Category: What? & Why?

Across Toss: Making Agreements (Pre-Full Value Contract)

7/18/2019

Hello my Team Building friend. This is a long one - a long-form post as they say in the biz. So, grab a favorite beverage and give yourself about 20-minutes to digest this one. Or, read the What? today and the Why? tomorrow - and let me know what you think.

Across Toss is a true mash up of influences. Mainly, All Catch (detailed in the footnote below) from Karl Rohnke's, The Bottomless Bag (1988), Falling Star, in my book, Portable Teambuilding Activities (inspired by another Rohnke activity called 7-Up), the phrase (and philosophy) "Keep your agreements" from my friend West and the way I use the activity (I call) Have You Seen My Lunch - I play it the way described to me by Scott Goldsmith when he uses it to talk about agreements - how we make, keep and break them.

I first tried Across Toss (last week) with a group of 6th & 7th graders. I wanted to weave in the idea of making agreements (i.e., norming, Full Value Contracting), understanding agreements, keeping agreements and sharing voice or 'speaking up' as I framed it. (There can also be some work on how we manage and treat mistakes within the group - this was a secondary focus for me.)

In this What? & Why? format, I'll break the activity down step-by-step. (There are more What? & Why? activity breakdowns at this blog site if you are interested in this format. Go to Categories - down the right side of this page - and click on What? & Why? If you want the philosophy behind What? & Why? - spoiler: a training resource - read the intro to Name Card Return: What? & Why?)

Reality Check: In reality, real time, I spent about 15 minutes on this activity (of the 90-minute team building activity portion of the program - three more hours were spent on the high course where 'making agreements' carried over) in order to make the learning points - mainly, making and keeping agreements. It's amazing to me how much (decision-making) goes into facilitating such a short activity.

What?
(This section is about What I did, and will generally do, when leading Across Toss)

1. I have a game spot and two safe tossables for each participant ready to go. (My tossables were stress balls, a squeaky penguin and some inflatable orbs a little bigger than a softball.)

2. I gave everyone a game spot and asked them to circle up - about a one-arm length apart from each other - and then instructed them to stand on their spot.

3. There were eight participants in the group, including me (I played as well). I chose to start with three tossables. I handed out the tossables to three different people.

4. I frontloaded the activity with this information: "This activity is about making agreements with your group members. For example, one will be, who will agree to catch the object you have to toss - if you have an object to toss. Another one I'm going to ask you to make is to agree to speak up if you are unsure of anything during the activity."

5. I interject here: "Throughout our program together, I'm going to be asking you to make other kinds of agreements. We'll have the opportunity to discuss the agreements before you commit to them. And, maybe there will be some agreements you can't make - and that's okay. We will work through this as well."

6. I go on to ask for one agreement now: "So, can you all agree to speak up any time you are unsure about something during the activity? This might be difficult to do, but I'm asking you to try. Can I get a thumbs up if you agree?"

7. I provide the challenge at this point: "Here's how the activity works. As a group, our objective is to catch as many objects as we can - twice in a row. I'll explain this in a moment. We play the game in a series of Rounds. For Round 1 we have three objects to toss - hold up your object if you have one in your hand. Cool, thanks.

Each Round will have at least two toss attempts, maybe more. I, for now, will begin each toss attempt by saying, 1, 2, 3, toss. On the word 'toss' everyone must toss his or her object to someone else in the group - you are not allowed to toss an object to yourself. If all the objects are caught on this first toss, we go for another toss with these three objects. I will say again, 1, 2, 3, toss. All objects must be tossed at the same time - objects can't be tossed to yourself AND you may not toss it back to the person who just tossed it to you. Now, if we catch all the objects this second time, we will add another object to the challenge - this is what I mean by catching the objects in play twice in a row. When we add an object, we move into the next Round.

Again, the challenge is to see how many objects we can catch twice in a row. So, the more Rounds we play, the more objects we catch.

If an object drops to the ground after a toss, we simply try again. We can view a drop as a mistake - will it be okay to make a mistake during the activity? Who's made a mistake before? How do you like to be treated after making a mistake? How do you treat yourself after making a mistake? How do we want to treat ourselves and each other after making a mistake? Again, if a drop happens we get to try again. The bottom line is that we will play each Round until we can catch the object in play twice in a row."

During this first attempt at Across Toss, I did take a little time to 'check in' on the drops. I asked if there if they could tell me why the object dropped and what could be done to prevent this type of drop in the future - again, a quick check.

8. I let the everyone know, "I am part of the group for this activity, so I am available to make an agreement."

9. At this point I ask if there are any questions about the challenge or directions.

10. It's time to toss. "Okay, let's give this a try. Everyone with an object, please make an agreement with someone in the group that will try to catch your toss. Then, you all let me know when you are ready for the toss."

11. I confirm, "Is everyone ready? Are you sure? Tossers, who is your agreement with?" I have them each point out who they have an agreement with. "Okay, here we go. 1, 2, 3, toss." At this point, we play this round with me calling the toss, until the group catches the objects twice in a row.

12. When the group is successful, we celebrate with hoots and claps!!

13. Here I ask, "Just to check in, what agreements did you make so far? Were you able to keep your agreements? What happened if an agreement was not kept? Are there any questions or concerns about our agreements so far?

14. Now, before moving on I ask everyone to make another agreement. "Before moving on, I'd like to ask you to make another agreement with me and the group. I would like you to agree to speak your truth as we move on through the activity. There might be times when your truth is different than those of other group members - so it might be really difficult to speak your truth, but I'm asking you to try. Do you have any questions about what I'm asking? Please give me a thumbs up if you can agree to try and speak your truth."

15. After our new agreement I introduce another object. I ask, "Do you all want to add in another object, all the same rules apply, or do you think that three objects is our best effort at this time? What is your truth on this?" From this point we go to the next Round or decide together to stop and move on to another activity. If the group decides to move on to the next activity, we process our Across Toss experience (see below, Step 17) before moving on.

16. Playing the next Rounds: Rounds continue until the group 'agrees' that they have done the best they can, at that particular time, and want to move to another activity. For each Round the rules are the same - when you have an object (or two) to toss, make an agreement with a catcher (or catchers). Then, everyone tosses on the word 'toss.' The group makes tosses until they can catch the objects twice in a row OR they decide, during a Round, they have achieved their best effort.

17. Processing Across Toss: In the end, I focused on one area of understanding, making and keeping agreements. Even though I did bring up some other learning moments - how will we treat each other when a mistake is made and preventing future drops (problem solving), I focused on the one topic for take aways. Here are some of the questions I used (to the best of my recollection):

What were the agreements we made for this activity?
How did you, specifically, do keeping your agreements?
If you couldn't keep an agreement, what happened? Did any feelings show up for you? Which ones and why do you think they showed up?
What was it like for you to keep an agreement? What feelings showed up for you after keeping an agreement?
What agreements are you in right now in your life outside this program? Are they easy? Are they difficult? Are they important?
If we can't keep an agreement, what are some good ways to handle this situation?
Does anyone have an idea for an agreement we would want to make as a group moving forward today?

Why?
(In this section I give you the Why behind what I did for each step.)

1. I like use games spots if I have them - they provide clear information about where to stand when I want to keep this a constant. For Across Toss you don't need game spots.

I chose to use a variety of tossable objects. I like the visual diversity and it provides an opportunity for participants to speak their truth. For example, in this first attempt at Across Toss one of the participants (during Round 4 I think) did ask if someone else would be willing to make an agreement with her tosser because the ball he had was small (stress ball) and hard to catch. To solve this, someone in the group traded objects with the tosser so he could have a larger object - the catcher was then comfortable enough to make an agreement with her tosser. Good Stuff!!

2. The circle with one-arm spacing is good, in my opinion, for tossing-types of activities - players are not tossing over anyone. I decided if they asked to resize the circle I would let them, but if they ask to change the shape of their formation, I would not let them. In my thinking, I took away some problem-solving options (not an objective I was working on at the moment) in order to focus on the topic of making agreements.

3. Handing out three objects at the start, in my mind, saved some time - we could have started with one object, progressing from there. But, I believed the group could handle three at the get-go. To start, I would go up to half the group starting out with an object, so half are catching and half are tossing. However, I wanted to have a couple Rounds of practice, and confidence building, before someone in the group had to both toss and then catch. And, I included myself in the action because this one seemed easy to observe while playing due to the controlled nature of tosses. I felt confident that I could, toss, catch and observe all at the same time if needed.

4. Here I simply told them about what we would be working on during the activity so they could anticipate (a bit), what they would be talking about. This can be considered the, 'WHY they are doing this' part of the introduction. Providing a couple examples then jump-starts the brain towards what to expect. I also knew that this middle school age group would understand what an agreement is so I didn't go into defining an agreement - but, this could be done.

5. This 'interjection' is also another anticipatory set (education theory term). Using Across Toss to introduce agreements would give me some experience to go back to during the program when we made new agreements or were still keeping our initial agreements. For example, I used this during the high course part of the day, "Remember during Across Toss I asked you to make the agreement to speak your truth, even if it would be difficult to do? Well, I'm still asking you to keep this agreement - to speak your truth about the Leap of Faith. What is your truth?" (This participant was feeling pressured by a friend to climb the pole, but I could tell he really didn't want to. So, I asked him for his truth.) He chose not to climb and to be the anchor for the belay team. Again, good stuff!

6. Here I asked them to make their first agreement. I felt it was a reasonable first step - basically asking them to ask questions if they had them. In my experience, this is a pretty easy agreement to make (sure I can ask questions), but it is sometimes difficult to really keep (I'll look stupid to others if I ask this question). This makes for a good processing question - "How many of you had a question or a concern you wanted to voice, but didn't? Why do you think that is?" A good thread to tease out.

7. This step is about flushing out the directions. I chose to start out saying the countdown, 1, 2, 3, toss, so I could model this role. In my plan, I was prepared to pass on this role to someone in the group - giving the group, as a whole, more responsibility. However, it didn't feel right to pass this role on with this group. (By all means, pass this role off if it feels good to do so.)

I didn't (and usually don't) get into to super detail with the rules, I want to get them playing. Playing allows the group the chance to collect some data and then ask better questions.

When talking about drops, I don't spend tons of time here - I don't/didn't make a big deal about it. I did tell my group that, yes, a drop can be seen as a mistake - so how will we treat each other if this happens. Good. Let's move on. Again, my focus for the activity is/was on making agreements. One of the agreements is/was to TRY and catch a toss - so, essentially, catching is/was not required, only a try-to-catch. Now, with that said, could there be some embarrassment around not catching? Yes. But a reminder about making the try is what's important. "Did you try?" Awesome. Then you kept your agreement. Now, we get to TRY again - we get more practice. Isn't this great?!"

8. Here I remind everyone I get to play as well - I can make agreements with them. I also share here that I will not always get to play because my responsibilities will change depending on what we're doing. But, whenever I can, I'll play. I believe 'playing' with the group provides me with the opportunity to build rapport - be a part of the successes and limitations. We can be in it together. And, adults are great resources and very willing to make agreements and show (sharing experience) that it's hard for us, as well, to keep agreements all the time. For example.... I share stories about myself so my participants will (hopefully) get the scenes that I'm human, just like them.

9. I believe it's always important to provide the group opportunities to ask questions - and, this was an agreement I asked them to make. My process is this - after asking if anyone has any questions, I look to everyone in the circle, making eye contact with each person for about three seconds. I go around twice (the second time a bit faster). This allows time for everyone to think about a question they have and then formulate how they want to phrase their question. I find this process produces more interaction from the group - they are more willing to share if they have a little time to think and decide.

10. Here I'm asking them to make there first agreement with someone in the group. I don't tell them how to do this - I want them to figure this part out. And, it's not easy for everyone 'ask' something of other people. This is part of the learning. If a solid agreement isn't made, there is confusion and drops. So, I let this play out on its own.

11. Now, before we tossed, I asked everyone to confirm who they made an agreement with. I wanted to hold them accountable for at least Round 1. I did not ask for confirmation in the subsequent Rounds and more drops occurred. And, they did come to realize that without a clear agreement drops were more likely.

Round 1 only needed two tosses - I believe checking in with their agreements helped. We were able to clear up any misunderstandings before tossing. I facilitated the process.

12. We celebrate after the first Round - I celebrated a bit more than they did, they didn't think it was a big deal, yet. And, we did take some time to talk about the importance of celebration and what celebrating can do for motivation. Not a ton of time on this, just planting seeds for later.

13. Here we did a little check in to see where we stood. We had two agreements so far - agreeing to speak up if they had questions or concerns and making agreements between a tosser and a catcher. Then we talked, briefly, about how everyone did with their agreements. After the first successful Round with no drops, everyone felt they kept there agreements. We were feeling good.

14. Before moving into the second Round, I introduced the group to a new process in the challenge. I'm telling them at this time because this is where it's most relevant. I didn't ask them to make this new agreement at the beginning - they didn't need to at the beginning. So, I saved time in the beginning - I didn't overload them with information. Give some in the beginning and add as you go.

At this point they are asked to make another agreement about speaking their truth - even if it's difficult to do. Others might have a different truth. It's about reaching consensus as a group - everyone agreeing to keep going or stop and move on to the next activity.

15. So, when adding one more object to the challenge with each new Round, I asked everyone to speak their truth, whether or not they thought they could be successful - two catches in a row - with another object. Or, were they at their best number of objects.

16. In this first game of Across Toss, the group had no issues with adding another object - up to Round 4 where some participants were now tossing and catching objects. There were drops in Rounds 2 and 3, but the group quickly realized their agreements were not always clear, leading to 'mistakes.' they did a good job supporting each other, as well, as they tried again. I facilitated some questions about agreements to help them consider solutions.

During Round 4, there were successful catches, but then failed second attempts. After six failed twice-in-a-row attempts, I asked if this was the best they could do at this time. Some were very vocal about staying the course and trying again, other stepped up and spoke their truth, stating they though this was good enough and they would like to move on to something new.

After processing a little around the point of 'making agreements' they all felt they got the message and were ready to move on to something new. I stepped in with processing due to the limited time we had with our team building portion of the program. Another choice I can make in the future is to let the group hash out their truths a bit longer to see if they can come to a decision on their own - keep trying or move on.

17. After deciding to move on we processed for about five minutes. Again, only focusing on agreements - this is/was the first lesson I wanted to take forward with this group because more agreements were ahead. And, we were still going to keep our agreements of asking questions and speaking out truth!

Programming Notes: This was the first time I tried this activity, and it met my expectations - my desired outcome. To talk about agreements.

Now, I don't know how far a group can get with this one. We were a group of eight and got to six objects (to Round 4). That was two people tossing and catching. So, what is possible? This has yet to be determined. Let me know how far you get.

Footnote:
All Catch (original verbatim version) from Karl Rohnke (The Bottomless Bag): The group stands in the jump circle in the center of the gym. Group numbers about 25 and holds 10 balls. When the instructor calls "Throw," all release the balls (volleyball type) up to a height of at least 10 feet. If you throw a ball, you cannot catch a ball. Throws are made only on command. Only catchers have to be in the circle. If a ball touches the floor, it is out of play. When three balls are left, the game is over. Count the number of catches made to establish a score.

Have FUN out there my friends! Keep me posted.

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Have You Ever: Introducing Choice (Part 2)

12/14/2017

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Welcome back for Part 2. Quick review. The purpose of What? & Why? is to tell you 'What' I do with a particular process (e.g., an activity), and then tell you 'Why' I do what I did. I view this documentation as a training tool, a thought motivator, a way to share intention - to share ways to program on purpose.

Be sure to read through (or even review) Part 1 of this Have You Ever posting, before you dive in here. Part 2 (and Part 3) might make more sense after you know "What?" I'm talking about Or, maybe it would be more informative to postpone Part 1 until after reading Part 2 (and Part 3). Who knows, finding out Why before we know What might be a better process for you. (And, be sure to let me know if you try this order - share What? you did and Why?, and how it turned out!!)

Why?

Another quick review. The numbered comments below match up with the Part 1 numbers. For each step of the What? I share my Why? behind it. Here in Part 2 I share the first 12 points of the Why. In Part 3 I'll cover the final 12.

1. I like to have participants help me whenever I can - it's a nice social skill to practice (and it saves me time as well). By clumping together, I am able to hand out five or six game spots to several participants near me so they can also help me hand out spots - or pass along the spots after taking one for themselves. Being together in a "clump" saves us steps and time in the long run. Another option is to set down the game spots into a circle formation before your participants arrive. In my experience, setting up a circle of spots by myself takes more time than getting help. Totally up to you.

2. When everyone has a game spot I collect the extras, then together we form our circle. Doing this together might become our first "problem solving" activity! I might give a visual image suggestion, like, "We want to form a circle, like a big pizza, or a basketball." Then, I'll ask my group, "Do you like the shape of this circle, or do we want to change it? What do we need to do to change it?" After asking these questions I listen for how participants are communicating with each other - is it positive, constructive, negative, sarcastic, useful? If some coaching is required I will add some thoughts while we're getting circlized. I also make sure to praise the useful behaviors and positive feedback participants are engaging in and sharing - I'm starting the norming process with the group. I too am working on forming the circle with my group, because I am also standing on a game spot as part of the circle (remember, this version of, "Have you ever..." does not start with someone in the middle of the circle).

For this game of "Have you ever..." (HYE), I think the circle formation works the best. I've tried HYE in a square, a triangle and scattered formations. The circle is best for hearing the HYE questions and a circle provides more space for moving from one space to another (again, in my experience). (BTW: Playing HYE, just as an ice breaker, is really interesting from a scattered formation, but it increases the level of risk. So, if you are norming for safety with your group scattered HYE might be an option.)

3. In this step, I'm frontloading the idea of choice. Even though we will be discovering things about each other - some similarities and differences - my main facilitated objective is to emphasize the concept of choice and how choice fits into the program we are in together. Some participants might recognize the game once I share the part about saying, "Have you ever..." When participants speak up, sharing they've played before, I often say, "That's great. In a moment you will be able to help me out since you have some experience with this one. For the moment you might notice some differences in the way I play, so please go along with me on this version and have some fun." I use the example of, "...eaten a slice of pepperoni pizza" because I'm pretty sure there are a few people in the group who have done so.

I'm choosing to use an example of something that more than a few people have done so I can get some movement when we try. Now, depending on where you are in the world, you might use a different example. If I use something too unique, like, "Have you ever swam with dolphins?" I might not get any movement during my test run - and I want movement for the example. (I do use the pepperoni slice example as the practice run.)

4. I come back to the idea of choice at this point. I present choice as an invitation - an invitation to move off of their spots or not if they have done the Have you ever...? I know I picked up the idea about choice as an invitation from someone in my past, but I don't remember who. So, thank you - whomever you are! I suppose being "invited" could be seen as someone with power opening the door for others with less power - and argument to explore at some point. For me, I like being invited. It shows me I'm being recognized, seen by others. "Chris, I'd like to invite you to my party!" Thanks! I'll be there." It's an opening, a way of thinking that can work for a lot of people. During discussion with more groups than I can remember, participants have told me that they liked the idea of being invited - they felt included and part of the group.

5. By now I want my participants to lock in the directions with practice. I use the example, "Have you ever eaten a slice of pepperoni pizza?" because they've already been thinking about it. It's not something new at this point - in educational thinking I'm (sort of) reviewing. Participants already thought about my question and they've probably answered it, in their heads at least. Now, we're moving (literally) to the next part of the learning process. We're adding something to what we know. We've also heard the directions, now we're putting them into action.

6. I choose to move with the pepperoni pizza eaters at this point, and I also keep an eye on the movement of others. Most participants will recognize that they don't have to move quickly because there is a spot for everyone (at this point). However, some energetic players (e.g., younger participants) might choose to move quickly, so I'm watching for safety issues.

Now, as the facilitator, you can choose to frontload the practice step by reminding participants they don't have to run - "there is a spot for everyone." If you think your groups needs this information, let um have it. By leaving out the safety frontload I get the chance to observe my groups participate in some natural behaviors. They might already have a good sense of how to behave safely - I might not need to bring it up (just yet). After we are all back on our spots I can ask the question about choices. (This is where we can talk about "safety" choices if they were observed.)

During this first bought of choice recognition, I don't push too much. I like to get in more action before digging deeper. So, here I just ask five or six times, "What choices did you have the opportunity to make?" I don't share any of my observations and choice options I know about at this time - I want to give my groups the first opportunities to share what they observed and practiced. However, there is one exception. If I observed any safety concerns we will open this discussion and create some norms (rules) for moving (literally) forward. I will often add, at this point, that one of my roles as a facilitator is to monitor safety issues and help the group develop norms and behaviors around safety concerns.

7. We need to move again. Asking my participants if they have participated in a team building program before is one of my favorite questions. It usually (these days) produces lots of movement and it lets me find out if there are those in the group who have not been in a team building program before - I observe this information in the next step. Again, I'm observing my groups for behaviors (e.g., safety) that may need to be addressed right away. In most cases, I stay on my spot so I can watch the movement.

If someone (and this happens quite a bit for me) brings up the fact that I didn't move and asks, "You haven't been in a team building program before? (they are ALWAYS watching us!) I share my choice to stay on my spot so I could observe the group in action (another role I have as a facilitator that I might share with my groups at this time). In educational terms, I can be modeling choice.

8. After this second practice, I add some new information and action. As a way to now recognize others we have something in common with. I ask participants to raise up a hand if they moved to a new spot. Now, we can look around the circle (again, the best formation to see everyone), to see who has been in a team building program before and who has not. We can also see that we have a difference among us - some have and some have not. (This is where I find out who is team building for the first time. Why is this important? I might change my language a bit or define more of the terms I use with my participants. This thinking is another topic we can get into at some point.)

And, I do like to invite participants to put their hands down when we're done looking around as to avoid any discomfort and confusion about when it's time (okay) to put hands down. ("Have you ever..." been in one of those situations where you weren't sure, then you just put your hand down because others were putting their hands down? Doing what others are doing because you don't know what to do....now that's something to talk about!)

9. Okay. We're now getting the idea, so I want to prepare my participants for a change coming up. I let them know that, after I ask one more "Have you ever..." question, I will be inviting them to ask the questions. In this way I'm giving participants a heads up, some time to think about something they might want to ask. Even though they'll be listening and possibly moving around, they will have some time to think. In educational terms this is called an anticipatory set - I'm setting up my group for something that is about to happen. Something they can anticipate.

The next new thing will not be new - they "knew" it was on the way. This prepares the brain for some action. Along with my next question there is a chance that I might be the only one that has done the "Have you ever..." (If you've played "Have you ever..." you know that if you ask a question it must be true for you. I have not shared this rule yet - but it's on the way.)

If I don't see anyone else making a move from a spot, I will take one step into the middle and take a bow. Then, step back onto my spot. (Again, another "rule" - invitation - I have yet to share, but it's on the way.) More often than not, since I'm taking a bow, participants will clap for me - it's a pretty common cultural norm. I didn't set up the bow-clap process yet, but if I have the opportunity to demonstrate it, I take it. Again, depending on the question I ask, there will be more, less or no movement at all.

10. If there was some movement I ask the movers to raise a hand. Then we all look around to see who we have something in common with. Again, this action is about providing an opportunity to recognize others. If I have a hand up I recognize that I have something in common with others who have their hand up. I also recognize there are others I might not have something in common with - there are differences in the group.

The participants that did not move, do not have a hand up, can also assume that they have something in common with others in the group - the non-movers. Now, since there is a chance that one or more of the non-movers could have moved but chose not to, I like to make a short point about assumptions. "We can assume we have something in common with others through observation, but how do we know for sure?" This will often produce comments about "talking" to each other, asking questions, and listening. This, more often than not, is part of a team building program - getting to know each other beyond observations and assumptions.

11. After movement stops I invite participants to ask a "Have you ever..." question. But, before they start I share the information (rules) about how play will continue - the questions have to be something they've done and if no one moves after a question, the asker is invited to step into the circle and take a bow, at which point we will all clap. I also like to add the option of simply waving as well - the stepping into the circle and bowing might not be comfortable for everyone. Again, I like to provide choices when possible and give permission to make choices they are comfortable with. The reason I let someone else ask a question after a bow or wave is to save time. In my experience, if I let the same person ask another question, they often have to take time to think of something new, whereas others in the group are ready to ask a question. A couple other thoughts.

Depending on my group, I might give the "Rated G" guideline here as well. "Please share 'Have you ever...' questions suitable for a G-rated movie audience." This will often produce some laughter because they know what your talking about. This is a choice I do take away. Another role I have as a facilitator is to help create an emotionally safe learning environment. If I let my group make choices that make others uncomfortable and unwilling to open up and connect with the group, the learning environment will be altered. This can be tricky, but important to consider. We (us facilitators), are challenged to provide learning experiences that help groups move forward together as a community, not hinder the process. "Guiding" the process with appropriate activities and purposeful language is our responsibility.

12. Okay. Here I ask for someone in the group to share a question and I remind them about the context of the question - it must be something they've done. Some groups I work with naturally raise up hands (it is a norm they've adopted) and I'll pick by pointing at them. In other groups, someone will simply speak up before someone else. Depending on your group, you might need to set up the guideline (rule) that you will pick someone who has a hand up - you might need to structure the sharing (you might want to establish this communication norm). This could be a norm that you want to manage or let the group manage. Will they set up the structure or do they want/need you to set it up?

A facilitated objective I have at this point is to move "control" of some of the process to the group - get them taking and interacting as soon as possible. (Note: By this time in the game, we are only about 4 minutes in! Yah, lots of words and thinking in 4 minutes!) And, even if I could move to a new spot on some of their questions, I usually stay on my spot and watch the interaction in the game. I'm looking for "things" to talk about - things I need to talk about (e.g., safety issues), and things I would like them to recognize (e.g., group behaviors) that I can bring up in a processing discussion. Purposeful observation leads me to more appropriate questions. (Another good blog topic to explore at some point.)

Lots to consider at this half-way point. What works for you? What would you change? What would you add? Leave me a Comment below.

See you next time, in Part 3, for the remaining Why?

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Have You Ever: Introducing Choice (Part 1)

11/30/2017

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Have You Ever...eaten strawberries and whipped cream on a buttery toasted (nooks & crannies) english muffins? (Oh yes, it's yummy.)

I'm guessing most of you know this classic, "Have You Ever...?" ice breaker activity - I'm sure it's been played by millions! Let's review.^ (If you know, Have You Ever..., you can skip past this review.)

Your group, of 12 to 50 players, forms a circle. Each player is standing on a game spot. You are in the middle of the circle explaining the game. You are going to say something true for you - something you have done/experienced. You preface this information with, "Have you ever..." For example, you might say, "Have you ever been to Canada?" (Again, the statement must be true for you.) If anyone in the group (players forming the circle) has been to Canada, he/she is invited to leave his/her spot and move to another spot that is not directly to his/her right or left.

While this movement is happening, you, or any other player in the middle, want to go stand on one of the spots left vacant by one of the players from the circle (the idea is, you don't want to stay in the middle). There will then be a player left without a spot to stand on (because, in this game, there is no sharing spots). The player, without a spot to stand on, is the next person to share a, Have you ever... question from the center of the circle of players. The moving, getting a spot process ensues after every, Have you ever... question from a player standing in the middle of the circle. .

If the player in the middle shares a, Have you ever... question, and no one moves, he/she takes a bow and asks another question. Remembering, the idea is to get players to move - so you want to ask questions that are likely to produce movement.

What? & Why?

Back in January of this year, I posted the first What? & Why? Discussion about how I use Name Card Return - an engaging ice breaker for learning names and experiencing a simple problem solving activity to introduce the group to the kinds of activities they will be experiencing. (Thought - Can an icebreaker be a problem solving activity?)

The purpose for this type of discussion for me is to tell you "What" I do with a particular process (e.g., an activity) and then, in "Part 2" (and 3, if I needed), tell you "Why" I do what I did.

I'm using this format, on the one hand, to document my thoughts about some of the things I do during team building programs. On the other hand, I'm thinking, maybe those of you who train team building facilitators could use this format of thinking as a training exercise.

First, you can share the What?, like how you lead a particular activity. Don't reveal the Why? right away. Have a discussion on the What? with the trainees about "Why?" they think the activity is set up the way it is, and "What?" purposeful reasons they might have for leading this activity (or process) in this way. Then, share your Why? behind your What? - what reasons/purpose do you have for leading an activity the way you do. (You can design your own What? & Why? discussions or use one of these FUNdoing blog posts to explore.)

NOTE: Believe it or not, the step-by-step process detailed below takes me about 15 minutes to lead. It's a lot of writing for 15 minutes, and an interesting process (for me) to go through.

Okay, let's get this one started:

What?

I start by handing out a game spot to everyone in the group while we're all standing together in a clump - I keep one for myself as well.
Then I ask everyone to form a nice circle and then put his/her game spot on the ground and step on it - I am part of the circle, standing on my game spot.
I tell the group, "We're going to play a game of choice. I will start out the game. I'm going to ask a question that starts with, Have you ever... and ends with something I've done. For example, Have you ever eaten a slice of pepperoni pizza?"
I go on to say, "Here's where the choice comes in. If you have eaten a slice of pepperoni pizza in the past, you are invited to move off your spot and go stand on another spot left open by someone else who has eaten a slice of pepperoni pizza. It is your choice whether or not you want to move to a new spot - you can stay right where you are if you want. Again, it's your choice to move or not."
At this point we want to give it a test run. "Okay, let's try one. Have you ever eaten a slice of pepperoni pizza?"
After the movement has subsided, I ask the group, "How did it go? What choices did we make during that round?" Here I let the group share the choices that were possible and what choices were made.
After that sharing, I'll present another Have you ever... question. "Have you ever been a participant in a team building program before this one?" Movement ensues.
After everyone is back on a spot, I will ask, "Please raise your hand if you moved to a new spot. Now, look around to see who has been team building before, and who has not? Awesome. You can put your hands down."
At this point I say, "I'll ask you one more Have you ever... question, then I'm going to invite you to ask some questions. Ready? Have you ever climbed a high challenge course element?" Now, at this point, if I am the only one that moves, I simply take a step forward from my spot, take a bow, and step back onto my spot. If others move, we exchange spots.
If multiple players move, I ask again, "Please raise your hand if you moved to a new spot. Now, look around to see who has something in common with you."
Now I pass the baton. "Okay, before you all start asking questions, let me give you some important information. If you choose to ask a 'Have you ever...' question, it must be something you've done - something you can answer with, "yes, I've done that." Also, if you ask a question and no one in the group moves from his or her spot, you are invited to step into the circle, take a bow and then step back onto your spot. If you don't want to bow, simply have a hand. If you bow or wave we will all give you resounding applause to celebrate your uniqueness. After the applause, someone else will be invited to ask a question."
"Alright, who can ask us a Have you ever... question? Remember, it has to be something you've done before." When hands go up I point at a player to share. Sometimes, someone in the group just shouts out a question - you can decide if this okay. Movement ensues.
When movement stops after each question, I ask the "raise your hand and look around" question so players have time to see who they have something in common with.
At this point I invite four or five other players to share a Have you ever... question. Movement happens, hands go up, we look around after each question.
Before the next part of the activity, I come back to asking the group what choices they made during the last several rounds. We will also explore the choices that were NOT made during the last several rounds.
I then tell the group, "During this first part of the activity, I'm sure you noticed that you all had a spot to go to - even if you moved back to your own spot. Now, we're going to change it up a bit." I then pick up my game spot, move it to the center of the circle, place it down on the ground and step on it.
At this point some people react to what they believe is going to happen. Here I say, "Okay, now I'm in the center. By being in the center, I am obligated to ask a, Have you ever... question. After I ask a question, I want to get out of the center by moving to, and standing on, an empty spot left behind by someone who moved - don't forget to move to a spot or you will be in the center again. The person left without a spot, after all the circle spots are taken, will stand on the center spot and be the next player to ask a Have you ever... question."
Before we start this second part, I ask the group, "What do we think will change during this part of the activity? How do we want to play during this part? Remember, you have choices - what are some of these choices?" I provide some time here to talk about the choices ahead - choices to make, and choices not to make.
After a fruitful conversation about choices we begin. About six to eight questions is usually enough to anchor the experience. Again, when movement stops after each question I ask players to raise their hand if they moved and look around to see who they have something in common with.
If any "close calls" or safety concerns occur (hopefully no injuries - yes, I've seen it happen), I stop and check in with the group to see how we can proceed in a safer manner. Then, we keep going.
I then stop the activity, thank the group for playing, and then bring up another conversation about the choices that were made during play, and the choices that were NOT made during the activity.
After the fruitful conversation, I then tell the group that the program they are taking part in will be filled with choices. Some choices will be easy to make, others will be harder to make. I could ask the players who have participated in team building programs before, "What sorts of choices do you remember making during programs in the past?" I could also provide some examples of choices that might come up during their program, like, "Some of you might have to choose to be a leader in order to help the group move forward during a task." Or, "Some of you might choose to stay quiet and let others share ideas during a planning session." This conversation is about frontloading the idea that each person, and the group, will be faced with choices as they move forward, and the group is there to support these choices.
I do add one caveat to the choice conversation - this is part of my personal philosophy about choice when it comes to group work. "The one choice I will ask you to make is to stay with the group. It is important for me to know where you are during the program, so by staying together it really helps me out. If you do feel a strong desire to step away from the group, please do so. But, stay close by so I can see where you are. Thank you for helping me out with this choice."
At the conclusion of this process of choice (again, which usually takes me about 15 minutes), I ask my group, "Are you ready for the next adventure?" We then move into the program at hand.

This was the description of one way I introduce choice to my groups. In Part 2, I'll tell you Why? I do each What?

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

^ Have You Ever...? questions first appeared in Karl Rohnke's Bag of Tricks periodical - he started writing Bag of Tricks in 1978. In 1988 he compiled "...the best writing and most useable copy" from his first 38 issues, into the book, "The Bottomless Bag." Have You Ever...? Questions in this book are introduced as a 'raise your hand if you have' activity - as an ice breaker, the questions were a way to start conversations and share stories. In, The Bottomless Bag, Again (1991), Karl expands, Have You Ever...? by adding a circle of chairs - now, if you 'have' you move from your chair to an open chair. And, the game continues....

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Name Card Return: What? & Why? (Part 3 of 3)

1/26/2017

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Over the last two weeks we've been working through the first What? & Why? activity thinking process. Part 1 detailed the specific steps I take when using the activity Name Card Return as a way to introduce a basic team building program. In Part 2 I shared the reasoning behind each of the first 14 steps of the activity. This week I'll finish up the Why? for the final 14 steps.

Be sure to let me know about this activity thinking process. This first one has been an interesting journey for me - it's been a long one. As I've noted in the other posts, my hope is that this process could be used as a training tool - a way to possibly learn/understand how to be more purposeful in what we do as team building facilitators. Any and all comments are welcome! (Be sure to check out the "Comments" at the end of Part 1 for some thoughts and learnings from other FUN Followers.)

Why? (continued)

(We just finished up the first official attempt at Name Card Return - everyone has stopped moving so I've stopped the time.)

15. I purposefully hold back sharing the time with the group until after I find out how they believe they did, and if they thought they were successful. This sense is more related to a "process" evaluation of how a task is done rather than the "product" evaluation of time. When I hear different answers about how they thought they did I like to point out that, "We will have differences of opinion during the program - this is part of being a diverse group of people." More often that not we talk about this for a while and why diversity can be a good thing and even why diversity could be a bad thing. Before sharing the time I also like to share other responsibilities that I have, '...provide activities that will challenge you and ask questions..." Again, letting my group know what they can expect of me is another way to build my relationship with them. Throughout the program I will often refer back to what I've told them about my responsibilities in order to curb any false expectations that might be showing up. Note: This step only takes a few minutes - I want to keep them in "action" mode but engage the mind a bit.

16. At this point, after our quick discussions, I share the time achieved and ask if this is the best they can do? Be mindful here of your voice intonation. I keep my voice neutral, I don't use my voice to imply that they can do better. The way we ask questions can be just as powerful as the question itself. In research interviewing terms, we don't want to "lead" the interviewee (group) into an answer we want to hear - we want to be as neutral as possible. Since it was only the first attempt at the activity most of the groups I've worked with believe they can do better. They want to try again. Now, be ready for one or more participants ready to voice their desire to move on. They, for any number of reasons, what to do something else. If this happens you have a wonderful opportunity to talk about, "How do we move forward when we don't have a consensus within the group?" Now, again, I don't spend too much time here at the beginning of a program to teach about consensus building or compromising. I like to put this on the group - what ideas do they have for moving forward? At this point I've done one of two things so far. I've asked those who do not want to try again if it would be okay with them if we could try again to see how it goes. This usually is okay with them. I've also proposed that it is perfectly okay to choose not to try again - those who do not want to try can step out to the side and observe the process and offer feedback during the discussion. This is an example of offering choice. However, I have yet to have any takers on this option. Think about it, what kind of choice is it? Most people will not choose to step away from the "safety" of the group even if they don't want to do what everyone else is doing. They will choose to stay with the group. (Now, if anyone decides to step out before the next round, ask everyone to look at their name card. The player(s) stepping out switch cards with the player(s) who have their card. Then, cards are turned back face down before the shuffle. Also, the perfect circle will include empty spaces left open by those who have stepped out - it works just fine.)

17. Before we begin the process of Name Card Return (and any activity in the future), I ask the group if they are "ready" to start the process again? The Ready Check is meant to "suggest" they can take time to talk about the activity - do some problem solving and planning. I don't tell them at this point what I'm suggesting. I want to see if anyone steps up and says, "No, we're not ready yet." Sometimes players will ask, "Can we talk a little before we start?" The answer is always, "Of course!" (Note: Be prepared for ready check responses from participants that might sound a bit rude - some "reactions" from the group/individuals come across in different ways. All good things to talk about.) In most cases, my group will tell me they are ready to try again without any discussion.

18. Here we start the process again with the Blind Shuffle. I simply repeat the directions again - "Exchange cards with five different people, then stop moving." Sometimes, I also need to remind the group that this shuffle part is not timed - some players tend to jump to this assumption, creating an environment that's not necessary. Another nice discussion topic if the behaviors show up.

19. After movement stops and before time starts I invite them to change cards with someone near them if they happened to peek at the card they are holding. I assure them that, "there is no penalty - it's just part of the challenge not to know what card you are holding." I what my group to know, again, that mistakes will be made from time-to-time. It's our responsibility to learn from them and do something about them if needed. (This is working on the "safe" environment aspect of the program.)

20. Here I start the second attempt of Name Card Return. (Don't forget to start the time once you say, "GO!") I personally follow the same steps from the first attempt - I want to stay consistent with my process. I hold up my card, showing the name on it to the crowd as I call out the name of the person on the card I'm holding. Once I get this card back to the person it belongs to I find a new place to stand on the outskirts of the crowd. Once I'm at my new spot I look for the player with my card - the player looking for me. Once I take back my card I quietly watch the group finish up their card returning and movement into the perfect circle. When movement stops, I stop the timer. Here I (still) quietly wait just a bit to see if anyone recognizes anyone out of order. If movement resumes I start the time again. When everyone believes we are all in the correct place, time is stopped.

21. Again, I ask the, "How did you do?" questions, keeping the process consistent for the group - they begin to know what to expect from me at this point, in this process. Hopefully, we begin to feel a bit more comfortable with each other and more participants share in the discussion. At this point my group realizes I will not "call" on people or expect any particular answers to the questions proposed - there is a degree of safety and freedom to participate. This tends to make people more comfortable and willing to share. After some brief sharing I tell them the second time they achieved.

22. When the group finds out their second time we will discuss their reaction to a better time or their reaction to a slower time. During either of these discussions, I let my group know that we will be experiencing these possible outcomes during the program. Then we might talk a bit more about how we might use these experiences throughout the program - "What can they teach us?" Then again, I ask the group if this is the best they can do? If they agree it's their best, we can recap the process and how it relates to the program ahead. Then move forward into the program.

23. If they choose to go for another attempt, I let them know we have time for one more try. Since we are still just getting started, I don't provide endless attempts - I want them to get into the program. This "last attempt" information tends to motive more problem-solving behaviors. At this stage of the process I change the way I suggest the Ready Check. I say, "Let me know when you are ready to start your final attempt." Putting it this way often leads them into the idea that they have space to talk about the activity. If someone in the group speaks up right away and says, "We ready!" I will actually ask everyone, "So, is everyone ready to begin?" This provides another opening for someone to step up and ask for time to talk.

24. I call out the Blind Shuffle here - reminding the group of the procedure. Again, being consistent, telling them the same information about the shuffle as before. I don't want to introduce the "concept" of change at this point in the program. Change behaviors might be part of the program later on, but this beginning is about an introduction to the program not behavior awareness or working on any of their other objectives. Once the group knows more about the structure of the process it will be easier for them to focus on the specific reasons for their participation in the program. (This is related to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - basic needs met before any complex learning can take place.)

25. After everyone has stopped moving and any final exchanges are made, I do add one more ready check. This opens up one more chance for the group to do any last moment problem solving. Be sure to let them know, they cannot move until "GO!" is called (part of the rules) - some players might consider solving a problem by moving before "GO!" is called. On another note, there have been times, for me, when groups have determined my movement is a "problem" to solve. Some have asked me to tell them where I'm going. Others have asked me to stay right where I'm standing so they know where I am. In either case I honor their request. This brings up a little discussion about another role I can take within the group. There are times when I can be a resource. As noted earlier - there are certain questions I might not answer, but in many cases I can be a resource. Interestingly enough, educators are often overlooked as resources in the learning process (don't get me started). So, when the group is determined and ready, I say, "GO!" and follow my same card return, move and look for my card procedure - unless I was asked to do something different. Once all the movement stops I stop the timer.

26. As before I ask how they did before I share their time. Since it was the final attempt I might spend a little more focused time here on the discussion points. I might also bring up some of the specific goals the group is here to work through and how they will fit into the activities ahead.

27. Before closing I'll do a little review of the program points - reiterating what the group can expect in the time ahead. Before answering any questions they have (the final point), I bring up the concept of challenge by choice, so, moving forward they have this at the forefront of their mind.

28. Finally, I remind the group that, "Questions are free." I make sure to spend some time answering any questions they have - if I can. I have been know to ask participants to, "Hold that thought - I'll be asking you to bring this up again soon." In this situation, I know we'll be covering the answers to certain questions in the near future - I'm waiting for a more "experiential" moment to provide new information.

For me, Name Card Return, as a program introduction, will take a total of 20 minutes! I know, we just went through a lot of reading for 20 minutes of programming. Consider how much activity thinking would be written out for an entire program!

Purposeful programming. This type of thinking is what purposeful programming is all about. Let me know your reactions to this process! Leave comments below.

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Name Card Return: What? & Why? (Part 2 of 3)

1/18/2017

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Last week I posted Part 1 (click or scroll down) of my first What? & Why? format of, what I've decided to call, for now, "activity thinking". In Part 1 I shared What? I do when presenting Name Card Return as a way to introduce a typical team building program to a group. This week in Part 2 I'm sharing the first half of the Why? behind the What? - next week I'll finish the process with the second half of the Why? [Note: I initially intended for this to be a two-part process, but the Why? part turned out to be so long I decided to share it in two pieces - for me it just seems too long for one sitting!]

To (quickly) recap. I'm trying out this format of sharing as a possible training application - providing more on the "purpose" behind my actions. Maybe this structure will catch on? Maybe this structure will help trainers and trainees? Maybe this structure is more work than needed? Maybe...? Help me out. Let me know how it works for you!

In Part 1 I numbered the steps of What? I do with Name Card Return. (Please know, this is one way I present the activity - there are other ways.) As I noted above, I use the steps shared in Part 1 for a particular purpose (in bold text above). Each numbered step below is the Why? (or purpose) of the same number in Part 1 - my reasoning/thinking behind the What? (Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.)

Suggestion: You might want to open the Part 1 post in a separate tab so you can tab back-and-forth between Part 1 and 2 - a faster way to go from number to number.

Why?

1. As participants are starting to gather I can introduce myself quickly and ask them to do something for me - creating an opportunity for them to help me out. This is one way to start building a relationship with my group. Most people are use to making name tags so the task is not new to them - they have prior knowledge. It's a bit different since we are making name "cards" but it's not to much of a stretch. I also provide and example and a simple expectation - "your first name nice and BIG, like the example on the table." As the leader (or educator) of the program I can take a role of "expectation setter" for the group - often associated with leadership (as a group may see me initially). Participants still have a choice, and some exercise the choice, of not making their name nice and BIG. This might come up later when in the problem-solving mode of the activity. If the name was written with smaller letters it's a bit more challenging to see the name on the card when others are looking at/for it. If this happens I can point out that I did share an expectation early on that, as an educator, I thought might help them in the future. Part of my role, I tell them, (as a "teacher" educator) could be to offer up some information that might help during the program. (If you are reacting to me "helping" my group, keep in mind, as I always say, "there's more than one way to peel an orange!")

2. I like circles. As we know, this formation allows for everyone in the group to see everyone else. It's also the best configuration to share your voice - sound waves move around within a circle much better than any other shape. I also remind everyone to have their name card in hand. There will be people in the group who will want to know what to do with the name card when they get done making it.

3. My participants (no matter what age) will want to know what's going on. I use this time to share a VERY brief introduction and logistical information (e.g., where are the restrooms - ease some anxiety of the environment when possible) - no more than 90 seconds. If you dive into educational theory, "short boughts of instruction" are preferred over long boughts. It's all about keeping attention. Before I move on (to Step 4) I note that we will be doing our first activity in a moment, something that will help them understand, even more, what will be happening.

4. When I change the topic to "challenge by choice" (or whatever you use to inform your group about choice), I get another 90 seconds of my group's attention. I use the example of making the name cards as a reference to some choices - I ask my participants to hold up their cards and look around (this engages some physical activity). Even with the expectation of making their first name nice and BIG, they made choices - I look around at the cards they are holding and point out the different choices made (e.g., color of marker, style of lettering, the position of the name on the card, etc.). In my "choice" presentation, I do ask everyone in the group to "stay" with his/her group in some way. "One of my responsibilities," I tell them, "is for me to know where everyone is. If you stay with your group it's easier for me me to focus on the other parts of my job so you can have the best experience as possible. So, thanks for helping me with this." (Again, I asked for their "help" - continuing to build my relationship with most of the group - some might not be engaged by my invitation to help me out. Before moving on I do ask if anyone has any questions up to this point - and, of course, provide the answers I can.

5. Again, I change the topic, letting them know we are going to do our first challenge together. Back to educational theory, I'm providing a brief "anticipatory set" (information) about what's to come. In adventure education we often call this "front loading". I want my group to know that what we're doing next is like what we'll be doing together for the program. Now, I don't say much here, I want to get my group moving by this time. [Note: We're only about five minutes into the program.]

6. In this step I emphasize that there will be times when we have to do some "skill development" before moving into an activity - "we'll need some particular skills to increase our chances of success." "For some of you, the skills might be easy to pick up, for others the skills might not be easy - they might be a challenge to work through. That's part of why we're here - to work through the challenges we'll be facing together." I want my group to know that there will be some unknown ahead and we're here to support each other. Before I move into Step 7, I remind my group of the perfect circle expectation, that they cannot move until I say "perfect circle". This is often forgotten when additional information is provided after directions are given - it's just how the brain works.

7. I've moved to a location in the activity space that allows for the same size circle to be formed (I don't need to add a challenge here of adapting to a smaller space - not the purpose for the activity), THEN I say "perfect circle". Again, I don't say anything else. I stay quiet (maybe look at them a bit with "questioning" body language), so the group has the opportunity to figure out what's next. I want to start transferring the "power" of decision making over to the group. At first, most (if not all) groups will look to the main facilitator (the person who often talks first) to lead the way. In our team building programs, we want the group to lead the way - right? So, again, I want them to start problem solving together. Every time I do this, no matter what age, at least one person will take an initiative to try something.

8. Once the circle is formed (so far, for me, it always gets there), I ask if anyone has questions about forming the Perfect Circle. I ask at this point, and not during Step 6, because I want the questions to come from experience and not speculation, and I want them to get moving. Then I add the new rule to the Perfect Circle. As often as I can, I like to provide directions in increments. When I can first anchor, with some action, one (or two) direction(s) it's easier for the brain to take in new information. Note: I added the, "I can only call perfect circle" after one of my groups decided to "overuse" the term - you know what I'm talking about.

9. Then, another call to action. This second attempt is always better (time and process) than the first. At this point I ask them how they're doing. I let my group know I will be asking this question throughout the program. I want to know how things are going for them. I tell them, "this helps me to know where to take you next - I want to give you good challenges, not overdo it." (You noticed, I asked for their help again - building my relationship with them.) With a little "group" experience under their belt, questions are easier to "see". This is the time where I often tell my group, "Questions are free today. So, ask away. Now, it's not my role to solve 'problems' that come up, that's your job. But, don't be afraid to ask, clarification might lead to solving a problem." With this information I let my group know a little bit more about my role and "officially" let them know it's their job to problem solve - a point I then get to reiterate during the program.

10. One more call to action - usually pretty fast this time. This physical action anchors some of the information we just talked about and opens the brain back up for the new information in Step 11. Some of you might not agree with my choice to congratulate my group. However, I believe "validation" is a good thing - validation is another way to build relationship. I am specific. I say something like, "excellent perfect circle - everyone is where they need to be." Or, I might say, "WOW, that was fast! Good job. As we move forward, this might be important." Again, EdTheory will say specific feedback can be internalized better. Then, I let my group know we have one more thing to learn before we play the game. This adds to the anticipation about what's to come.

11. Here I teach the Blind Shuffle - the first part of Name Card Return. I call it "skill development" because I'm pretty sure everyone is about to do something they've never done before (unless they have been in a team building program with me before). So, "when learning something new we want to be nice to each other and ourselves - this might be very important to remember as we work together today." When I teach the Blind Shuffle I let my group know that "part of the challenge" is not to look at their cards before I say "GO!" I set the expectation and tell them how it fits into the activity. I also let them know that if they "accidentally" look at their card after they stop moving, simply exchange it with someone. This lets my group know (or starts to anyway), that sometimes we'll do something we're asked NOT to do. "It's important to do our best, if we can, but know that mistakes are part of learning. Most mistakes are not done on purpose. The idea here is to recognize our mistakes and do something about it" - in this case, I've given my group the opportunity to fix the mistake - exchange cards with someone near them. Then we can move on - enough said. I also provide some time to clarify the expectation of "stopping" after exchanging with five different people. This is confusing for some people - somethings I give an example. I walk around the group, exchange with five different people (while everyone is watching me) and then stop. (I know this might sound silly, but it happens every time. Some get it. Some don't.) And, I make sure they understand they can continue to exchange cards with others even if they have stopped moving. I tell them they are "helping" others finish up their exchanges. (This information is also difficult for some people to understand - they believe they have to stop everything they are doing).

12. When I see everyone has stopped moving I give them one more opportunity to exchange name cards with someone if they accidentally peeked at the name on their card. Again, my purpose is to start/continue building a safe learning environment. Now, of course some people will not "admit" they peeked because of prior "shamed" experiences. If anyone does make an exchange I'm sure to thank them for doing so. I don't make a big deal out of it (like, "thanks for having integrity" - this qualification takes you down another relationship path), I simply say, "Thank you."

13. In this Step I've shared the directions to Name Card Exchange. This activity is what I consider to be an introductory challenge. It has only two parts (or, you might say, rules) - return the card to the person it belongs to and form a perfect circle in relation to where I'm standing. I also tell my group that the process will be evaluated by time. I then share that during the program there may be this or other types of evaluation processes. Here I open the floor to questions about the expectations. At this time I don't bring up anything more about "evaluation" unless they do. And if they do, I'll ask them, "at this time, please hold that thought. I would love to bring this up again in a little bit." In most cases we can forego this conversation. If needed, open up talks. So, once the group understands they will be timed, as you can imagine, the energy begins to change. There's something on the line. For some it's exciting, for others, not so much. (All good things that can come up during the program.) Here again I'll say, "Questions are free. does anyone need help understanding what's about to happen?" It's also good to note here that I don't ask the group if they want some time to talk amongst themselves before this first attempt. I want to give them an experience, get them moving, give them something to talk about. When it seems like the time...

14. Once I say "GO!", I first start the time - DON"T FORGET THIS PART! (You know why!) I usually don't know many of the names of my group members yet so I use, what I consider to be, a helpful behavior. I start calling out the name of the person on my card. By doing this, maybe I'm role modeling a positive behavior and maybe I'm continuing to build my relationship with the group - now, that is if anyone notices. (Here's the counter point. What do they notice if I'm standing off to the side? I like to "play" at first and then slowly step back.) As soon as I can hand off the name card I have I move to a place outside the clump of players who have, more often than not, mobbed together in the center area of the original circle. At some point between handing off the card I had and stopping the time, someone has found me and returned my name card. Since I am part of the solution I choose to move to my Perfect Circle spot instead of looking for my name card. I don't say anything during the "return" and "circle up" action. I just wait for movement to stop - then I stop the time. (Sometimes movement might start up again when players realize something is not right. I simply restart my stopwatch and stop it again when movement stops.

Let's stop here. What did you take notice of? What jumped out at you? What did you agree with and what didn't you agree with? Do you have the Why? for your agreement and disagreement? What would you keep and what would you change about the process? Why?

Next week we'll finish up. See you then.

Keep me posted.

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Name Card Return: What? & Why? (Part 1 of 3)

1/11/2017

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Recently I posted about the activity Name Card Scramble. I mentioned that this Card Scramble is a variation of Name Cards - a simple introductory activity written up in my latest book Portable Teambuilding Activities. Recently, I've been using Name Cards in a more (different) purposeful way and I wanted to share the new details with you.

I also want to try something new. (Let me know what you think - maybe this What? & Why? format will be another category at my blog if it's useful to you.) In this "Part 1" post I want to tell you "What" I do with Name Card Return (or, in the future, a particular activity) and then, in "Parts 2 & 3" tell you "Why" I do what I did.

On one hand it's another way for me to document my thoughts. On the other hand, I'm thinking, maybe those of you who train team building facilitators could use this format as a training exercise. First share the What? (Not revealing the Why? right away.) Have a discussion on the What? with the trainees about "Why?" they think the activity is set up the way it is, and "What?" purposeful reasons they might have for leading this activity in this way. Then reveal the Why? from my (one professionals) particular perspective (as we know there's more than one way to peel an orange - I'm a vegetarian). Let's give it a try. (Buckle up, this one's a bit long - but, I hope, worth the ride.)

What?

Everyone is asked to make a name cards - "Only first names, nice big letters.". Supplies are on a table (I use 4 inch by 6 inch "unruled index cards and poster markers) off to the side. My name card, "CHRIS", is on the table with the supplies as an example of the expectations.
As participants are finishing up their cards, I ask them to circle up in the nice open area we have for the program with their name card in hand.
I welcome the group to the circle, and the program, and share my overview of what will be takling place - working together to tackle challenges in order to find out what we do well togther and what we might want to change about how we work together.
I give the group my rendition of "challenge by choice" asking them to be a part of each task in some way - the bottom line being, to stay with the/your group and provide support and help during each task if they are willing.
I tell my group, "as an example of what we'll be doing today, let's use the name cards you made. I'm calling this first activity the Name Card Return."
I continue with, "Part of the activity will involve The Perfect Circle. We are already standing in the perfect circle - this is awesome. So look to your left and right - make sure you know the names of these two people. Whenever I call out 'Pefect Circle' please get into this circle standing next to the same two people to your left and right. Let's do some skill development - let's practice. Remember, the main rule is 'when I call out perfect circle' THEN you move into the circle."
At this point I move to another location in the activity area and then call out, "Perfect Circle!" I don't say anything else. It often takes a few seconds for some of the participants to catch on and start moving and helping others get into the perfect circle.
After this first practice I ask if there are any questions about forming the perfect cirlce. I also tell them at this point there is another rule to the perfect circle. "I will be the only person that can call a perfect circle - it could happen any time during the program."
I then move to another place in the activity area and call out, "Perfect Circle!" After we've circled up again, I ask how everyone is doing. Do they have any questions about getting into our perfect circle?
I move to a new location one more time and call, "Perfect Circle!" After this third time I congratulate their good work and tell them we are ready to learn one more thing before we play Name Card Return.
"During this next skill development part" I tell the group, "is to learn the Blind Shuffle". I continue. "Hold your name card in front of you with the written name on the card facing down towards the floor/ground. This is the 'blind' part of the shuffle - please keep your eyes open. Part of the challenge during Name Card Return is not to know the name on any card you have until we start the Return. When I say "shuffle" you can move around the area and exchange name cards with five different people - then stop moving around. You are allowed to exchange cards more than five times if someone is still working on his or her five exchanges, but you are required to stop moving around after you have exchanged cards with five people. Once everyone has stopped moving I will give you the direcitons to the Name Card Return. If you 'accidentally' look at the name on your card after you have stopped moving please exchange this card with someone near you so you don't know the name on the card you are holding. Are there any questions?"
When everyone in the group has stopped moving I quickly check in with them. "Okay, before I tell you how to play Name Card Return, if you 'accidentally' saw the name on the card you are holding please exchange your card with someone near you. It's okay if you peeked, it happens. Go ahead and exchange cards now with someone if you need to."
At this point I share the directions for Name Card Return. "This activity will be evaluated by time. During our program we might have some other activities evaluated by time, others might be evaluated by 'completion' - will you be able to complete the task in a certain amount of time. Other activities might be evaluated by a score - how many 'things' can you get in a certain amount of time. And, there are some activities that we might not need to evaluate at all - we'll just have some fun with them. So, here's how Name Card Return is played. When I say 'GO' I will start the time and you can then look at the name on the card you are holding. As some of you might have already suspected, the challenge is to get each card back to the person it belongs to. In addition to that, you then have to get into a perfect circle in relation to where I am standing - I'm not going to say the words, 'perfect circle' during the activity, simply take it in stride that it's part of the activity. When we all have our name cards back in our hands and we're in a perfect circle I will stop the time." After sharing the directions, I spend a little time answering questions before starting the first round.
When the group is ready I say "GO". I do my best to get the card I have to the person it belongs to as quickly as I can and then I move to a place outside the clump of players exchanging cards. At some point my card is returned to me and then I wait until everyone is standing in our perfect circle. I then stop the time.
Then I ask, "How did you do? Were you fast? Slow? Were you successful?" After some light discussion I let the group know that during the program I will be taking some time to open up space for us to talk about the experiences we're having. "These spaces might be before an activity, during an activity, or after. It will depend on what you need and what I think might be helpful to you at any time." I continue, "So, my responsibility to you is to provide you with activities that will challenge you and ask you questions about your experience to see what we're learning about each other and even about ourselves."
Once the short discussions are over I share the time the group achieved for the first round. Then I ask, "What do you think? Is this the best time this group can record?" Usually they are ready to try again to improve their time.
If they are up for another try, I'll say, "Are you ready for the blind shuffle to start round two?" If anyone says "NO" - I provide the time they need to talk. In most cases, in the beginning two rounds, most groups say they are "ready" to try again.
I tell the group to "Blind Shuffle - exchange cards with five different people and then stop moving." I add, "Remember, it's okay to exchange cards with more than five people, just be sure to stop moving after you've exchanged with five different people.
After all movement stops I ask if anyone "peeked" at the name they have - if so, "please exchange cards with someone near you."
Then I say, "GO" and start the time. I quickly find the person named on my card and then move to a new place in the area. While watching everyone I look around for the person who is looking for me - I get my card back. When everyone has stopped moving I stop the time.
I ask the same questions as before, "How did you do? Were you faster? Slower? Were you successful? I let these questions be answered for a while - not too long though. Then I share their second round time.
After any comments from reacting to their time, I ask them if they have done their best with this activity. Some groups do decide they have done their best and they want to move on. Most groups believe they can do better (especially if their second time is slower then their first time).
If they want to try again I tell them we have time for one more attempt. I then ask them to tell me when they are ready to begin their final round.
When they are ready I ask them to "blind shuffle - stop moving after five exchanges." After movement stops I ask again, "If you accidentally peeked, please exchange cards with someone near you."
When ready I say, "GO" - I return the card I have, move to another spot (unless otherwise instructed to do something different), accept my card from someone else and then stop the time when everyone is standing in the perfect circle.
"So, how did you do? Was it faster? Slower? Were you successful?" I will spend a little more time with the discussion after this last round, maybe even asking some other questions specifically related to the group's program objectives.
To close, I say to my group, "So, this was an example of the process we'll be going through. I'll present you with a challenge. It might be evaluated in some way, it might not be. You might have multiple tries at a challenge, you might only get one try. We also might have some brief discussions about what's going on. We might talk a little before a challenge begins, we might talk a little during the challenge, and we might talk a little after the challenge. The discussions are times for you to consider what we are learning about each other and ourselves as we work together. You will never be required to share during the discussion, you are always free to choose how you want to engage at these times."
Finally, I tell and then ask the group, "Just so you know, during our time together, questions are free. So, before we move on do you have any questions for me at this time?

Okay, we made it through our first "What?" process. Over the next two weeks I'm going to share the "Why?" behind what I did/do with Name Card Return.

Please share any thoughts you have in the comments below - I'd love to hear from you.

All the best,

Chris Cavert, Ed.D.

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Name Card Return: What? & Why? (Part 2 of 3)

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Name Card Return: What? & Why? (Part 1 of 3)

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