Culture Shock

This cultural diversity exercise creates powerful insights about communication and cultural differences in a non-threatening way. Culture Shock cleverly simulates real-world scenarios where different social norms and communication styles intersect, making it an ideal trust-building game for workshops and training programs. Participants experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities that arise when diverse communication patterns meet, leading to meaningful discussions about cultural awareness and adaptation.

Culture Shock – Cultural Diversity Exercise

1. Form three teams of roughly an equal number of people.
2. Announce that each team will soon be invited to interact with all other teams for two minutes.
3. In secret, tell each team to interact in one of three very specific ways, for example:
   – Team A never looks into the eyes of those they are speaking with;
   – Team B always whispers when talking; and
   – Team C always keeps at least 2 metres away from those they are speaking with.
4. When ready, challenge everyone to interact and engage in a conversation with as many people as possible over 2 minutes.
5. In conclusion, invite your group to reflect on what they observed and experienced, eg draw valuable lessons about cultural diversity and communication.