Game 1: Power Traffic Light 2.0
Game 1: Power Traffic Light 2.0
Objective: Train the capacity to instantly identify the status of a message (submissive, aggressive, assertive) and practice reformulation to a CPS proposal (Context, Proposal, Next step) in real time.
Players and Roles
- The Sender: Says a sentence with emotional charge (aggressive or submissive).
- The Traffic Light: Raises hand (or card) indicating the color and must correct the sentence.
- The Judge (optional): Decides if the correction is valid.
Quick Set-up: Starter phrases
To avoid wasting time thinking “what do I say”, the Sender can choose one of these phrases at random to start the round.
| Red Phrases (Aggressive) | Amber Phrases (Passive/Victim) |
|---|---|
| “You always leave everything lying around!” | “No, leave it, I’ll pick it up even if it hurts…” |
| “Wake up, you look stupid.” | “It’s just that nobody helps me in this house, but well.” |
| “You have no idea how to do this right.” | “I guess my opinion doesn’t count, as always.” |
| “Shut up and listen to me for once!” | “Don’t worry about me, I’m used to it.” |
| “This is a disaster and it’s your fault.” | “If you wanted to go, you should have said, now it doesn’t matter.” |
| “You are selfish, you only think about yourself!” | “Sure, since you are perfect and I am not…” |
| “Don’t give me cheap excuses!” | “Do what you want, I adapt to everything.” |
| “Can’t you do anything right?” | “I don’t care, anyway, for what it’s worth…” |
| “I’m sick of having to repeat everything!” | “Sorry to bother, I’ll manage alone.” |
| “That idea is a monumental stupidity!” | “Well, if you think that’s okay…” |
Cheat Sheet for the Traffic Light (Your Green goal):
- Stop: Identify the color (Red/Amber).
- CPS:
- Context (Facts, without judgment).
- Proposal (Clear solution).
- Step Next (Closing or question).
Mechanics
- The Sender throws a “dirty” phrase.
- Red Example (Aggressive): “You always arrive late, you are a disaster!”
- Amber Example (Submissive/Passive): “Well, never mind, I’ll do it if anything…”
- The Traffic Light has 3 seconds to classify it: “Red!” or “Amber!”.
- Immediately after identifying the color, the Traffic Light must convert that phrase to Green using the CPS structure.
- Correction: “Context: you have arrived late three times. Proposal: let’s talk about how to solve it. Does tomorrow work for you?”
- If they do it in less than 10 seconds, they win a point. If they block or the phrase remains “dirty”, point for the Sender.
- Rotate roles every 5 phrases.
Debriefing (Closing questions)
- What is harder to correct, aggression (red) or passivity (amber)?
- Have you noticed how your body changes when you switch to “green”? (Do you breathe better? Do you look in the eyes?).
- In what real situation this week could you have used your “green converter”?
Pro Variant
Do it with real text messages from your mobiles. Read the last tense message you received and play to answer it in “Green”.