In this activity, students explore how to navigate difficult conversations using the principles of Non-Violent Communication (NVC). By practicing expressing observations, feelings, needs, and requests in realistic conflict scenarios, students learn how to stay connected even when disagreements arise. Through role play and feedback from peers, they develop empathy and constructive communication skills that are essential for academic teamwork, professional collaboration and everyday interactions.
- Activity goal
- Practice skills | Reflect
- When
- In class
- Where
- Offline
- Duration
- < 60 minutes | > 60 minutes
- Group size
- Small
Step-by-step plan
Step 1: Introduction
Explain to students that differences in opinions, perspectives and communication styles are inevitable when people work together. Emphasize that these differences can be a source of learning and innovation when people manage to stay connected and communicate with respect. When we learn how to navigate differences constructively, we can turn potential conflict into an opportunity for better understanding and stronger collaboration.
Introduce the concept of Non-Violent Communication (NVC) as a practical framework for having difficult conversations in a respectful and effective way. Explain that NVC focuses on expressing yourself honestly while also listening with empathy, and present the four steps:
- Observation – Describe what you notice without judgement or interpretation.
- Feelings – Express how the situation makes you feel.
- Needs – Identify what is important to you in this situation.
- Request – Make a clear and respectful request.
For example:
When the report came in later than expected (observation), I noticed I got a bit tense (feeling), because I like to know where I stand with planning (need). Maybe next time we could give each other a heads-up when things don't go as planned? (request)
Mind the following point of attention:
Non-Violent Communication is not about giving a perfectly structured, one-way response. In practice, the four elements often unfold naturally during a conversation, where listening, responding and adjusting to the other person are just as important as expressing your own observations, feelings, needs and requests. Emphasize that NVC is about creating understanding together, not about saying it right. The four steps are not a script but elements that help structure a constructive conversation.
Step 2: Preparation
Present students with a realistic scenario involving a disagreement or conflict in an academic or professional setting. Emphasize that conflicts often arise not only from different opinions, but from unmet needs or misunderstandings. Explain the scenario and context clearly and invite students to briefly reflect in pairs on:
- What might each person in this situation be feeling?
- What needs might be underlying the conflict?
Some scenario options could be:
- Two students are working on a joint assignment. Student A feels they are doing most of the work, while Student B has contributed much less. There wasn’t a clear task division and tension rises as they try to discuss the imbalance.
- Two colleagues are assigned to a project with tight deadlines. Person A wants to focus on completing the work quickly to meet the timeline, while Person B wants to spend more time ensuring high quality. Their different approaches cause frustration and defensiveness during discussions.
- Three students are designing a class presentation. One student consistently dominates the planning and decision-making, leaving another student feeling excluded. Conflict emerges when the excluded student expresses that they want to contribute more and the dominant student feels criticized.
Step 3: Roleplay
Divide students into small groups of 4. Explain that in each group, two students will role play the conflict scenario while the others observe how the NVC steps are applied. Each group will do two rounds, so each student gets a chance to practice. Encourage students to experiment with different ways of communicating and notice the impact on the conversation.
Remind students to:
- Describe the situation using observations rather than judgments
- Express their feelings and underlying needs clearly
- Formulate a constructive request
- Practice listening to the other person’s perspective
Observers give feedback on how clearly the NVC steps are communicated and which moments in the conversation they noticed a real change in the dynamic.
Step 4: Reflection
Bring the whole class back together and invite students to reflect first in their small groups, then plenary if desired. Possible reflection questions could be:
- What did you notice when you applied the NVC structure?
- How did focusing on feelings and needs change the conversation?
- What strategies helped reduce tension or improve understanding?
- What did you learn about your own communication style?
Consider the tools and materials mentioned here as suggestions. In many cases it’s possible to use alternative tools. Please turn to the Learning & Innovation team of your faculty first to see which online and offline tools are available and how to apply them.
Offline
- Role play scenario's
- Optional: checklist for observers
Tip 1
- Let students bring their own conflict scenarios, this increases relevance and engagement while keeping the NVC focus.
Tip 2
- Provide students observing the role play with a short checklist, for example: notice how clearly the NVC steps are communicated, where dynamics shift in the conversation and moments of effective empathy or listening.
At EUR, we are committed to engaging with (generative) AI responsibly. Refer to the usage guidelines via AI@EUR and the theme page about AI in education as well.
