What Others Are Saying
Just wanted to drop you a note to thank you again for conducting the problem solving training for us. I had been hearing great things about the training, and now I know first-hand! The training can be a tremendous benefit for us as long as we use it. You’ll be pleased to know I saw one of the guys conducting one of the tools this morning with a small group in the cafeteria – that’s fast action!
Lucy R. Janoush, Human Resources Manager, Baxter Healthcare Corporation
Limited Senses
Thanks to Becky Baum of the Whitten Group, Inc. for this submission.
What: An initiative that focuses on communication and leadership dynamics.
Group Size: from 8 on up.
Time: 30 minutes.
Props Required: One blindfold for each participant.
Objective: For the group to line up in numeric order without talking.
Activity Instructions:
Create a clear space in a large area with adequate safety procedures (I like to have several participants or co-facilitators act as buffers). Give each participant a number, instruct them not to share it with anyone, and then blindfold each participant. Tell them that they are not allowed to talk. The goal is to put themselves in numeric order without seeing or talking. The real interesting part is that you do not give the participants consecutive numbers. Skip around with little regard to the pattern, for example 1,2,3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17, 18. You should always have a one and the number that represents the number of participants in the activity.
Ask for questions. Ready, set, go!
Facilitator Notes:
- Frustration will occur when participants use various methods to communicate, foot stomping, tapping, etc. without finding the missing numbers. You will see some participants give up. After some time, tell the group that there are some missing numbers. You will see leadership emerge, and watch how fast they get it together.
- Can debrief as leadership or communication or problem solving.
Train-the-Trainer
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