The Pfeiffer Book of Successful Communication Skill-Building Tools

Chapter 22. Pass It On: Simulating Organizational Communication

Linda Costigan Lederman and Lea P. Stewart

Goals

• To enhance the participants' understanding of the complexity of oral communication patterns within an organization.

• To illustrate what happens to messages that are transmitted orally through several different channels within an organization.

• To explore ways to improve oral communication within an organization.

Group Size

Twenty to thirty-two participants.

Time Required

One hour and forty-five minutes.

A different version of this structured experience appeared in L. C. Lederman and L. P. Stewart, "One Day in an Organization," in SIMCORP Participants' Manual, Total Research Corporation, 1983. Adapted with the permission of the authors.

Materials

• One copy of the Pass It On Instruction Sheet for each participant.

• One copy of the Pass It On Observer Sheet for each observer.

• A pencil for each observer.

• A clipboard or other portable writing surface for each observer.

• One copy of the Pass It On Messages (to be used only by the facilitator).

• A name tag for each participant. Prior to conducting the activity, the facilitator labels these tags as follows:

• One tag labeled "President";

• Three to five tags labeled "Executive Vice President";

• Three to five tags labeled "Vice President";

• Three to five tags labeled "Manager";

• Three to five tags labeled "Production Worker";

• Three to five tags labeled "Operations Worker";

• Two to four tags labeled "Observer"; and

• Two tags labeled "Recorder."

• Six newsprint signs designating ...