Are You Positive? Game

My Philosophy - Service Training should be fun!

Octopi is my metaphor for escaping the “box of ordinary.” Just as its arms reach in many directions, I wanted my training tools to reach beyond rigid standards and tap into something deeper: simple, human service ethics that create a wave of satisfaction.

Everything in a service experience communicates your ethics. At the core are basic human truths: people want to be seen, understood, and treated with empathy and care. My goal has always been to make training feel effortless yet effective—relevant, fun, and engaging—so people actually want to practice new skills. Training should leave people confident in their role and ready for anything.

As a hotel manager, I loved designing and delivering training for both leaders and frontline employees. When training is championed from the top, it sends a powerful message:

• Our employees matter.

• Our guests matter.

When leaders model and recognize great service, the guest experience becomes a mirror of that commitment.

I’ve created some very playful, creative training tools over the years. But I also know this: even the best training fails without leadership support. If it’s not important to the “boss,” it won’t be important to the frontline—and the guest will feel that gap immediately.

Turning “No” into “Know”: Are You Positive?

One of my favorite tools I designed is a card game called “Are You Positive? The Game of Turning ‘No’ into ‘Know.’” It’s a game of positive chit‑chat with a serious purpose.

When we truly connect with someone, they feel like they belong. They feel special, understood, and in control. Personally, I get a “happy charge” of energy when an interaction reaches its full potential—when both I and the guest, customer, or colleague walk away delighted.

Keeping a conversation positive is a skill. It takes practice. You have the power to guide the experience through empathy and positive phrasing of options.

Sometimes it’s easy:

“Would you care for our warm bittersweet chocolate lava cake,or our house‑made butterscotch pudding topped with sliced bananas?”

But often, the options are not so delicious. We all know what happens when people hear “no”:

• Emotional reactions (disappointment, anger, outbursts)

• Work‑arounds (handing the problem to someone else)

• Or, in the worst case, revenge on social media

My approach is to turn “No” into “Know.” Instead of explaining, defending, or quoting rules and systems, we focus on:

• What the person truly needs

• What we can do

• How we can keep the tone positive and human

How to Turn “No” into “Know”

Be an advocate. If it were your grandmother, what would you do?

Be proactive. Act quickly when a need can’t be met as requested.

Be confident. Take ownership of the situation.

Be focused. Listen for the real need beneath the request.

Be positive. Position agreeable options instead of repeating limitations.

Two simple tips:

1. Use friendly chit‑chat while you gather options. This builds connection and gives you time to understand how flexible the person is and what they truly care about—before you talk about what isn’t available.

2. Be resilient. Don’t let one tough interaction poison the next. Every person deserves everything you have to offer. And you have a lot to offer.

Here's how to play: Are You Positive?

I’ve customized and trained Are You Positive? for three different hotels.

• The deck is printed on card stock, two cards cut from a 8.5" x 11" sheet.

• Each card carries the hotel’s branded service model, so the game reinforces other training messages.

• The deck is color‑coded by card type:

Card Types

• 42 Scenario Cards - Common negative service situations drawn from real guest comments and complaints (Front Desk, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Maintenance, etc.) - Samples below - light blue and gray.

• 60 Positive Chit‑Chat Cards – 1 point each Everyday phrases that keep the tone warm and constructive. - Samples below - bright blue.

• 20 Super Positive Bonus Cards – 2 points each High‑impact words and phrases that elevate the interaction. Samples below - dark blue.

• 10 Frequent Guest Program Cards – 3 points each Language that reinforces loyalty and recognition. Samples below - purple.

Let the game begin!

Objective: Respond to each negative scenario using as many positive phrases as possible, earning the highest score per round.

Set‑Up

1. The trainer explains the concept of turning “No” into “Know.”

2. The group is split into 3–4 teams.

3. Each team receives:

   • 15 positive chit‑chat cards

   • 5 super positive bonus cards

   • 2–3 frequent guest program cards

4. Each team draws one negative scenario card.

Play

5. Teams have 3 minutes to arrange the cards using as many positive phrases as possible (in a logical conversational order) to address their scenario.

6. At the end of 3 minutes, a representative from each team presents:

   • The scenario

   • Their positive chit‑chat response

7. The group discusses the use of the phrases and effectiveness of each response.

8. The trainer acts as arbiter and scorekeeper.

9. Cards are collected by color, shuffled, and dealt again for additional rounds.

10. Ask the participants to name their favorite "positive phrase" from the game - and how they will use it

By the second round, teams usually become very creative—and very competitive—trying to use every card in their hand. In the process, they’re practicing exactly what we want them to do with real guests:

• Stay positive

• Stay human

• Turn “No” into “Know”

The Game is Just Beginning

Training must live beyond one training session. That is why leadership commitment is essential to the success of any training. If it is important, it must live in daily actions such as:

• Placing coordinated posters (see right) in staff areas to reinforce positive phrasing

• Team reminders during staff meetings and one-on-one discussions (using the coordinated posters)

• Team challenges to use their new skills

• Team and personal recognition when new skills are demonstrated

• Asking team members to discuss and share specific instances when they used their positive skills

Call to Action

If you’re a hospitality leader—or any service‑driven leader—who wants training to feel less like a lecture and more like a living, breathing experience, I’d love to connect.

• Want to explore a custom version of Are You Positive? for your team?

• Curious how playful tools like this can support your service model and culture?

• Want to share a creative training method you have designed in a responsive to this post?

Reach out through my blog post or contact form on NancyPeel.com and share a bit about your team and challenges. Let’s design training that your people actually look forward to—and that your guests can feel in every interaction.