COUNTING TOGETHER
Not all activities work better when you push too hard to move them forward. Sometimes, it can be more productive to take a slower approach, as providing gentle attention to something can get a task completed more efficiently by allowing opportunities for adaptation.
Source: Adapted from Eye Openers
What to do
- Ask participants to stand in a circle.
- Ask the group to collectively count from 1 to 20 out loud, with each member of the group saying only one number at a time. So, one person will start with “one” and someone else in the group will say “two.”
- It is important to note that participants cannot set a particular order in which they speak, and cannot communicate to plan the order in which they speak.
- At any point in time, if two people speak at the same time, the group needs to start counting from “one” again.
- Continue until you make it from 1 to 20 without any overlap of participants speaking at the same time. Make sure everyone has a chance to contribute at least once.
Debrief
(following the activity)
Often when situations are vague, there can be a desire for control, and to put rules and structures in place to determine how things happen. Sometimes, trying very hard to succeed puts pressure on the process and can actually be counter-productive. However, not setting rules can often result in a messy and unpredictable process. Even though you might get to 20 quickly when you set rules, doing so misses the point of this exercise. The key is learning to be comfortable with ambiguity and letting a process/solution emerge organically.
- How did it feel to let the process emerge organically?
- What happened when it didn’t work?
- What happened when it worked?
- How can letting a process emerge on its own help in the work we do?