1. Draw a cat head and a refrigerator on the flip chart or whiteboard. Give everyone paper and pens or pencils.

2. Tell the participants they each have 30 seconds to come up with a list of ways that a cat and a refrigerator are similar. State that they cannot speak to each other as they make their lists.

3. At the end of the 30 seconds, divide the group into teams of three to five individuals.

4. Tell them they now have 1 minute to collaborate as a team on the lists they just created.

5. After 1 minute, ask teams to report out on some of their ideas. (If using prizes, award them to the team with the longest list.)

6. Debrief the activity by asking:

• What did you learn from this activity?
• How can it make a difference in your typical work life?
• How does what you learned make a difference in your expectations of your team?
• What will you implement back on the job as a result of using this activity?

1. Divide the group into separate teams of six to ten participants each. Team members can be assigned at random or you may assign individuals to a particular group.

2. Tell the participants that their task is to identify as many state capitals as possible within 20 minutes. Give one Individual Answer Sheet to each person and one Group Answer Sheet to each team.

3. Advise the participants that they may not use any electronic handheld devices to find the answers. Remind the team members that this is a competitive activity and that they should speak softly to avoid their answers being shared with nearby teams.

4. Tell the participants that they have a choice to work individually or as a group.

5. Once the team has decided on a strategy, observe the actions of each team. Note the strategies and actions taken by each group.

6. Keep the teams informed of the remaining time (5 minutes remaining, 2 minutes remaining, and so forth) so they may alter their strategy as needed.

7. At the expiration of the designated time, ask the participants to stop writing and turn over their Answer Sheets.

8. Bring the group back together and debrief what happened, using the following questions:

• Did your team develop a strategy? Why did your team decide on that strategy?
• How successful was your team in meeting the objective?
• Describe the process of working with others to achieve the goal. What skills sets were required to work through this activity?
• What factors determined success for your team?
• Did a “leader” or “leaders” emerge within your team?
• Did everyone have the opportunity to be heard?
• Did all members participate? Did anyone feel left out or refuse to participate?
• Did anyone notice others’ body language throughout the activity? What did you notice?
• In retrospect, would you have used the same method or strategy again?
• How can you transfer what you experienced today to your workplace team?

9. You may wish to note the reactions of the team members before, during, and after the activity and share your observations and comments with the larger group, using specific names with care.

1. Ask participants to form subgroups of five to seven people. If you have a team of fewer than ten, you may wish to keep them all in one group. Give each group a flip chart and markers.

2. Tell the participants that their subgroups will have 7 to 10 minutes to respond to the following questions (post them on a flip chart if you wish):

• What is your team trying to accomplish, to what purpose, and for what results?
• Does your team have the resources and ability to accomplish your purpose and results?

3. Start the timed period.

4. Once time is up, ask the groups to report out on the two questions. Facilitate the discussion, but don’t necessarily come to any conclusions. Allow no more than 10 minutes.

5. Tell participants that next they are to describe and draw their ideal teams on the flip charts. Explain that the time limit is 20 minutes and that the use of pictures, words, or metaphors is permitted—or anything else they wish to use. Remind them to include what makes their team ideal given what they must accomplish. Tell them to think about this from their own perspective as well as the perspectives of their managers, organization, and customers.

6. At the end of 20 minutes, ask the participants to post their completed pictures on the wall or the flip-chart easel where everyone can see them. Ask each team to take no more than 5 minutes to present their ideal team to the other subgroups. Applaud each team after its presentation.

7. Ask them to identify the similarities and the differences between lists. Ask how these ideal team descriptors express characteristics of a team. Makes sure you allow discussion.

8. Instruct participants to go back to their small groups. Hand out the Picture Your Ideal Team Development Plan worksheets. Ask participants to review the pictures and consider the similarities to identify seven characteristics that make their team ideal. Allow about 10 minutes for this and then have them write the seven characteristics on their flip charts.

9. Bring all the participants together as a large group and use the posted flip-chart pages to look for similarities among all the groups. Based on the discussion, ask the participants to reach consensus on the six, seven, or eight characteristics that best describe the entire team.

10. Once the final list of characteristics of this ideal team is agreed on and recorded, ask the participants to return to their small groups to work on the second part of the handout, Development Opportunities for Our Entire Team. Ask the groups to identify and list the steps needed to move their team even closer to their ideal.

11. Allow about 10 minutes for this part of the activity and then ask the participants to gather as a group again.

12. In the large group, solicit comments and questions about the development opportunities. Agree on at least five things the team can do.

13. Ask, “How and when will you check progress?” Ensure that they select a review date prior to leaving the discussion.

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1. Ask all participants to stand and find partners. If you have an odd number of participants you may partner with one of the participants to begin the activity. If there are tables and chairs, ask participants to push their chairs in and move anything else that is on the floor to minimize tripping hazards.

2. Ask pairs to face one another, extend their arms, and place their hands palms to palms. Tell them that this position is called “home base” for this activity.

3. To make sure they understand the concept, tell the pairs to stand back-to-back. Say, “Home base.” They should all turn to face their partners, extend their arms, and place their hands palm to palm.

4. Tell them that whenever you say “people to people,” they need to change partners. Encourage them to avoid using the same person for consecutive commands if possible.

5. Tell them that you will give commands of various kinds in addition to the “home base” and “people to people” commands. State that when you give the commands they should follow them as much as possible and do so while being respectful and courteous.

6. Begin the activity by giving the first commands. Say: “Right foot to right foot, left knee to left knee, back to back, right elbow to right elbow, and people to people.” Watch the flurry as people work to find new partners and not be left alone.

7. Begin a second set of commands by saying; “Back to back, right index finger to right index finger, left hip to left hip, home base, and people to people.”

8. After this series of commands, announce that there will be a change. Note: If you began the activity with an odd number of participants, stop playing the facilitator. If you had an even number of participants at the beginning, you will still play the facilitator at this point. The goal of this part of the activity is to force a situation in which one participant will be left stranded without a partner. Inform the participants that the person who is left stranded after the next set of commands will be the new leader and that he or she will give the commands.

9. Begin a new set of commands. Say: “Left hand to left hand, back to back, and people to people.” Tell the person who is isolated that she or he is now the leader and must give the commands. Remind the new leader that she or he can give the command “people to people” whenever she or he chooses and until that point she or he will continue to be the leader.

10. Ask the new leader to provide the new set of commands.

11. After three or four people have become the leader following this process, stop the activity.

12. Debrief using questions such as:

• What did you notice when someone said “people to people”? What does this tell us about how people view teamwork? (People need each other; don’t want to be ostracized or separated from the group; are generally happy for each other’s success and appreciate the shared leadership; have enthusiasm and passion for one another and the team.)
• People seemed frantic to find partners and avoid a leadership position. What do you think is the reason for this? (Some don’t want to be the center of attention, some prefer to follow, some are unsure of what is expected, some take too much control.)
• What lessons can we apply from this activity to our own teams? (Be committed to one another’s success, be there for each other, be inclusive, look for what’s right, help each other be successful, don’t be afraid to take the lead when your expertise is needed.)

1. Tell the participants the activity is a team challenge.

2. Ask the participants to form two lines facing directly across from each other. Ask them to bend their arms at a 90-degree angle so that their elbows are at their sides and their fingers are pointing at the person across from them. The participants’ fingers should alternate in the line so that every other finger belongs to a different person.

3. Place the PVC pipe on the participants’ fingers down the line and rest your hand on one end of the stick while you explain the directions. Tell them that the objective is to lower the stick evenly to the ground as a team. If it rises up they must start over. The rule is that they must all be touching the stick and lower it as a team.

4. Remove your hand from the stick and say, “Go.” Allow the participants to try several times. Ensure that they have time for making suggestions and solving problems.

5. Once you sense frustration, stop the action and have them return to their seats. Debrief using these questions:

• What was your initial reaction to the problems you experienced?
• How well did the team cope with this challenge?
• What skills did it take to be successful as a team?
• What creative solutions were suggested? How were they received?
• What would an outside observer have seen as the strengths and weaknesses of the team?
• What roles did people play?
• What did each of you learn about yourself as a team member?
• Who emerged as a leader? Did leadership change? Why?
• When did the group begin to act as a team? What were the signs?
• What situations at work are like this activity?
• What can you do about them when you go back to the workplace?

1. Begin the session by writing the word “Think-ING” on the flip chart.

2. Ask the group, “What’s the difference between the words ‘think’ and ‘thinking’?” Focus on the idea of continuous processing when using a verb ending with “ing.”

3. Collect participants’ ideas of processes at this company/organization that need fixing; encourage “ing” word responses. Facilitate group discussion.

4. Ask a volunteer team member to be in charge of recording more intense discussion on the flip chart; guide participant interaction around ideas such as managing time, solving problems, using resources, or making decisions. Encourage participants to take notes and make their own lists.

1. Introduce the activity saying that they will explore many of the same issues that their teams face in the workplace. Divide the participants into teams of six to eight people.

2. Tell teams that their job is to build a bridge that spans the table and that it must be at least 1 foot above the surface of the table. In addition, the bridge must be strong enough to support the weight of a lightweight ball rolling across it. Put the materials on the tables.

3. Tell the participants that they have 10 minutes to plan their construction and 10 minutes to build their bridges, for a total of 20 minutes. During the planning time they may not touch the materials. Begin the planning phase timing.

4. After the 10-minute planning process, tell the teams they will have 10 minutes to build the bridge based on the plans they discussed.

5. Give the signal to start the building phase.

6. After 2 minutes, halt progress and move one participant from each team to a new team.

7. Begin a timing countdown again, calling out the amount of time left every 2 or 3 minutes.

8. Call time after a total of 10 minutes and begin the bridge test phase.

9. Test each team’s bridge construction by rolling your ball across each one. Encourage support from everyone by applauding each bridge.

10. Debrief using questions such as:

• How did you feel when I moved team members to a different team?
• How did the interjection of a new team member affect production of your bridge?
• How did group members respond to the new team members? Were they welcomed?
• Team members, how did you feel being moving to a different team?
• What did the teams do to bring the new members up to speed and to encourage them to participate?
• How many teams asked the new team member for ideas? Did anyone recognize that they were building a bridge in a previous team and brought skills with them?
• How does this project compare to your work?
  • Limited resources?
  • Unclear directives?
  • New team members?
  • Loss of team members?
  • Time pressure?
• How can you apply what we have learned back on the job?

1. Introduce the activity by saying, “We are all members of many different teams. This activity explores the dynamics that contribute to the creation of a great team.” Note: If this activity occurs in the middle of a longer workshop, ask participants to clear off their tables.

2. Set up the activity and explain that the teams will be completing a project for a client with the potential of a great monetary reward. Explain the setup by saying, “A large client has invited us to design their new headquarters building. Each team will create a model of a building design. The specifications are that you can only use the materials at your workspace, the completed model must be at least 20 inches tall, and you must be able to move the model to the display table for judging. The winning model will be judged on two aspects: strength, as evidenced by being able to make it to the display table in one piece, and beauty and creativity, as judged by me. Each person on the winning team will win a hundred grand.”

3. Pass out the construction plates, one per table group.

4. Tell the teams they have 25 minutes to complete their building design. State that they may create a team name with the markers and Post-its to enhance team camaraderie if they wish and they may borrow the tape measure from you if they need to check height. In addition, they may ask for additional spaghetti and marshmallows.

5. Tell them to begin and start the timing. Provide 10-minute, 5-minute, and 1-minute warnings.

6. Call time and ask the teams to bring their models to the display table.

7. Judge the best models by measuring the final product and awarding points for beauty and creativity, such as colorful marshmallows, Post-it flags, or other designs you see. Give the winning team 100 Grand candy bars or find other ways to reward all the teams’ designs by giving prizes for categories such as, “worked the hardest,” “the most original,” or “the team that had the most fun.”

8. Ask everyone to sit with their teams. Debrief the activity using some of these questions.

1. Divide the group into teams of three to five participants.

2. Give each team forty to fifty plastic straws. Each team should have exactly the same number of straws.

3. Tell the participants that their task is to build the tallest free-standing tower that they can in 15 minutes. Tell them that “free-standing” means that the tower does not have to be supported by leaning against a table or any other object.

4. Explain that they are allowed to use only the plastic straws to construct the tower. They can manipulate the straws in any fashion, but must not use a scissors, tape, glue, or other tool. State that the team with the tallest free-standing tower will be declared the winner.

5. Start the activity. After 15 minutes, call time and measure the tallest free-standing tower. The team with the tallest free-standing tower wins.

6. Debrief the exercise. This is the key in the learning. Use questions such as these:

• How do you feel about your tower?
• Why didn’t you build a tower as tall as you wanted to build it?
• How much time did you spend planning? How did this affect your results?
• What did you do that helped contribute to your success?
• What did you learn about yourself?
• What could you do to improve your contribution next time?
• How solid is the foundation for your tower?
• What do you think are the key lessons for your team?
• What could your team do better next time?
• In what situations will you be able to use what you learned today?

6. Summarize by stating that the key learning is that, without a firm foundation and supplemental support, you cannot have a successful structure. The same is true with a career, a successful team, or a successful leader (depending upon your topic). The second key learning is recognizing the importance of planning first. Most teams dive right in and begin to build without any planning.

1. Introduce this activity by stating that building trust is important in a team and that communication is an important element of building trust. Explain that this activity provides an opportunity to discuss both of these topics.

2. Create teams of four to six participants and ask for two volunteers from each team who are willing to be blindfolded. Ask these volunteers to leave the room for a few minutes.

3. Once the volunteers have left the room, give two blindfolds to the remaining members of each team. Explain that when the volunteer team members return they will first be blindfolded (ask some to assist the volunteers in this task). Explain that once all the volunteers are blindfolded you will place one Hula Hoop on the floor for each team. Ask for volunteers or assign someone on each team as the object spotter.

4. Now explain that the task is to move the two volunteers from each team into the center of the Hula Hoop without telling them there is a Hula Hoop on the ground. The team members providing direction cannot touch or allow the blindfolded team members to hold onto to them as a way to guide them to the Hula Hoop. Remind the participants that they may not say the words “Hula Hoop” out loud. Instead, the team members may only use the following words when giving instructions to their blindfolded teammates: Left, Right, Turn, Up, Down, and Stop. Also remind them that they may not touch the Hula Hoop. However, note that the two blindfolded teammates may touch each other during the activity.

5. Finally, explain to the participants that once they get the blindfolded teammates to the Hula Hoop and in the center, they must have them stand in the center back-to-back. Once the two people are in the back-to-back position, the team may use additional words to guide them; however they still may not say the words “Hula Hoop.” Despite this prohibition, the team must instruct the blindfolded members to lift the Hula Hoop at their feet without bending over. When the volunteers have completed this task, the activity is complete. Safety Note: Non-blindfolded teammates must serve as safety monitors to prevent blindfolded team members from tripping or walking into objects. They can use the word STOP!

6. After all instructions are given and clarified if necessary, retrieve the volunteers who have been waiting outside. Ask them to return to their teams to begin the activity. When all the volunteers are blindfolded, tell them that their team members will ask them to move to a specific spot to pick up an item, but that they must accomplish this task by following the directions of Left, Right, Turn, Up, Down, and Stop.

7. Assure all volunteers that their safety is the top priority and if they hear the word “STOP” to freeze all movement.

8. Begin the activity after you have the attention of the spotters and placed the Hula Hoops on the floor about 10 feet away from each team. Assign each Hula Hoop by pointing to the team and the Hula Hoop.

9. When all the Hula Hoops are in place, tell the participants to begin the activity by calling out instructions to their blindfolded members. Remind them one more time to be safe.

10. When both blindfolded teammates from all teams are standing in the Hula Hoop with the Hula Hoop in their hands, cheer and applaud the success. Invite the volunteers to remove their blindfolds.

11. Discuss what was learned and experienced. Suggested debriefing questions include:

• If you had your eyes open during the activity, what were you thinking?
• If you had your eyes blindfolded, what were you thinking as your team was giving instructions? (Relate their response to learning a new job, following a new leader, or working on a new team.)
• What were the challenges of giving instructions? (Relate responses to working with new supervisors, policies, or top-down directions or leadership/team styles.)
• How much trust was required to be successful?
• What is the relationship between trust and leadership?
• How do you build trust? How do leaders build trust?
• How do some of the aspects of this activity relate to your job?
• How can you apply the lessons learning to the workplace?

12. Give another round of applause to the volunteers and give them prizes for helping to make the learning a rich experience.

1. Before the activity, arrange the rope in a straight line on the floor.

2. Invite participants to line up on one side of the rope. Then give each participant a blindfold, and instruct them to put on their blindfolds. Once everyone is blindfolded, instruct them to carefully bend down and pick up the rope.

3. Explain that their goal, as teammates connected to each other by the rope, is to form a square shape. Remind them that the first step for a team to achieve a goal is to agree on and envision the final result, and, “Since everyone can picture a square, this should be easy!” Of course, working without the benefit of eyesight adds to the challenge. Say, “When you have consensus as a team that you have, in fact, formed a square shape, then very carefully bend over, place the rope on the floor, and remove your blindfolds to see how square your shape actually is.” Allow about 10 to 15 minutes for them to complete the activity.

4. As the group is working, refrain from making any comments or giving hints. Take care to ensure participants’ safety; be sure people aren’t running into objects. Once the group has finished the activity, lead them in applause for a job well done.

5. Ask them to take their seats again, and debrief the activity. Give each person a copy of the Debriefing Questions and a pen or pencil. Suggest that the group individually think about what happened during the activity and jot down a few notes in response to the questions. Allow about 5 minutes, and then lead a group discussion using the questions to guide discussion.

• What happened and why?
• How was this activity like “real life” as you try to achieve a goal with the people you work with?
• What helped you succeed?
• What did you or others do that got in the way of success?
• What are some of the “ahas!” you experienced from this activity?
• Based on your insights from participating in this activity, what do you want to take back to the workplace?
• What do you want to start doing, stop doing, or continue doing?

1. Stack the wooden planks in a pile at the starting line for each team. There should be one plank for each team member. Divide the participants equally into two to four teams, depending on how many participants you have.

2. Explain that the objective is to successfully cross the finish line as a team, without committing any fouls or losing any team members.

3. Explain the activity rules and then answer any questions:

• This is a timed event. Teams will have 45 minutes to complete the activity: 5 minutes to strategize, and 40 minutes to execute their plans. To be successful, all team members must cross the finish line within the 40-minute time limit.
• Individuals must work as a team to cross the finish line using their “resource” (wood) to traverse the open area. Tell team members, “The plank of wood represents your ‘resource.’ You must always protect your ‘resource.’ Otherwise you may lose it.”
• Once past the start line, individuals cannot step off their planks until they cross over the finish line. If a person steps off or falls off a plank and his or her foot touches the ground, that person has fouled, and the person (along with that plank) returns to the start line.
• Safety is paramount. Feet stay on the plank. No climbing or “piggybacking” allowed. Tell them that unsafe behavior can lead to participants being disqualified.
• You will be judge, determine fouls, and call disqualifications as necessary. Tell them that you might also interject obstacles that will ensure that this activity more accurately represents what happens at work.

4. Ask the teams to distribute planks of wood, one for each team member.

5. Announced that you are starting your stop watch for their strategy sessions.

6. Allow teams 5 minutes to strategize. Call time when appropriate.

7. State that the participants may now begin to traverse the course. Start your stop watch again.

8. Allow 40 minutes for completion of task. Call time when appropriate.

9. Conduct a large-group debriefing using questions such as these:

• What did you think of the activity?
• Did your team have a strategy? If so, what type of strategy was planned? If not, why not?
• Did the strategy work? If so, why? If not, why not?
• How did you differentiate between creative and critical thinking?
• How are both creative and critical thinking important to problem solving?
• What observations did you make during the strategizing session?
• What observations did you make during the execution of the activity?
• How was this activity similar to completing a project on the job?
• What aspects helped to build your team?
• What was most significant in achieving your results?
• What could you have done differently to strengthen your team?
• What did you learn from participating in the activity that you will take back to work with you?