Set the Table
Teams go as communication goes. You don’t need to dive deep into research to see teams who have an inability to communicate, struggle. Communication is the key to making teams work.
Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors, many students aren’t developing the ability to communicate at a high-level and our teams are suffering as a result. Our students often communicate too soft, they mumble, their sentences trail-off and they aren’t clear with their speech.
In this exercise we’ll focus on getting students to build the habit of communicating with the volume, clarity & speed. We’re all familiar with Voice-Activated unit’s, Alexa’s, Google Home’s, Voice-To-Text, etc., and how they work. Voice-Activated units are designed to respond to our communication but they only work when we communicate effectively.
Voice-Activated units require you to communicate with the appropriate volume, clarity and speed, otherwise the unit won’t work. It is our responsibility to communicate with the right volume, clarity & speed in order to activate the units. The same goes for our classmates.
Your students will receive the necessary reps to assure we’re sending our communication in the most effective way possible.
"“Going through the Voice-Activated exercise raised my awareness of how I was delivering my communication and helped push it to another level. I actually began using voice-to-text moving forward for all texting and it's absolutely helping my communication.”"
Sophomore Student in Ohio
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Lesson Plan
Exercise Reminder Card
To emphasize and reinforce the lessons learned in this exercise with your players, download and share this graphic with them 24 hours after completing the exercise.
Quiz Questions
Use these questions below to engage after you have taught the exercise.
- Voice-Activated units require you to communicate with the appropriate _____, _____, _____.
- What is the key to making teams work?
- What happens if we don’t clearly communicate our thoughts?
At Home
Coaches, use the below question, reflection, and action to engage parents, guardians, and other family members in the lessons learned in this exercise.
Suggestions on how to use: Email to parents the day you have taught this lesson, add it to the materials you send home, or text it to text message threads with your players.
- Question: Voice Activated teaches us we need to communicate with the appropriate levels for what three things?
- Reflection: What area of your communication could use the most improvement? Volume, Clarity, or Speed? Why?
- Action: Make a conscious effort each night at home to communicate with family members with the right levels of Volume, Clarity, and Speed.
Coach’s Reflection
Coach, take a moment to reflect on the lesson and how you can lead by example to your players.
Coach, how easy are your messages to hear? Is there any room for improvement in your communication? Be intentional this week to communicate with proper volume, clarity, and speed.