Category: Team Building

Categories
Team Building

Under the Rope

Duration:          20 – 30 minutes

Group Size:       Section or Platoon Level

Resources:       2 toggle ropes per section

Overview:    To successfully cross under the rope from one side to another under varying conditions, without touching the rope.

Conduct:

  1. The rope-handlers join 2 toggle-ropes to make a skipping rope. Team members gather on one side of the rope. 
  2. Rope handlers swing the skipping-rope in a constant rhythm, away from the participants as it hits the ground. (Note: the other direction is extremely difficult to cross).
  3. The challenge is to get all the members across by going ‘under’ the rope. If at any point, the rope touches any member, the whole team must return to the starting point and attempt to cross again.
  4. The challenges are:

Task 1:          Each member to pass through the rope 

Task 2:          Each member to pass through the rope consecutively without a break in the swing (at each turn of the rope) 

Task 3:          Group is to pass through the rope as a team in one swing.

Option: For platoon level, two equal sized teams can compete to see which can execute each challenge more quickly. In this case, the rope should be handled by 1 member from each team, for fairness. Best out of three wins.

Debrief Questions:

  1. Which task was the most difficult?
  2. What did the team need to do differently each time? What ingredients are required to enable team effectiveness for each task?
  3. What type of team do we want to be? How should we work as a team?

Notes:

Use a sports metaphor to distinguish between working styles: 

Task 1: individual skill (e.g. singles tennis) VS 

Task 2: a ‘production line’ where each member’s skill or each small unit value-adds to the process (e.g. Relay races) VS

Task 3: a team activity that requires complete co-ordination (e.g. Soccer)

Categories
Team Building

Tangled Hands

Duration: 15 minutes

Group Size: Platoon Level

Resources: NIL

Purpose: To experience group problem-solving and learn how the team functions in executing a task.

Overview: To untangle a knot of linked hands, thus forming a full circle.

Conduct:

Step 1
  1. Divide participants into small groups (4 – 6 people).
  2. Form a “tight” circle facing one another.
  3. Ask each person to hold out their right hand and grasp the right hand of someone across him, as if shaking hands.
  4. Then, extend their left hand and grasp the hand of a third person, so that everyone is holding the hands of two different people. (Note: They should not hold hands with anyone directly beside them.)
  5. The group is then to try to disentangle itself from the tangled state.
  6. Hand contact must not be broken at any time. 
  7. In the resulting circle, members may end up facing different directions.
Step 2
  1. Get the small groups to form one or two large groups. Maximum recommended group size is 16.
  2. Repeat the similar procedures as explained in Step 1.
  3. Facilitator may choose to help group if it is stuck by allowing the team to make 2 reconnections.

Note: depending on how the setup is done, groups may not end up as a complete circle. Possible formations include two interlocking or separate circles. 

Debrief Questions:

  1. What was the experience like untangling in a small group VS a large group?
  2. What skills do we need to develop in order for us to work more effectively in a large group/team?

Notes:

A larger group requires more coordination. Each member has to play his part well and know how to contribute in the right way. Team skills/tasks that the group would need to develop include: clear understanding of goals, giving and receiving feedback, providing back-up, providing support and understanding own and team members’ roles.