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Equipment required : 1 blindfold per participant and slips of paper
Brief for tutor :
- Split the group into teams of about six or seven people
- Give the following verbal briefing : "After a period of planning, I will ask you to stand in a line. I will show each team member a number and ask you then to put on a blindfold. Without speaking or making any noise, or removing the blindfolds, your task will be to re-arrange yourselves in the line so that the person shown the lowest number is at the front and the numbers follow ascending order to the person shown the highest number at the back.
- Allow the group about ten minutes planning time. If the group asks questions such as how big the numbers will be, just answer "you won't know until the exercise starts".
- Prepare the slips of paper with the numbers on. Depending how challenging you want to be, the numbers can be two, three or four digit. Select them randomly rather than in a recognisable pattern. If you want to be REALLY challenging, you could include decimal places! (This would work if used to introduce a session on assumptions, as the briefing does not specifically say you will use whole numbers.
- After the planning period, ask the teams to line up and give out the blindfolds. One at a time, give each person a slip of paper showing their number. (If necessary you can whisper the numbers, but you must be sure to keep a note of which number you gave to each person).
- Ask the teams to put on their blindfolds and begin the task.
- When each team indicates that they have completed the task and before team members remove their blindfolds, check that everyone is in the right place in the line. If not, simply say 'there is a mistake - please check' and allow them further time.
- Debrief this exercise with questions such as :
- How effective was your plan?
- Did everyone fully understand the communication system?
- What assumptions did you make?
- What analogies are there to problems you experience at work?
copyright Lindsey Moore, Moore Training & Development, 2002