Type: Process Improvement, Team Planning, Leadership

Group Size: 10 – 20

Time: 20 – 45 minutes

Materials: Spot markers (either #0 - 30 or letters A – Z) boundary rope, start/stop line, stopwatch, written directions

Objective
Touch all thirty of the numbers in sequence as quickly as possible.

Setup / Preparation
Using a 60-foot long rope, make a large circle or rectangle on the ground and then place all 30 of the numbered spots on the ground inside the boundary. Make sure you spread the numbered spots out evenly and keep numbers that are next to each other (sequentially) far apart from each other as best you can – this makes it more difficult on the team.
Place a rope (the start/stop line) on the ground about 20 to 40 feet from the boundary rope and have the group stand behind this line and face the boundary rope. 
You’ll also need a stopwatch to time the team and a pen to keep track of the team’s results.

Instructions
1. Time Allotment: Your team has 20 minutes or five attempts, whichever comes first. If the team uses five attempts in 18 minutes, you are done; if the team uses three attempts in 20 minutes, you are done. Time begins when I say go!
2. The entire team must begin behind the start line. The stopwatch starts as soon as the first person steps over the line. The watch stops when the last number is touched.
3. Anytime the team or a member of the team crosses the start line, it is considered an attempt.
4. Only one person can be on the keyboard at a time (only one person can be inside the boundary rope). If two or more people are inside the rope simultaneously, a glitch occurs and a penalty time of 10 seconds is added to the score.
5. If any number is touched out of sequence (for example, 3 then 5), this infraction causes the computer to crash and a penalty time of 10 seconds is added to the score.
6. The team cannot return to the keyboard between attempts in order to study the number set up (or for any other reason).
7. All planning must occur behind the line where the team starts each round. “Scouting trips” are not permitted.
8. The numbered “keys” may not be moved. Rope boundaries may not be moved.
9. Non-compliance to these guidelines may result in a penalty.


Safety Warning
Because this game encourages fast movement as a team, make sure you have a playing area free of hazards. You don’t want people slipping and falling down.

Facilitator Notes
I always provide the group with a written set of directions for this activity.
For the first attempt, the group will usually send one person in to touch all the Key Punch spots with the rest of the group standing along the perimeter of the boundary rope pointing to the next spot in sequence. To get the lowest possible time however, the group will need to work together and share the responsibility of touching the spots. Though much more difficult because of the coordination of efforts, the results (the time) will be better.
During the activity I fill in the data gathered during the activity in the “Key Punch Facilitator Record Keeping” log (available below). This data can be used in the debrief (see below). If you have a co-facilitator it’s best if one of you is responsible for data collection and the other focuses on the process.

Processing
The Key Punch is a great activity to discuss “continuous improvement”.
Did the group use the same strategy with each attempt or did they come up with new ones?
Were the new ideas executed well?
What is the relationship between a good idea and the execution of that idea?
How were new ideas handled by the group?

During the activity I fill in the data gathered in the “Key Punch Facilitator Record Keeping” log and I use this data during the debrief period of the activity. Depending on the sophistication level of the group, I’ll hand the record keeping log over to the group and ask them to analyze the data and interpret it and then deliver a presentation based on their findings.

Variations
Ask the team to simply surround the Key Punch setup then ask them to punch all 30 keys in sequence as quickly as possible. They can stand around the keypad and discuss strategies.
Have the same number of keys (spot markers) as you do team members (ex. 15 people & 15 spots). Assign each person a number. See how long it takes the group to touch all 15 numbers in sequence. Similar rules as the “regular” Key Punch activity (start outside the rope circle, only one person is allowed inside the rope circle at a time, etc.).
If you have a group of 16 people, have them pair up. Set out 16 numbers inside the rope circle. Assign a number to each person. Have the group attempt to touch all of the 16 numbers in sequence with the following rules: only one person allowed inside the circle at a time, anyone inside the circle must keep their eyes closed and their partner is to guide them to the number using only voice commands (the partner is not allowed inside the roped off circle), when the number is touched they must keep their eyes closed and walk out of the circle and the next person goes. No penalty for touching numbers out of sequence (though you must touch YOUR number).
Instead of writing numbers on the spots, write out the alphabet. Supply your team with a word or phrase that they must spell out by touching the correct spot (letter) in order.

References
This game was described in the book Quicksilver by Karl Rohnke and Steve Butler.
Tom Heck's www.Teachmeteamwork.com

 

 

 

 

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