INTERACTIVE OF THE MONTH
This interactive exercise is one of more than 300 exercises and variations contained in Moving Beyond Icebreakers.
See chapter 4 of the excerpts from the book for what we mean by "processing."
MARCH:
Small Change
Goal: Focus
Time: 5 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Minimal
Number of participants: 8 to 30
Space requirements: Minimal
Materials needed: A watch or clock that counts seconds
Preparation: None
Instructions
- Assign people to pairs and have the partners face each other.
- Instruct the partners to observe each other carefully, trying to remember as much as they can about their partner's appearance.
- After 30 seconds, have the partners turn their backs to each other. Instruct people to make two or three small changes in their appearance (such as pushing up a sleeve, removing a ring, or untying a shoelace).
- Give the signal for partners to turn back towards each other. Tell people to take turns spotting the changes that have been made.
Processing suggestions
In the discussion of what people observed and what they failed to observe, you can make the following points:
- Small details, especially the most obvious ones, can be easy to overlook.
- Change happens incrementally.
- People should be given credit for the small changes they make, and it is important to focus on the positive changes people make.
- We need to pay attention to details, and to be able to focus outside of ourselves, so that we can notice small changes.