RE Help! Need team building exercises!

[Sharon_Almerigi]

I have been asked to develop some team building exercises for a retreat that are active, can be done outdoors and are non-competitive. I would greatly appreciate any ideas that you have.
Best wishes,
Sharon Almerigi

[Penny_Walker]

Hi Sharon

What a great thing to be asked to include. I'm a bit nervous of outdoor / active team things - I have the impression you need to have special training and experience to use them well, and that my own experience is a bit light in this regard. (This could, of course, be a limiting assumption of my own!).

However, there is one quick, unthreatening, low-risk and yet active and definitely team-related, non-competitive and yet with the possibility of (mild) failure to give it an edge. I love this activity I use it a lot. It's the birthday line-up.

I set it up like this:

"Without speaking, without writing anything down, and without showing anyone your drivers license or similar document, I'd like you to line up in order of your birthday.

I don't mean how old you are. I mean, if we were starting on New Year's Day, and go on through the year, what order would we celebrate your birthdays in."

At this stage there are often spoken questions, and I repeat my instruction that they should not talk until I next ask them to.

I go on with the set-up:

"When you are satisfied that you have done this, someone needs to let me know that you are, and which end of the line I should begin."

They shuffle around for a bit, and depending on the size of the group this can take a minute to 5 minutes or a bit longer.

Then I see which end of the line I've been told to begin, and I ask each person in turn to say their birthday. In most groups, at some point there's a mistake - someone realises they are in the wrong place. Perhaps they're in the right month, but they have got the days in the wrong order. Give them a chance to rearrange - again without talking etc.

When they are ready to be checked again, start again at the beginning of the line. Sooner or later, the line will be perfect and then they can give themselves a round of applause.

In most groups, there's someone whose birthday has just happened or is coming up soon enough that you can wish them a happy birthday. Sometimes you even discover its someone's birthday today! In some groups, people discover that they share the same birthday.

The real learning, of course, comes with the debrief, which I prompt with a very simple question:

"What did you do, that helped you to succeed?"

Any number of insightful answers emerge, all of which are positive prompts about what helps any team to succeed in a shared goal.

Have fun!

Penny

----------------------------
http://penny-walker.co.uk
----------------------------

[Julie_Biddle]

There are a few that work just as well outdoors as in. My favourite is the "helium stick" (or even better a hula hoop).

Form groups and ask the group to stand with their index fingers on both hands out at about waist height so they are pointing towards the other participants (so, in a circle they are pointing in, in a line they have two lines facing each other with all their fingers side by side).

Lay the stick or hoop on their fingers and ask them to make sure everyone's finger is touching the hoop.

Their task is to lower the stick or hoop to the ground, making sure that everyone's fingers stay in contact with it at all times.

Of course they will discover that it goes up at first! It can take about 20 to 30 minutes for them to discover a way to work together and make it happen, and some groups may take longer. You could have faster groups coach slower ones if youw want. Natural leaders may emerge, cooperation and collaboration should show up, if you get a drill sergeant or bullly you will need to intervene.

Debrief by asking them what worked and what didn't - different groups will come up with different strategies and methods and any thing that accomplished the results is celebrated.

Cheers!

[Jan_Lelie]

1. An interesting exercise is also trying to count from 1 to the number of people in the circle: everybody is allowed to mention one number but when two people speak at the same time, you have to start over again.

And this one works also great, Marc van Seters introduced me to it:
2. The seven stances of King Butu

Stand in a circle.
"King Butu knows seven ways to make contact with the world. I'll first show them to you, then we'll do them together twice or three times and then we'll reflect."
Then you show the 7 positions, take your time, no hurry:
"Sometimes you can make yourself bigger" (Stretch out)
"Sometimes you can make yourself smaller" (Shrink)
"Sometimes you start by looking inwards" (Hands on your belly, bow head and close eyes)
"Sometimes you step into the world" (Step forward, open arms and say 'Ta da')
"Sometimes you take a step back" ( Step back, bring your hand to your chin and look around)
"Sometimes you start with greeting your neighbours" (look to your left neighbour, acknowledge him or her with a head bow. Same on the other side)
"Sometimes you take a neutral, open position" (Raise on your toes and slowly lower yourself in a straight position back on your feet. )

After showing them, do the positions tow or three times togehter. Then ask participants: "what felt like a natural position for you, what is your habit?" "What felt the most difficult position?" "What position would you like to learn better?" During the day(s) you can use this input.

[ulla_wyckoff]

Eventualy I found the team building exercises in the thread, thanks.