| Game |  Opener |
 Team-building |
| Categories: | Energizer |
Review |
| Communication |
Topical |
Purpose: To challenge participants to think creatively and work smarter.
Time Required: 10 minutes.
Size of Group: Unlimited.
Materials Required: A paddle with a ball attached to it by an elastic string.
The Exercise in Action: Toys are a staple in most training rooms. Pam Wooldridge enlists the help of a toy easily found in most stores: a paddle with a ball attached to it by an elastic string.
At the end of a day or an individual learning unit, she asks for a volunteer to review a set of points made in class while keeping the ball in motion (those are her exact instructions). Most try to bounce the ball against the paddle, but soon realize that Wooldridge’s only stipulation was to keep the ball moving. Soon, she says, participants are swinging the ball until it is wrapped around the paddle or making it sway back and forth like a pendulum.
After the review, Wooldridge, a training specialist for Strouds, City of Industry, CA, makes the point that the exercise shows that people often try to make a task more difficult than it needs to be, and that by thinking creatively, they can come up with better ways of doing things.
Note: The exercise can also be used as a session opener or energizer, with participants instructed to keep the ball in motion while they introduce themselves. Again, the exercise ultimately teaches them to work smarter.