammates you¡¯re interested in their perspectives, too!
Anyone who's on the path toward becoming a Supercollaborator is able to keep improving their skills and making course corrections. We look forward to seeing you at future sessions, and we'll continue giving you feedback on your teamwork and communication skills.
If your parent or guardian has any questions or comments about this email, tell them they can
fill out this 1-minute survey
to help us keep on improving our session feedback.
To the stars (and Mars),
Josh Dahn, cofounder
