Colourshapes Business Game

Can your team achieve success and identify the missing shapes through clear communication skills?

Successful communication is not just about listening and this training games proves that and much more!

• There are 6 different shapes repeated in 5 different colours; a total of 30 quality laminated plastic cards (similar to credit cards, or also available electronically to play remotely)
• Arrange the participants to sit in a circle facing outwards so they cannot see each other properly (or playing remotely so they cannot see each other’s shapes)
• Remove two of the cards and distribute the remainder to the participants
• Participants may not show, exchange or pass the cards between group members
• They do not know how many cards, shapes or colours the group has
• Their objective is to establish this and the shape and colour of the missing cards
• Can each person describe their shape accurately for the other people to notice the difference in the shape? The answer is usually no!
• Assumptions are often made, and clear communication and listening skills are required to achieve the correct answer
• Observe the group interaction.

In addition to being an ideal communication skills and teamwork game, Colourshapes develops:

• Wider interpersonal skills such as empathy, collaboration and conflict resolution
• Individuals’ understanding of their communication style and listening skills, and in particular, the use of appropriate language
• Understanding of the need for both effective team and individual skills
• Problem solving skills
• Skills to provide insights, hence support, for remote working.

• Portable, simple to set up and supplied with clear instructions and debrief suggestions
• Buy ‘off the shelf’ and use as many times as you want or book Elite’s trainers to facilitate for you
• Attractive, absorbing and challenging
• Versatile to meet a wide range of learning objectives and appropriate to any group with a shared language.

• A brilliant ice breaker and energiser, leading to greater understanding between group members
• A training game relevant to the majority of interpersonal, business and management training sessions, courses and programmes, particularly where communication is key
• An excellent business game for facilitators to use at team building and training events, assessment centres, conferences, away days and offsites
• Used by companies, organisations, schools, colleges and universities.

If you have used the popular Colourblind® team activity, you will know the benefits of using this training activity.

Unlike Colourblind®, our Colourshapes game does not require participants to be blindfolded. In the workplace, we use our eyes to help us describe what we are talking about. Colourshapes adds a visual dimension to the communication process.

While some teams strictly follow the rules, others will try to cheat by looking at their colleagues’ cards. So honesty and trust in the workplace are other key learning points raised in this game.

• Trainers Guide, including information on how to run the game and apply learnings in delegates roles
• Team Instructions
• Observers’ Instructions
• Debrief Sheet
• Colourshapes Cards x 30 (similar to credit cards or electronic equivalent).

• Colourshapes Business Game PDF
• Business Games Brochure
• Course Brochure
• Team Building Brochure

“I have enjoyed using Colourshapes as an exercise to promote effective communication within and between teams. The exercise provides a good mix of interaction and challenge. The learnings are obvious to participants, and it has led to immediate takeaways.” People Development Partner, Criteo

“An excellent game, really got the team talking and eventually working together! Such good value; I recommend this for communication training and team building.” Founder, SkovConsult

• The licence for a game purchased covers 4 to 28 participants playing at a time for the in-person version, and 4 to 15 participants for the remote version.
• The game is most versatile with teams of 6-10.
• Multiple games can be played at once to accommodate groups larger than 28 (15 for the remote version).  We recommend one trainer per game.
• Additional licences are required to play more than one game at a time:  Two games are required for 29-56 participants, three games for 57-84 participants, etc for the in-person version.
• There’s no restriction on the number of times you can use our games.
• It is possible to play Colourshapes in other languages if the trainer verbally translates the English instructions.