Introduction
This activity can be completed by as little as two individuals or groups of up to five to six individuals. The purpose of this exercise is to get people to recognize where they are not taking 100% responsibility in key areas in their life and how they can change that. This is a great exercise for introducing the concept of taking 100% responsibility without overwhelming them.
Process
- Divide the participants in equal groups in a range from 2 up to 6 participants – have participants sit in a circle or facing each other if in groups of 2
- Have the Responsibility Stems that you want to work on displayed on a flip chart or one per page on a PowerPoint slide
- Have the participants complete the Responsibility Stems one at time by going around the circle in a clockwise manner – Have them state the entire Responsibility Stem and then adding their words to complete the sentence
- Demonstrate the process by completing a sample Responsibility Stem while providing multiple answers
- Continue going around the circle until all participants have had multiple chance to complete the Responsibility Stem – this may require 2-5 minutes per sentence
- You can use multiple sentences depending on the most important topics that need to be covered
- You Have the participants reflect on their responses for completing the Responsibility Stems and determine what adjustments they need to make to accomplish their desired results for each of the topics covered
Example Sentence Stems & Responses*
If I were to take 5% more responsibility for my life and well-being….
• I would exercise 30 minutes a day.
• I would only eat fast food one time per week.
• I would meditate more often
• I would only eat fast food one time per week.
• I would meditate more often
If I were to take 5% more responsibility for the attainment of my goals….
• I would do five things a day to get me closer to my goal.
• I would spend and extra hour a day in action rather than watching TV.
• I would share my goals with family and friends and ask for accountability.
• I would spend and extra hour a day in action rather than watching TV.
• I would share my goals with family and friends and ask for accountability.
If I were to take 5% more responsibility for success in my relationships….
• I would plan quality time with my kids and put it in my calendar.
• I would have a date night every week with my spouse
• I would talk less and listen more.
• I would have a date night every week with my spouse
• I would talk less and listen more.
*These sentence completions are based on the work of Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D.
