I've been experimenting with two new activities I created recently. The first one is called Picture This - An Activity to Support Disc Theory, and the second one is for the Mental Health and Addictions Field called From Hole to Wholeness.

Let's take a look at both. First up, Picture This:

It's no secret that my professional behavioral assessment of choice is Disc. One of the top reasons I prefer it over other assessments is that it's a behavioral assessment rather than a personality assessment. In my opinion, I can always change and tweak my behavior given the specific circumstances, but I'm not going to change my personality. The more self-awareness an individual has around their behavior and communication preferences, the better they can work with others.

Within Disc, there are distance behaviors for each of the four Styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. With Picture This, I created picture cards that match the common behaviors in each style. There is also a word on the back of the picture card that goes with the photo.

I used this with a group last week, and as an Icebreaker, I asked each person to select one photo they were immediately drawn to and one that repelled them. Then I went into the Disc information and training, which includes the history of Disc, what the common behaviors are in each style, and then gave them their individual reports. I then had them sort the photos into the four quadrants based on what they now knew about Disc. (You could do this with the photo side or the word side). Then, as a final debrief, I asked them to recall the first two photos they selected in the icebreaker. Eighty percent of them selected a photo from their primary style as their 'drawn to' photo, and ninety percent chose the photo that repelled them from the style in the opposite quadrant as their primary style. Completely fascinating!

I love the self-awareness that comes from taking these kinds of self-assessments. It has helped me personally be a better communicator with others. Disc is an inherent part of my Personify Leadership Course. Let me know if you'd like to hear more about this.

Next Up, From Hole to Wholeness. This activity has been in the works for a few years. I'm excited to breathe life into this one, and I really hope that it helps facilitators and therapists in the mental health field as well as the clients they serve.

The idea for this activity began when I came across a unique photo of looking down into a deep dark hole. It made me think of all the phrases we use in everyday speech around, 'Digging myself a hole' or 'She's in a deep, dark place right now.' The metaphors are rich, but when you add photos to them, it adds a new level of realness.

So if you're the person in the hole, what does it look like from their perspective? What resources or solutions would you need to get out of the hole and work towards wholeness?

I created this double-sided tarp and unique card decks to help aid in this kind of discussion.

Along with the 3' double-sided tarp, it comes with three different card decks. One is common Medicators, one is Resources and Solutions, and one that is Hole to Wholeness Metaphor Cards. Click here to read more.

I hope these two new activities spark some creativity in how you might use them with the groups you facilitate. I'd love to hear any additional ideas you might have using these metaphors. Thanks!