Set up
Frame the exercise as specific acknowledgment, not generic praise or compliment trading. Participants should speak to something they truly saw, felt, or received.
Authentic Relating Games
Appreciation / Acknowledgment
Participants name clear, specific appreciations instead of vague compliments. The practice builds trust by helping people register what is genuinely landing between them.
Game flow exampleGame flow example
Appreciation / Acknowledgment
A simple sample of what this game can sound like in practice.
Person A
I appreciate how slowly you answered just now. It helped me trust that you were really feeling before speaking.
Person B
That lands strongly. I notice I usually think my slowness is a problem.
Person A
I also appreciate the warmth in your eyes when you listened to me.
Person B
I can feel that one more in my chest. Part of me wants to deflect it, and I can also let it in. Thank you.
A simple flow
- Invite one person to name a specific appreciation with concrete detail and relational impact.
- The receiver only listens at first and notices what happens in their body, emotions, or attention.
- Optionally let the receiver say what landed, what was hard to receive, or what surprised them, without arguing.
- Continue around the circle or switch partners.
Prompts to use
- “I appreciate you for…”
- “What I value in you is…”
- “One thing I received from you was…”
What to watch for
- Compliments that are vague enough to mean almost nothing.
- Appreciations that actually hide advice or evaluation.
- Rushing past the receiving side or forcing immediate reciprocity.
Good variations
- Run it as an opening round where every appreciation must refer to something observed that same day.
- Pair appreciation with a short breath pause after each share so the receiver can actually take it in.
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