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Human Resource Development

Unseen Obstacles

Details
Time Required- Setup: 10 minutes, Activity: 25 – 45 minutes, Debrief: 20 minutes (minimum)
Group Size: 4 – 24 participants
Space: 20 x 40 (minimum room size) Open space – no chairs, tables, etc.
Materials: One Toobeez set, 70 feet of rope, wide color 12-inch ribbons (one color for every team; three pieces in each color)

Description
The group is split into pairs instructed to guide each other through a delineated area filled with obstacles.

unseen obstacles.jpg

The Activity Setup
Using the long rope, create a round space with squiggly sides (so participants cannot easily send their partners along the border). Inside the space created by that border, now referred to as the “active zone”, place a complete Toobeez set (52 pieces) randomly. As you layout the Toobeez, avoid leaving direct walk ways through the active zone. For a more challenging activity, make some three-dimensional obstacles by connecting multiple Toobeez. Once the activity zone is set, tie the color ribbons along the border so that two ribbons of the same color are across the zone from each other. The third is to mark the participant in the active zone with his/her team color.

Instructions

Facilitator Script
In this activity, you will be working with a partner. As a team, both of you will need to get yourselves through the active zone, which is the area inside this  rope border (indicate area). Only one of you may be in the active zone at any given time. Whenever you are in the active zone, you must be blindfolded.

It is your partner’s job to navigate you safely through the active zone avoiding any objects or the rope edge. You will be going from endpoint to endpoint, as indicated by the color ribbons. Each pair will have its own color, and you will go through the space beginning at one of your ribbons and ending at the other. The person in the active zone must have your team ribbon on his/her wrist at all times.

If at anytime the person in the active zone touches anything (i.e., Toobeez, the rope border, or another person), you must go outside to one of your endpoints and begin again. You may either switch roles back and forth each time you begin again or wait to switch roles until one person has successfully traversed the active zone.

When you’re in the active zone, remember to move slowly with your hands out in front of you to avoid bumping into each other or tripping over an obstacle. As the partner on the outside, watch to make sure your blindfolded partner in the active zone does not walk into someone else or fall over anything. He/she’s relying on you to be safe.

Facilitator’s Choice…

You may have people remain in the same role for a certain amount of time and switch all teams at once, or you may leave it up to the participants to manage who’s doing what at any given time.

The Debrief
Opening: The intention of this activity is to develop project management skills and enhance communication among participants. However, this activity offers many lessons, so let the participants share with you what they learned and their comments as to the purpose of the activity.

  • What do you think the exercise was about?
  • How was it different being the person inside the active zone versus navigating your partner through?
  • What was the biggest challenge of this activity (i.e. being blindfolded, working with your partner, working in a crowded active zone, listening to your partner and not someone else’s, getting frustrated, communicating clearly, being understood, etc.)?

Closing: This activity is a platform for new actions. We face obstacles everyday. Sometimes we can see them, sometimes we can’t, and sometimes when we can’t see what’s in our way, but someone else can. As in this activity, clear communication, an open mind, and a willingness to trust the guidance of others are critical elements of effective leadership.

Concluding Questions

  • What did you learn about communication and leadership?
  • What could have been done differently?
  • Where else in your professional life are there obstacles blocking you? What can you now do differently to address them?

Action Plans

  • How many ways can you apply what you learned in this activity to: Everyday management, Sales process, Feedback and advancement
  • Based on your new experiences and insights , what could be different in going forward?
  • What three action steps (with specific, measurable results) will you tak e this month to begin incorporating what you’ve learned into your daily routine?

For additional instructions and modifications click HERE.