Center for Teen Empowerment - Boston, MA | Somerville, MA

ARCHIVES of TE's INTERACTIVES of the MONTH

from Moving Beyond Icebreakers

JANUARY:
Group Count
Goals: Group problem solving, Surfacing group dynamics

Time: 5-10 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Minimal
Number of participants: 10-20
Space requirements: None
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None

Instructions

The object of the exercise is to have the group count to 10, as a group, by means of random individuals successively saying each number out loud. For example, one person says 1, someone else says 2, and so on. If two people speak at once, or if someone says a number out of order, the group goes back to 1. The group is not allowed to plan how they will accomplish the task, to use body language such as pointing, or to speak in any particular order. People must try to anticipate when they should say a number and when they should remain silent.
If the group is unable to accomplish the task, you can have subgroups try it, such as all the males and then all the females. If you try the exercise with subgroups, it might be best to end by trying to do it as a whole group again, to avoid leaving the group feeling factionalized.

Processing suggestions

Group Count illustrates the difficulties a group can have in accomplishing a task.
It can raise awareness about the need to be considerate of each other's voices.
It may bring up the different ways that people take on or avoid responsibility in a group. Did every one say a number? Did anyone say more than one number? Did two people keep saying numbers at the same time? Why? Are these dynamics present in the group's work together?
What allowed the group to accomplish the task (or what prevented them from doing it)?
This exercise can also be used to talk about planning, and about getting things in the right order.

Variations
Moving Beyond Icebreakers contains four variations for Group Count, and each variation offers additional possibilities for processing.

FEBRUARY:
Exaggeration
Goals: Communication, Different perspectives, Acting
Time: Roughly 30 seconds per participant (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Must be able to mimic and exaggerate a movement from another participant.
Number of participants: 15 or fewer
Space requirements: Open floor space is ideal, but the exercise can also be done around a table.
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None

Instructions

Have the group stand in a circle.
Ask for a volunteer to begin.
The first person makes a tiny movement.
The person to their right makes the same movement, but does it in a large, exaggerated way.
This person then makes a different tiny movement.
Proceed around the circle in this way. End with the first person exaggerating the movement of the person to their left.

Processing suggestions

In times of stress, small things can get exaggerated.
The same thing can be perceived very differently depending on how it is communicated.
Sometimes people may exaggerate movements that the person did not intend to make. How do patterns sometimes get repeated unintentionally in the group and elsewhere?
This exercise can be used to discuss issues of gossip and ''he said/she said.''
Watch the way people made their movements for aspects that might be valuable for processing. People have different styles that will be obvious.
How does having a variety of styles both enhance the group and also present challenges?
Some people will have difficulty with this exercise. Not everyone is comfortable with exaggeration or making ''big'' statements and those people will have a hard time doing this under pressure. How does this affect the group's work?

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.

APRIL:
Wait a Minute
Goals: Planning, Different perspectives
Time: 5 minutes or less (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: None
Number of participants: Any number
Space requirements: None
Materials needed: A pen, a list of everyone in the group, and a stopwatch or a watch with a second hand
Preparation: Cover any clocks visible in the meeting room.
Note: This is a good exercise to do when you are trying to bring time awareness to the group--for example, when the work of the day includes preparing a timeline for the group's upcoming activities, or when people don't seem aware of how little time they have left to prepare for an event or meet a deadline.

Instructions

Ask everyone in the group to remove their watches, pagers, cell phones, or anything that could help them tell time.
The task is for each person to try to determine when they think a minute has passed, from the moment you say ''Start.'' Everyone must be silent, and their eyes should be closed. When they think a minute has passed, they should raise their hand.
As each person raises their hand, write the number of seconds next to their name.
When everyone has raised their hand and been recorded, tell people to open their eyes, and read the list to the group.

Processing suggestions

Ask if people had a strategy for determining the time, and if it worked.
This exercise can be used to discuss how people have differing perceptions of time, and how this affects people's ability to work together.
Sometimes a person can accomplish more in 20 minutes when they are ready than in an hour when they are not ready.
The exercise can also be used to examine internal instincts and what people sense on their own, when they are not being influenced by what they see.

Variation: Eyes Open Wait a Minute
Instructions

In this variation, people keep their eyes open throughout the exercise.
When someone thinks a minute has passed, they say ''Time.''

Additional processing suggestions

How was this different from doing the exercise with eyes closed?
Did a minute seem longer or shorter with eyes open?
How did hearing or not hearing other people say ''Time'' affect your own perception of time?

MAY:
Follow Me, Follow You
Goal: Group introspection, Surfacing group dynamics
Time: 5 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Minimal
Number of participants: 12-20
Space requirements: Open floor space
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None

Instructions

Have everyone stand in a circle.
Ask each person to look around the circle and choose someone as their leader, but to keep their choice a secret.
Then ask everyone to think of a pose.
On the count of three, each person first strikes their pose, then looks at their leader and does whatever their leader is doing for the rest of the exercise.
End the exercise when the entire group is doing the same movement or is in the same pose. If this does not happen, end the exercise when group members stop switching poses.
The exercise will take only a few seconds to play out. You can have the group do it several times if you wish.

Processing suggestions

Analyze leadership patterns in the group by looking at who chose whom to be their leader, and whom everyone was following in the end.
How did people decide whom to choose as a leader? How did people's strategies relate to how they choose leaders in life, be they role models, mentors, or politicians?
Did anyone change their mind at the last second and decide to follow someone else? Why?
Other points for discussion include the idea that leadership lies within the group, and that individual actions on a daily basis serve as a model for everyone else in the group. What are our responsibilities if we are all leaders for each other?

JUNE:
Listen Up
Goal: Trust, Communication, Personal introspection
Time: 10 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Minimal
Number of participants: 8-100
Space requirements: None
Materials needed: A watch or clock with a second hand
Preparation: Decide on two topics, such as what you plan to do this summer, or the best teacher you ever had. Topics can be related to the purpose of the meeting or not, depending on your goals.

Instructions

Pair people up and have the pairs sit together.
Ask the pairs to decide which of the two people will go first.
Give the first topic. The person who is going first from each pair must close their eyes, then talk about the topic for 90 seconds. The other partner should listen, but is not allowed to answer, touch, or communicate with the talking partner in any way.
After 90 seconds, tell the group to stop. Give them another topic and have people switch roles in their pairs.

Processing suggestions

This exercise lets group members explore how it feels to be really listened to, and the trust necessary for true communication.
Having your eyes closed while talking requires a lot of trust on the part of the speaker. How does it feel to speak without knowing for sure if someone is listening? Could you feel whether the person was listening or not? How could you tell?
Having your eyes closed while talking requires a lot of trust on the part of the speaker. How does it feel to speak without knowing for sure if someone is listening? Could you feel whether the person was listening or not? How could you tell?
The listeners are also challenged in having to try to communicate their presence and attention without being able to speak or touch their partners.
When you were the listener, was there anything you did to try to connect with the other person? Were you actually listening?

JULY:
The Story Game
Goal: Planning, Different perspectives, Creativity, Interconnection
Time: 5-10 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Minimal
Number of participants: No maximum number
Space requirements: None
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None

Instructions

Ask for three volunteers to be the "Storytellers" and one volunteer to be the "Pointer." (In a group with 12 members or fewer, you can have all but one person be Storytellers if you wish.) All Storytellers come up in front of the group.
Ask the whole group to supply three elements to get the story started: a name (not the name of a particular person), an occupation, and a location. For example, you might get "Tom," "plumber," and "Main Street." Announce to the group, "This is a story about Tom, the plumber from Main Street." You can vary the number and nature of the elements depending on the purpose of the exercise.
The Pointer then points to one of the Storytellers, who begins to make up a story about this character. Whenever the Pointer points to one of the Storytellers, that person must pick up the story where the previous Storyteller left off.
After the story has gone on for a while, say something like, "Three more pieces before the story ends," to let the Storytellers know they should bring the story to a conclusion. How long you let the story continue depends on how it is going, the needs of the group, and the time available for the exercise.

Processing suggestions

Use the exercise to discuss goal-setting: How could this story have developed if one person had a plan in mind, or if the Storytellers had agreed on a goal beforehand? Stress the importance of being clear about the content and messages of what you are planning to do.
When you start out in a certain direction, you can't be sure where you will end up.
We can't predict how our actions will be modified by the actions of others.
People working together build on each other's work. However, it is important to coordinate our efforts to build a coherent message.
Who was pointed to? Who was not pointed to? How did it feel to be or not be pointed to?
How was the content of the story affected by the elements supplied at the beginning? Were the elements transformed in surprising ways? You can explore how people work within the limitations of what they are given, and how they sometimes push beyond the limitations.
Processing the content of the story will depend on how the story developed.

AUGUST:
Who's That?
Goal: Communication
Time: 10 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: None
Number of participants: 12-20
Space requirements: None
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None

Instructions

Give the ground rules for the speakers: No profanity, no put-downs, people should limit themselves to a word or a phrase, and they should try to disguise their voices.
Ask for three volunteers to be the guessers.
Have the guessers stand in front of the group with their backs turned.
Point to a member of the group (or the group can decide silently who will speak). The person who is chosen walks to within a few feet of the guessers and says a word or phrase in a disguised voice.
The guessers take turns (left to right) making guesses about who spoke.
If no one guesses correctly, the speaker speaks again.
If the guessers cannot identify the speaker after a second round, point to someone else to be speaker.
When a guess is correct, the speaker and the guesser change places.
Play for several rounds.

Processing suggestions

People often disguise their true selves with different "voices." What is it like to try and get behind the facade that someone presents to you?
You can use this exercise to discuss the importance of authenticity and "being real" in the group and in life. What are the advantages of being authentic or "real?" What does it take in order to show your true self?
How can you try to tease out what's real and what's not, or what's sincere and what's insincere?
When you work with limited information and input, you may make assumptions about who people are. To truly know someone, you must know them deeply, and they must want to share their true self with you.
There are many ways to use your voice, and you can use your voice for different purposes, both positive and negative. You have the choice of how to use your voice, and whether or not you articulate the truth.

SEPTEMBER:
Switch Swatch
Goal: Communication
Time: 5-15 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Minimal
Number of participants: No maximum number
Space requirements: None
Materials needed: Two chairs
Preparation: Place two chairs facing each other in front of the group. Choose topics, and prepare some people if necessary (see "Getting Ready").
Note: This exercise is useful when the meeting is focusing on communications skills or conflict resolution.

Getting Ready

Decide on one or more general topics for participants to discuss. The purpose of the exercise is to look at communication styles rather than to seriously debate the topics, so the topics do not have to be relevant to the meeting. Choose topics that people can argue about easily but that are not too serious or divisive; you want to avoid hurt feelings or serious disagreements. For example, topics might be: television (good or bad), teens (annoying or terrific), money (love it or hate it), rain (love it or hate it).
If you will be doing the exercise in front of a large group, you may want to prepare two people in advance to be the first volunteers.

Instructions

Ask for two volunteers to come up and sit in the chairs at the front of the room.
Tell them that their goal is to defeat each other in an argument by arguing as vehemently as they possibly can for their position. They are not to listen to each other, but to talk over each other. They must stay seated, and swearing and physical contact are not allowed. Also tell them that when you say "Switch!" they must immediately start arguing for the position they were just arguing against.
Give them the topic of the argument and the position (for or against) that each will take. For example, if the topic is school, tell one person that they are for school (it's fun, important, etc.) and the other person that they are against school (it's boring, useless, etc.).
When you say "Go," the pair begins the exercise by arguing their position for or against the topic.
After about 30 seconds, say "Switch!"
Say "Switch" several times before stopping the argument. If you wish, you can decrease the amount of time between switches as you go along. The switch usually creates laughter from those watching.
After several switches, tell the pair to stop.
Ask the group to declare the winner by their applause. (Note that since each person has taken both positions in the argument, the group will be voting for the person's ability to argue, not for a particular position.)
Let the winner stay up for a round with another volunteer. You can do a number of rounds.

Processing suggestions

This exercise illustrates the kind of communication that is not productive in solving problems. When people are having an angry discussion, they are playing SWITCH SWATCH. Trying to defeat each other is conflict, not communication.
Could you hear what anyone was saying?
Were the people who were arguing listening to each other?
What did it take to "win"? What was "winning"? Was it the loudest, most animated, or most convincing argument?
Have you ever seen situations where people are playing SWITCH SWATCH in everyday life? How do people "win" in these kinds of arguments?

OCTOBER:
Name Shout
Goal: Interconnection
Time: 1-2 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: None
Number of participants: No maximum number
Space requirements: None. Will work with theater seating,
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None
Note: NAME SHOUT can be used to raise the issue of names in a very large group, where there is no possibility of learning everyone else's name and an in-depth Name Exercise would be impractical. It provides the opportunity to state the importance of knowing names, without creating an unrealistic expectation that people can learn so many names.

Instructions

On the count of three, everyone shouts out their name as loudly as they can.
Do this several times, encouraging people to participate with more enthusiasm each time.
If you wish, you can provide a competitive element to enhance participation: have one half of the group shout, then the other half, to see who can be louder.
You can also add other variations, such as having people whose names begin with certain letters shout at once (for example, everyone whose name begins with a letter from A through H).
Always end with the whole group shouting their names together.

Processing suggestions

Sometimes people feel that they are shouting and not being heard. Even though this is a large group, we want to establish an environment where everyone can speak out and have a chance to establish their identity.

Variation: Name Whisper
Instructions

Follow the instructions for NAME SHOUT, except that everyone whispers their name instead of shouting it.

NOVEMBER:
Yes Game
Goals: Focus, Communication, Interconnection
Time: 5-10 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: None
Physical challenges: Minimal
Number of participants: 8-20
Space requirements: Open floor space
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None

Instructions

Have the group stand in a circle.
Explain that the goal of this exercise is to keep people in the circle, not to get people out.
The leader (A) points to someone (B) across the circle. Person B must say "yes." When that happens, person A moves to take the place of person B. Meanwhile, person--after saying "yes"--points to someone else (C), waits for "yes," and moves to take C's place. C points, and so on. Each person must get a "yes" before moving.
A person is out if they move before getting a "yes" reply, or if the person they said "yes" to comes to take their place in the circle before they have moved out of it.
If the person being pointed to is slow to respond, the pointer can point to someone else in the circle.

Processing suggestions

For the group to succeed at doing this exercise, each person has to do a lot: listen, pay attention, hold several details in mind at once, and be aware of several dynamics simultaneously.
The exercise requires people to ask permission, which can be difficult. It deals with the frustration of having to wait for permission before being able to act.
It can also raise conflict around being "out" because of what someone else did or didn't do.
Who got out first? Why?
Did people get out because of what they did or because of what someone else did?
How did it feel to be responsible for getting someone else out?
Was the exercise frustrating? Why?
Does the group face similar frustrations in their work?

Variation: Yes Game with a Goal
Goal: Group problem solving

Instructions

In order to make the exercise cooperative rather than competitive, set a goal for the group to go for a certain number of rounds (one round involves point, "yes," and replacing) with no one being out.

Additional processing suggestions

Ideally, sharing the same goal invests everyone in the work, eliminates competition, and cuts down on intentional dysfunction.
Did this exercise work better with a goal than without?

Variation: Long Distance Yes
Instructions

With the group standing in a circle, ask everyone to take several steps back. (Determine how many steps based on the size of the room and the size of the group.) Then follow the instructions for the YES GAME.

Additional processing suggestion

To reach a compromise with the values or ideas of others, sometimes people have to travel some distance.

DECEMBER:
Fill the Space, Shake the Hand
Goal: Interconnection
Time: 10 minutes (not including processing)
Physical contact: Hand shaking
Physical challenges: Must be able to move around the room.
Number of participants: 20-100
Space requirements: Open floor space
Materials needed: None
Preparation: None

Instructions

Ask everyone to stand up, and point out the boundaries within which the exercise will operate.
The object of the first part of the exercise is to fill spaces that are empty in the room or in a defined space. When you give the signal to begin, everyone should look around the room, identify an open space, and walk into it. After pausing for a moment, they move on to fill another open space.
Let this go on for 30 seconds or so. Watch to see if people distribute themselves equally around the room, or if they are all clumped up.
Ask everyone to freeze, then add the next element.
In the second part of the exercise, everyone must shake hands (using one hand and then the other) with someone else as they move around the room. Before they can let go of one person's hand, they must be starting to shake hands with someone else. People should keep moving in a chain-like movement around the room, shaking one hand, reaching with the other hand, and so on. As they shake hands with each new person, they should introduce themselves.

Processing suggestions

This exercise shows how a group can work well, with everyone moving in to fill the empty spaces (to do what needs to be done).
The second part of the exercise shows how important it is to nurture interpersonal relationships in the group or in the community. Being personally connected to others is what will make the environment fluid and productive. You can use this exercise to stress the importance of reaching out to people, especially those you don't know well.
Were people spread out equally in the first part of the exercise? Did people fill all the empty spaces? What empty spaces are there in the group's work that still need to be filled?
In the second part of the exercise, did anyone have no one to shake hands with? How did that feel?

Multicultural Fill the Space, Shake the Hand
Additional goals: Communication, Cultural awareness
Preparation: Prepare a list of greetings in other languages.

Instructions

Do the first part of the exercise as described for FILL THE SPACE, SHAKE THE HAND.
Before introducing the second part (in which people shake hands and introduce themselves), show the group the list of greetings in other languages and have them practice saying each greeting together.
Instruct people to use as many greetings as they can as they move around the room shaking hands.

Additional processing suggestions

Adding the multicultural element allows you to make points about reaching out to people of different backgrounds and cultures, and about taking the risk of addressing people in their own language.
What did it feel like to speak in different languages? If you know those languages, what did it feel like to hear those languages spoken?