ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Microsoft reaction card method

Imagine you have a set of emotions that you experience every day, like feeling happy, sad, angry, or excited. Now let’s say you work in a big company like Microsoft, and you have to work with other people on different projects. Sometimes you might feel confused, frustrated, or stressed while working with others.

To help people communicate better and minimize negative emotions, Microsoft created a tool called the reaction card method. It’s like having a secret code to express how you feel without saying it out loud.

The reaction card method uses a set of cards with different emotions printed on them. The cards have pictures of people with different facial expressions that match the emotion. For example, a card with a smiling face indicates happiness, a card with a red angry face means anger, and so on.

When you feel a certain way, you can use one of these cards to tell your colleagues how you feel without having to say it out loud. For instance, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can hold up a card with a yellow face to let your coworkers know that you need a break or some help.

This method helps people communicate better because it’s easier to show an emotion than to explain it in words. It also helps prevent misunderstandings because people can see how someone is feeling instead of assuming or guessing.

In summary, the Microsoft reaction card method is a way to express emotions in the workplace without speaking. It uses a set of emotion cards with pictures of people’s facial expressions to help people communicate better and prevent misunderstandings.