Providing interpersonal variety in skill practice triads: A two-rule method

As an efficient means for practicing interpersonal skills, triads are used in many management courses. Skill development requires practice by undergoing not just one, but a series of exercises. The learning value of the series is contingent on the variety of exercises, and this is provided by variations in the exercise scenarios and by scheduling strangers together in triads. Scheduling a series of stranger triads, however, is not a simple matter. This article describes a scheduling method that can be used in face-to-face and online courses. Several scheduling contingencies are discussed.