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

7/18/2019

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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. 
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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."
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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?"
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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." 
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​9. At this point I ask if there are any questions about the challenge or directions. 
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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!!
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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."
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​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. 
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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. 
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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? 
  1. 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. 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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?"  
  4. 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."
  5. 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?"
  6. 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. 
  7. 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. 
  8. 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." 
  9. 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. 
  10. 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." 
  11. 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."
  12. "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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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. 
  15. 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. 
  16. 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.
  17. 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."
  18. 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. 
  19. 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. 
  20. 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.
  21. 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.  
  22. 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. 
  23. 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."
  24. 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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    Dr. Chris Cavert is an internationally known author, speaker, and trainer in the area of adventure-based activity programming and its relation to community and pro-social behavior development.

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