|
|
Change Up.JPG)
Type: Problem Solving-Creation
Group Size: 8-24
Time Frame: 15-25 minutes
Goals:
• Problem Solving and planning skills
• Managing Change Effectively
• Communication
Materials: Deck of Playing Cards
Or a set of cards numbered 1 – 24
Briefing
“This activity explores dealing with changes. Each of you will be given a card. Please do not turn it over and look at it until you are told to do so.”
“Your group will be given a series of challenges. After each challenge is identified, your group will have several opportunities to plan and find solutions. The goal is to execute the solution as efficiently and quickly as possible. Once you have had a chance to improve your solution, a new challenge occurs; the group will attempt to develop a plan that will produce levels of productivity and efficiency similar to those exhibited during previous problems.”
Rules
1) Hand out a card to each person. (It doesn’t matter if the numbers selected are sequential, as long as each person has a card.)
2) Remind people that the goal is to develop and implement a solution as quickly as possible and that they will be timed on their execution. Tell the group that they must signal you once they have finished the task so the time is stopped.
3) Tell people Challenge #1: turn your card over and line up in numerical order from smallest to largest number.
4) After they finish tell the group the time on this attempt – this time is their first benchmark.
5) Ask the group to shuffle the cards by having each person trade cards at least three times with someone different. Once they get a card to keep, refrain from looking at it until told to do so. Give them a few minutes of planning time to refine their solution.
6) Remind the group that the challenge is the same as before, the numbers are the same; the only thing that is different is who is holding the number.
7) Give them a start signal and time the solution. Report the time to them.
8) Allow 1 or 2 more attempts until you think they have achieved a good time, shuffling the cards between each attempt.
9) Make a change by announcing Challenge #2: line up alphabetically by the letters of the number on your card you hold. Say “start” and time the attempt.
10) Report the time to the group, and then repeat rules 5 – 8 as appropriate.
11) Make another change by announcing Challenge #3: Line up in two lines – odd numbers in one line, even numbers is the other – odds in descending order and evens in ascending order numerically.
12) Report the time to the group, and then repeat rules 5 – 8 as appropriate.
Processing
The goal of the processing is to explore how the team worked together and what strategies they created to deal with changes.
What strategies did the group develop to implement effective solutions?
What was the consequence(s) of change during the activity? Was it different if the changes were “minor” (i.e., shuffling the cards, but same numbers were always in use) or “major” (i.e., changing from lining up numerically to lining up alphabetically)?
Did the group manage to develop solutions to each major change that produced significant improvement in their time? How?
What strategies did the group develop to adjust to change? What worked and what did not?
What recommendations does the group have for managing change at work based on this experience?
Instructors Notes
Between challenge #2 and #3, ask the group to spend some time planning how to respond to the next change. See if they can identify some ideas that will help them organize and act even though they will not know what the change will be. The immediate goal is to lower their time for a first solution once a change is announced.
When people are exchanging cards, some groups will think of “innovative strategies” for circumnavigating the intent of the shuffle rule. For example, they will pass cards up an down the line so that they stay in the exact same order; they will pass the cards back and forth to specific people so they know the location of each number; or, they will pass the cards randomly and then show it to others while insisting that they do not “know” the number on their own card. Obviously each of these solutions is a double-edged sword. You can admire and appreciate the out-of-the-box thinking, or you can reject the idea because it is counter to the spirit of the rule if not its intent. The more specific you are in presenting what is allowed and what is prohibited during the shuffling process, the less bending of the rules you will observe. However, just recognize by prohibiting certain types of thinking, you may alter the course of the activity. Be deliberate about what you want as outcomes. If they include creativity and innovation, you may not want to prohibit some of the ideas above.
Some groups will also write information on back of the cards so that they can line up faster. As in the examples above, the strategy exhibits creativity. It is typically not prohibited because it is viewed as adhering to the spirit of the rules. Again, you as the consultant need to determine what types of outcomes you want to achieve and present the rules to achieve those goals. These examples are intended to give you advance information to help you think through how you want the experience to unfold.
Variations
If the group is larger than 24, the activity works well with sub-teams. Each sub-team has its own set of cards but the entire group does the activity at the same time.
If the group is very successful with challenge #1, give them more difficulty by collecting the cards and giving back new numbers for each attempt.
Challenge #3 can be creative. Create whatever order you want. What has seemed to work well is asking them to line up in a different configuration (odds and evens, tow circles, etc.) then in the previous two challenges.
Thematic Connections
In addition to examining change, this activity could be focused on personal styles. In observing groups, you are likely to encounter a broad range of ideas and solutions for tracking numbers and organizing people into a line. Both in the planning process and in the implementation, the activity could offer valuable insights into the needs different people have for information and detail, how people like to work from either a structured or unstructured approach to problem-solving, and how quickly or slowly people are willing to move ahead with a plan based on how much they know and understand about the solution.
References:
Smolowe, Ann., Butler, Steve., Murray Mark. Expanded Activity Guide For Adventure in Business. Project Adventure, Inc.: 1999
http://pa.org/ with more Free Team Building Activities |
|