A New All-Time ‘Team-Building’ Favourite
the Lazy Facilitator Episode 19
If, like me, you’re always looking for new, engaging and simple team-building activities to add to your repertoire, you’re going to love what I’m about to share.
This activity was recently uploaded to playmeo’s online activity database, and it’s quickly become my latest all-time favourite that features in all of my team-building programs because groups absolutely love it.
It’s called Verbal Number Exchange.
Click play below to learn how it works…
Warning: We tried this activity at the school where I teach. There were 12 students. If there are 5 required trades, more no less, the task ends up being literally impossible. There many be different outcomes with different numbers of participants and/or different numbers of required trades. HOWEVER, be aware that a group may become frustrated by not reaching the goal, and a good facilitator should never give a group a teambuildiing goal that is unattainable. I did double check this an it is mathematically impossible with a group of 12 and 5 required trades.
Killian, thanks for your sharing your experience and I have to say, I’m surprised. I have worked this activity with all group sizes multiple time, and while it frustrates some groups on occasions, it has always been possible to solve the puzzle. So I’m not sure what happened for your group (could it be possible that you have not understood the parameters of the activity?) For one thing, there’s no math involved – once numbers have been traded (no matter how many times you do this, the total number of numerals possessed by the group does not change) the only task left is for the group to rearrange themselves in the required numerical order. Finally, I absolutely do not agree with your assertion that a facilitator should never challenge a group to achieve a goal that is unattainable. If that were true, it is tantamount to saying that groups should only ever be presented with experiences in which they “succeed” and that is certainly not healthy, nor a reflection of real life.