Giraffe and jackal theater

A fun exercise to practice nonviolent communication using the symbolic animals, the giraffe and the jackal, is the giraffe and jackal theater. The goal of the exercise is to let participants experience how different communication styles impact interactions.

• Briefly explain that the giraffe symbolizes empathetic communication (empathy, understanding, needs) and the jackal represents non-empathetic communication (judgments, criticism, defensiveness).

• Divide the participants into pairs.

• Each pair receives a scenario involving a conflict or a challenging situation, such as a discussion about responsibilities at work or disagreements about a project.

• The participants act out the scenario, first with a jackal attitude and then with a giraffe attitude. Warning: there might be laughter!

• After each scenario, ask the group to share their experiences. Ask participants how they felt in the role of the jackal or giraffe, the impact on the interaction, and the differences they noticed between the two communication styles.

• Discuss the power of empathetic communication (giraffe) and the pitfalls of non-empathetic communication (jackal). Let participants share insights on how empathy and understanding can improve interactions.

• Repeat the exercise with different scenarios and alternating roles.

• Encourage participants to apply the principles of empathetic communication even when playing the role of the jackal, by trying to show empathy and understanding.