Team Building Activity-Frenzy-Silo Busters!
Increase Team Cooperation for Increased Profits and Decreased Spending
Type: An initiative that highlights the value of cooperation rather than competition.
Group Size: From 8 - 50.
Space Required: a large, relatively flat open space at least 30 feet square. Works indoors or out.
Time Required: 20 - 45 minutes.
Props Required: 5 Hula Hoops or 5 Rope Rings and 60-70 tennis balls or 60 to 70 one inch cut pieces of pool noodles
Group Size: From 8 - 50.
Space Required: a large, relatively flat open space at least 30 feet square. Works indoors or out.
Time Required: 20 - 45 minutes.
Props Required: 5 Hula Hoops or 5 Rope Rings and 60-70 tennis balls or 60 to 70 one inch cut pieces of pool noodles
Setup and Objective:
Arrange 4 hula hoops on the ground spread out from each other at the four corners of an imaginary 25 foot square; place with the one in the middle (imagine the dots on the five side of a dice).
Place all tennis balls in the middle (neutral) hoop.
Divide into four even teams, generally I place the teams into their already existing work team. For example; Sales, Accounting, Engineering, Administrative etc...
-- AVOID having 4 captains pick their people.
Have each team pick a hula-hoop and stand by it.
Explain the object of the game:
each team is trying to place all of the tennis balls in its hoop; once you have all the balls, you win.
Rules:
There is no throwing or tossing of the balls.
All the balls must be out of the middle before you can take them from others hoops.
No defending the hoops.
There is no throwing or tossing of the balls.
All the balls must be out of the middle before you can take them from others hoops.
No defending the hoops.
Facilitator Notes:
Play will last for 3-5 minutes, at which point the participants will be out of breath and no nearer to winning. Signal a pause and ask them to regroup with their teams and strategize for two minutes. One group or another may come up with the creative solution (see step 3 below); most groups, however, will try to position the people "strategically," plan for faster ball transfers, etc. After two minutes, signal time, have them return to their starting positions, the Ready, Set, Go.
After another fruitless 3-5 minutes, participants will still be no nearer winning and starting to become a little frustrated. Signal another pause, and ask them to circle up as a group and perhaps "develop a system of information and resource distribution that benefits the organization, as opposed to the team."
Play will last for 3-5 minutes, at which point the participants will be out of breath and no nearer to winning. Signal a pause and ask them to regroup with their teams and strategize for two minutes. One group or another may come up with the creative solution (see step 3 below); most groups, however, will try to position the people "strategically," plan for faster ball transfers, etc. After two minutes, signal time, have them return to their starting positions, the Ready, Set, Go.
After another fruitless 3-5 minutes, participants will still be no nearer winning and starting to become a little frustrated. Signal another pause, and ask them to circle up as a group and perhaps "develop a system of information and resource distribution that benefits the organization, as opposed to the team."
This will usually produce better results; if they need prodding, restate the object of the game and the rules. Some person will think to suggest that the groups work together; another might ask if the hoops can be moved (YES). In either event, you know that the group is on the right track.
With some planning and thinking about what you've told them, they should realize that the only way to win (other than all of the other groups agreeing to lose -- not likely) is for them all to win, i.e., place all of the balls in the middle hoop, then place their hoops around the balls.
This activity and processing can be enriched by creating team identities which match your population; if you're facilitating a corporate group, you might have a "design team" and an "engineering team," a "management team" and a "union team."
With some planning and thinking about what you've told them, they should realize that the only way to win (other than all of the other groups agreeing to lose -- not likely) is for them all to win, i.e., place all of the balls in the middle hoop, then place their hoops around the balls.
This activity and processing can be enriched by creating team identities which match your population; if you're facilitating a corporate group, you might have a "design team" and an "engineering team," a "management team" and a "union team."
Be creative.
Contact Us - To Increase departmental cooperation to increase profits and decrease spending!
- Michael Cardus serves as an Adventure Consultant for Create-Learning Team Building. Mike facilitates, trains, and speaks to groups in a variety of settings including Fortune 500 Companies, small business, universities and classrooms. Currently he lives in Buffalo NY, he travels to serve your groups needs - where and when your group desires.
