4-Sides Model

Field of application

Communication

Intercultural Training

Resume / Brief description

This activity is based on the 4-Sides Model by Friedemann Schulz von Thun.

Target group

Students

Lecturers

Entrepreneurs

Colleagues of the same company or work team

Colleagues working in intercultural contexts

Professionals of different area

Group size

There is a minimum number of 1 participant for this exercise. The ideal group size is 12-20 participants.

Objectives

The activity has the objective

• To differentiate between the four levels of communication:
  • Factual,
  • Self-revealing,
  • Relationship, and
  • Appeal.

Requirements

Material

• Stopwatch
• Signal (whistle, sound signal, etc.)

Time

• 10-15 minutes for the activity
• 5 minutes for the debriefing

Implementation - Guidelines

1.       Preparation

• Read the explanation of the model and analysis of different messages

2.       Process

• Present the 4-sides model
• Make a first example statement
• Analyse the factual level
• Analyse the self-revealing level
• Analyse the relationship level
• Analyse the appeal level
• Make a second example statement
• Re-analyse all levels

3.       Debriefing

• What does the other person hear from me through all four sides?
• Do I hear everything the other person communicates?
• Can I draw other conclusions from the other person's message that are more empathetic, accepting and inclusive?

Template

Handout for individual work: Handout_Offline Reflection and Discussion.pdf

Additional format/references

Thiagarajan, S. (2012). More Jolts! 50 Activites to Wake Up And Engage Your Participants, San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

Thiagarajan, S. (2016). Interaktive Trainingsmethoden: Thiagis Aktivitäten für berufliches, interkulturelles und politisches Lernen in Gruppen (3. Auflage.). Schwalbach: Wochenschau Verlag.