Category: Team Building

Duration: 20 minutes

Group Size: Platoon Level

Resources: Area with soft ground (for sit-ups)

Purpose: To get each Section to accomplish a tiring task together, to highlight the importance of using individuals’ strengths at different points.

Overview:    To be the first Section to complete x push-ups and y sit-ups.

      x           =          40 X no. of people in each Section

      y          =          40 X no. of people in eachSection

Conduct:

1. Divide the platoon into Sections
2. Instruct the Sections to complete a combination of push-ups and sit-ups.
3. Specify the targets for push-ups and sit-ups for each Section.
4. The (suggested) minimum standard is 25 for push-ups and 25 for sit-ups for each individual.
5. The time limit is set at 5 minutes.
6. Every member of the Section begins doing 25 push-ups. Only after the last person has finished his 25^th push-up, can everybody switch to begin their 25 sit-ups.
7. Once the last person has completed the 25 sit-ups, the Section breaks up into 2 groups to complete the remaining push-ups and sit-ups. In each group, there can only be 1 person doing the push-ups or sit-ups at any one time. Other members who are not doing the push-ups or sit-ups can help to count.
8. The activity stops either when the Section has completed the task or when the time runs out.
9. Compile the results (timing) of each Section and ascertain which is the winning Section.
10. Optional: A simple prize for the winning Section may be a motivator to reinforce the achievement of working together as a team.

Debrief Questions:

1. How hard did each Section push itself?
2. What actions from members were supportive and helpful?
3. For individuals who are very good in push-ups and/or sit-ups, how did you feel when you did much more than some others?
4. For individuals who did the fewest, how did you feel?

Notes:

• It is important to maintain high standards of performance (i.e. standard push-ups and sit-ups must be done).
• Variations of this activity include adjusting the number of push-ups and sit-ups in view of the age of the men. For example, the minimum standard can be adjusted from 25 to 30 push-ups and sit-ups and/or the total number of push-ups and sit-ups can be adjusted from a factor of 40 to 50 per person (e.g. 40 X number of people in the Section to 50 X number of people in the Section).
• The facilitator should try to encourage positive action from the individuals who did the fewest push-ups or sit-ups. For example, those who are physically weaker may resolve to train themselves before ICT so that they do not let the rest of their Section down. It is important for men to push themselves to the best of their abilities. At least minimum competencies must be met.
• Relate this activity to the unit’s defence exercises, where different tiring tasks requiring different competencies need to be accomplished within certain time constraints.
• Every individual must meet his own personal standard and go beyond that to enable the entire Section to achieve its goal. For example, each individual must dig his own shellscrape before being able to assist in digging alternate shellscrapes required by the platoon. 
• All individuals need to fulfill certain minimum requirements to achieve predetermined standards set for each Section and the overall Platoon for a given mission or exercise.
• Hence, everyone needs to work together in order to achieve the desired outcomes.
• The team often pushes itself hard if there is collective agreement and engagement in the task. The motivation of the individual is often not to let the team down. What is helpful is visible team support / encouragement is given to the individual.

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:

1. 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.
2. Ask the team to get inside the square, making sure that no one touches the ground outside the square.
3. 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.
4. Instruct them to try again to fit entirely inside the smaller space.
5. 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.
6. 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:

1. How has the group adapted and learnt as a result of each new constraint given?
2. 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

Duration: 30 minutes

Group Size: Platoon Level

Resources: Newspaper, toggle rope & masking tape, in an open area

Purpose: To strengthen teamwork, with emphasis on coordination & cooperation.

Overview: To get all members of each team ashore before their ship sinks.

Conduct:

1. Set–up. Mark out an area that can accommodate the whole group. Use masking tape to demarcate this area in the shape of a ship (Titanic). From where the ship is, demarcate the shoreline (with a stretched out toggle rope). This should be about 10 meters away from the ship. Place the newspapers (folded into half its size and secured with masking tape to give it an appearance of a life boat) in the ship area. Prepare 3 sets of life boats for each group.
2. Divide the whole group into 3 smaller groups, section level is best even if the numbers are not exactly even. Have the entire group formed in their teams in the ship area.
3. Create the setting by giving the following instructions:

“You are on board the Titanic, a reputedly unsinkable ship. While travelling across the Atlantic Ocean, you strike an iceberg. The ship is sinking and taking in water. Your job is to launch your lifeboats to get to the shore (demarcated by the toggle rope) as quickly as you can before the ship sinks. It is estimated that you have about 10 minutes before the entire ship sinks. Unfortunately, the builders had assumed that the ship was unsinkable and therefore made provisions for only a few (3) lifeboats. Each lifeboat can take a maximum of 2 persons at any one time (or it will sink and you will lose it) and you have to use them as stepping stones to get from the Titanic to the shore. The sea is very cold and anyone falling into it will suffer from hypothermia. This means, the individual (and the boat included) will be unable to move for 10 seconds. Note the markings within the ship. It indicates the separate compartments of the ship. You can move only within the marked area of your part of the ship and can’t physically cross (i.e. walk from one compartment) to the next.”

4. Try to create some competitive feelings before setting the teams off. Monitor the movements of the team and penalise participants where infringements are made. 

5. You may want to declare a winning team when the first team has all its members reach the shore. Alternatively, you may want to end the activity before any team completes the activity. Announce that the Titanic has sunk and ask each team to count their survivors and casualties. Ask the group to decide who they think the winners/losers are. Get some responses and say you will ask this question again at the end of the activity and will give your response. Have everyone back in the ship area, in their respective ship compartment areas.

Debrief Questions:

1. Which team did the best and why? 
2. What do you think is the best strategy to employ?
   • Allow groups to brainstorm and discuss possible strategies before offering the “model answer”, which is for all the 3 groups to pool their ‘lifeboats’ together to form a long chain to the shore.

Notes: Activity challenges the team to look beyond the group to work cooperatively with other groups. Sometimes, being put into groups (compartments) creates artificial barriers that affect our instinct for cooperation. The opposite usually happens – i.e. competitive feelings arise. The rules however did not prevent members from communicating and cooperating by pooling resources (lifeboats) together. If all the lifeboats had been placed in a straight line from ship to shore, everyone would have completed the task faster. Our competitive instincts however tend to get the better of us and we tend to think in a competitive mode. 

Duration:          10 – 15 minutes

Group Size:       Platoon Level (min: 20)

Resources:  Post-it pads & markers

Purpose:      To emphasize that everyone in a team matters, no matter how big or small a role the person has.

Overview:    To avoid elimination and be the last few persons to remain in the game.

Conduct:

1. Divide the group into 2 or 3 smaller groups e.g. based on some criteria like age, height etc. Group size may vary.
2. Assign each group a monetary value. Every member will take on this monetary value. For a 2-group situation, the suggested values are 10 cents for each member in one group and 15 cents for each member in the other group. For a 3-group situation, the suggested values are 10 cents, 15 cents and 35 cents. Hand out post-it notes. Members are to write their assigned values and stick it on their foreheads.
3. Tell the group that you will call out a value e.g. $0.55 cents. When you do so, everyone should try and get into groups to form that exact value. For a 2-group situation, this will mean 4 x 10 cents plus 1 x 15 cents. It could also mean 3 x $0.15 cents plus 1 x 10 cents. Have a trial round if necessary to demonstrate the mechanics of it.
4. Give the group about 1 min to organise themselves after you have called out a number. Anyone who is not part of a group with the exact value will be eliminated from the game.
5. Call out a new value with each round until most of the people are eliminated from the game and only a few people (around 5) remain.
6. Declare and congratulate the winners.
7. Run another round of the game if time permits.

Debrief Questions:

1. What does this activity tell us about the contribution of every member in a team?

Notes: Every member has a role to play in a team no matter their perceived value. Sometimes, the lower value makes all the difference. The team is only able to complete and fulfill its task/mission when everyone plays his part.

Duration:          10 minutes

Group Size:       Section or Platoon Level

Resources:  Paper, drawing materials, masking tape

Purpose:      To get to know each other by discovering some common personality traits.

Overview:    To enable group members to find out which of them share certain personality traits.

Conduct:

1. Each person is given a sheet of paper and drawing materials and told to take 5 minutes to draw a bull. They should be discouraged from looking at each other’s drawings, to avoid being influenced.
2. After 5 minutes, give out sticky tape and ask them to stick their drawings (with their names clearly written on the drawings) onto a wall. All should gather around the drawings.
3. The facilitator will then read out what the various drawing styles (see Interpretation below) reveal about the person who drew it. 

Interpretation of Bull Drawing

When everyone has finished drawing, mention that how their bull has been drawn, serves as a useful personality test. Read out the script below:

If the bull is drawn:

Towards the top of the paper – you are positive and optimistic

Towards the middle – you are a realist

Towards the bottom – you are pessimistic and have a tendency to behave negatively

Facing left – you believe in tradition, are friendly and remember dates (birthdays, etc)

Facing right – you are innovative and active, but don’t have a strong sense of family, nor do you remember dates

Facing front (looking at you) – you are direct, enjoy playing devil’s advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions

With many details – you are analytical, cautious and distrustful

With few details – you are emotional, you care little for details and are a risk taker

With fewer than 4 legs showing – you are insecure or are living through a period of major change 

With 4 legs showing – you are secure, stubborn, and stick to your ideals

If there are more than 4 legs – you are just plain stupid!

The size of the ears indicate how good a listener you are, the bigger the better.

Ok now we come to the interesting part. Who didn’t draw horns? In other words, who drew a cow? Or is it a gay bull?

The horns… well, that’s about how horny you are.The length of the horns indicates the quality of your sex life. Again, the longer the better.