by Matthew Brown

1) Remove 12 chairs from various areas that are accessible during the exercise.

a) Chairs cannot come from the same room you are conducting the exercise in. (Chairs can be substituted with almost anything)

b) Number the chairs and the place each was taken from.

c) Each chair should have a number on it with a piece of paper.

d) Each spot the chair came from should have a piece of paper taped to it to correspond with the numbers on the chairs.

e) Example: chair #1, spot #1, Chair #2, spot #2 and so on for numbers 1-12.

2) Place the chairs in the back of the room you are conducting the exercise from.

3) Tell the group that they have to match 6 of the chairs with their corresponding places outside of the room.

a) They must bring back the matching numbers for each set.

4) Read them the rules but do not give them any advice.(see rules)

5) Time them.

6) Observe how they get the task done and make notes.

7) Once they have completed the task:

8) Initiate a discussion

a) Point out things they did well and poorly.

b) Ask how it could have gone more smoothly.

c) Make relevant suggestions.

9) Once the discussion is completed have them do the same exercise with the remaining chairs.

10) Insist that they write a plan.

11) Set a timetable for completing the task that is shorter than their first attempt.

12) Give them approximately two-thirds of that time to plan and one-third to execute it.

After completion of the second exercise:

13) Critique the plan

14) Initiate discussion as above.

Rules

a) No running

b) Only three members of the group can leave the room at a time.

c) Only one chair per person per trip

d) Each task will be timed

This formula is designed for a group of 5 to perform, but it can be adapted for virtually any number of participants as long as a few rules are followed.

1) Make sure that the number of chairs is twice as many as the number of participants that can leave the room at one time.

2) Make sure that only part of the group leaves the room at a time.

3) Example: Do not use 5 chairs and allow all 5 members of the group to be out of the room at the same time.

 

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