Thumball Game Communication Starters

The Be a Leader Thumball starts the conversation about what skills great leaders possess. This particular activity guides players through a bit of introspection as they consider their leadership strengths and opportunities for improvement. Questions include: 

• “I'd be a better leader if I spent more time on...”
• “When my workers disagree with me, I...”
• "The #1 leadership trait is..."
• "I get honest feedback from workers when..."

No matter your level, taking the time to reflect on your past experiences, future goals, and leadership qualities opens up room for improvement, making you a more confident and effective individual and leader.

The Onward & Upward Thumball encourages rich conversations about goals, thinking constructively, and positive emotions to handle change. In the change management process, management focuses on sustainability – moving from current problems to future opportunities. For employees experiencing an organizational change (or anyone going through a change in their life), the challenge is often to move beyond the past experience toward an unknown future. The Onward & Upward Thumball opens up the conversation to get participants more comfortable with change and shift their outlook with insightful questions:

• "Who do you turn to when the going gets tough?"
• "One way I could stay healthy is to…"
• "Person/people I’d like to connect with"
• "During what activities do you lose track of time?"

The Common Ground Thumball offers phrases you can use to stimulate conversation, promote team spirit, and boost flagging energy. As you try to generate discussion to build new friendships and relationships, finding “common ground” you share with others is a challenge. This Thumball helps to uncover common experiences and interests by asking questions such as the following:

• What they like to do on a Friday night
• Where they would like to go on vacation
• What their perfect day off looks like
• What sports/shows they like to watch

The Diversity Thumball is a fun training tool that helps individuals and teams tackle difficult topics with sensitivity. We live in a diverse world, and while some differences like skin color, gender, height or weight, physical challenges, and age are visible, other differences are not as visually apparent. Have an open dialogue around acceptance of these differences develop the skills to create a more inclusive work environment:

• Critique ideas, not people
• Stop sparking personal attacks
• Listen and make sure everyone feels heard and validated
• Agree to disagree; disagree without being disagreeable

The Get Happy at Work Thumball creates a more positive workplace by allowing colleagues to share goals, discuss challenges, and build relationships. Participants will focus on positivity, engagement, meaning, accomplishments, and relationships, as the prompts help surface sources of happiness. These cues draw out personal qualities, work challenges, professional goals, organizational dynamics, and more:

• Promote team productivity and optimism
• Identify areas for organizational improvement
• Build a happier workplace with less conflict

The Favorites Thumball asks, "What are your favorites, and why?" because what we like says a lot about us. This activity provides 32 discussion prompts that have been selected to help your groups explore one another's favorite people, places, things, experiences, preferences, and more. Talking about favorites is a delightful way to get conversations going and build relationships. Discover others with prompts such as:

• "Favorite famous person they'd like to dine with"
• "Favorite day of the week"
• "Favorite piece of clothing they own"
• "Favorite way to waste time"

The Energy Break Thumball is designed to give groups the energy breaks they need after sitting still for a while. It's perfect to get the blood flowing, re-energize, and re-focus during meetings and training events! The Thumball provides 32 prompts to get mobile – stretching, dancing, balancing, and moving about in playful ways. Participants toss the ball and perform a simple physical activity such as:

• Striking a yoga pose
• Practicing a golf swing
• Twisting your waist side to side
• Rotating your arms in large circles

The Getting to Know You Thumball has prompts to stimulate an introductory conversation between employees. Participants will have fun passing this ball along while they introduce themselves and get to know each other with fun prompts:

• Turning points in each others' lives
• What they value in a friendship
• Someone you'd like to dine with or meet
• Greatest fears, phobias, and so much more

The Team Dynamics Thumball is a playful way to raise the critical questions that clear the air, such as is your team performing to the max? How do they support each other? How do they develop a consensus and manage disagreements? From board rooms to church basements, we're thrown together with people we may or may not know well and are challenged to achieve outstanding results. It's time to clear the air so your team can reach their full potential by answering questions such as:

• "What's the best thing about being on a team?"
• "What's most challenging about being on our team?"
• "What if someone isn't pulling their weight?"
• "How should we manage disagreements?"

The Session Openers Thumball asks participants deep questions about their motivations, goals, and what makes them tick. Your employees will enjoy getting to know unique facts about each other through questions such as:

• Proudest work moments
• Best coaches/teachers
• Bad habits and pet peeves at work
• Greatest work challenges

Use the Shaped by Our Past Thumball to encourage your group to connect and share details about their past. This Thumball is a fun way to get participants talking about school, friends, family, hobbies, challenges, and more. Conversation topics include: 

• High school regrets
• Mistakes or failures you learned from
• If non-family members had an impact on your life
• Proud childhood moments

The Workplace Ethics Thumball raises questions and fosters discussions regarding individual and organizational norms and ideals. Topics focus on making and breaking the rules, fostering ethical leadership, whistleblowing, bending the truth, and more. Participants will enjoy productive conversations with engaging prompts: 

• The types of people they look to as a moral compass
• How they'd handle conflict in different situations
• What integrity, rules, ethics, and fairness mean to you
• How your team handles ethical issues

Explore the causes of stress and the various ways you might manage its impact with the Stress Management Thumball. Teams can discuss what affects their stress level, how they can help each other out, how they can better manage their own approach to stress, and more. It's a great tool to build awareness and enable conversations about stress by asking important questions:

• "Which 'urgent' tasks most distract you from important ones?"
• "Where is your favorite 'quiet' place?"
• "Is saying 'I'm sorry' hard for you?"
• "Is your space usually organized or cluttered? Do you care?"

Be a Leader Thumball

• Identify key leadership strengths and areas for improvement.
• Reflect on personal leadership style and adaptability.
• Develop strategies for effective communication and decision-making.

Onward & Upward Thumball

• Learn to embrace change with a positive mindset.
• Develop constructive strategies for overcoming challenges.
• Identify personal and professional growth opportunities.

Common Ground Thumball

• Discover shared interests and experiences with others.
• Strengthen team bonds through open conversation.
• Improve communication and relationship-building skills.

Diversity Thumball

• Foster inclusive discussions on visible and invisible differences.
• Develop active listening and respectful communication skills.
• Promote a culture of acceptance and open dialogue.

Get Happy at Work Thumball

• Identify key factors that contribute to workplace happiness.
• Strengthen team relationships through positive engagement.
• Develop strategies to improve workplace morale and productivity.

Favorites Thumball

• Build connections through shared interests and experiences.
• Encourage self-expression and active listening.
• Create a fun and engaging atmosphere for conversation.

Energy Break Thumball

• Re-energize and refocus through movement-based activities.
• Improve physical and mental engagement in group settings.
• Enhance team collaboration through playful interaction.

Getting to Know You Thumball

• Foster meaningful introductions and personal storytelling.
• Build rapport and connections among participants.
• Encourage openness and a sense of community.

Team Dynamics Thumball

• Identify team strengths and areas for improvement.
• Develop strategies for resolving conflicts and enhancing teamwork.
• Strengthen communication and collaboration within teams.

Session Openers Thumball

• Encourage self-reflection on personal and professional goals.
• Facilitate deeper connections through shared experiences.
• Set a positive and engaging tone for group discussions.

Shaped by Our Past Thumball

• Reflect on past experiences that shaped personal growth.
• Share meaningful stories to build connections with others.
• Develop a greater understanding of personal and group history.

Workplace Ethics Thumball

• Explore ethical dilemmas and decision-making in the workplace.
• Strengthen integrity and ethical leadership skills.
• Promote discussions on fairness, honesty, and accountability.

Stress Management Thumball

• Identify personal stress triggers and coping mechanisms.
• Develop strategies for managing stress in professional and personal life.
• Foster a supportive environment for discussing stress and well-being.

Break the ice effortlessly with Thumballs! Just toss, catch, and answer the prompt under your thumb. With engaging topics, they create a relaxed, interactive environment that boosts participation and energizes any session.

Use code THUMBALL10 for 10% off any Thumball

Order one Thumball for each training need. You can combine Thumballs to create a well-rounded energizer activity that touches on your training objectives.

Mary Miller Pembleton, a speech pathologist, created Thumball™ to engage her students with learning challenges by combining speech activities with ball games. After a dream inspired her to market the product, she and her husband Gregg developed and patented Thumball™, which is now used to improve communication and social skills in various settings. Their business, Answers In Motion, has grown with increased publicity and sales, fulfilling their vision of making Thumball™ a household name.