Duration: 20 minutes
Group Size: Section or Platoon Level
Resources: Mahjong paper/newspaper or toggle ropes
Purpose: To strengthen teamwork, with emphasis on coordination & communication.
Overview: To fit the whole team into an ever-diminishing space by supporting each other.
Conduct:
- Create a square on the ground using mahjong paper or groundsheets (laid out in a large square) or toggle-ropes (laid out to outline the square). This square should be large enough to accommodate the whole team.
- Ask the team to get inside the square, making sure that no one touches the ground outside the square.
- Once they’ve done so, tell them to step out and reduce the size of the square (by folding in part of the paper/sheet or shortening some of the toggle-rope boundaries.
- Instruct them to try again to fit entirely inside the smaller space.
- Continue to set smaller and smaller spaces as challenges to them. Give a time-limit if necessary. You can also make the spaces more odd-shaped as you go along.
- Continue playing until an impossible size is reached.
Facilitator’s Note: Beware of using dangerous ways to fit into the space – such as climbing on each other’s shoulders etc. Injuries can easily result.
Debrief Questions:
- How has the group adapted and learnt as a result of each new constraint given?
- What key learning points can we carry over to this ICT?
Notes:
Metaphor for the challenges a team faces as more stress and constraints are placed on it. The team can either pull together and face it more cohesively or it can become unbalanced, unstable and fall apart. What helps the team is everyone’s willingness to put up with one another, focus on the task at hand and coordinate with one another. Situational awareness is important, knowing when and how to adjust their actions in line with team members’ actions