Overview

This exercise highlights the value of trustworthiness as it affects various roles and tactics team members use to deal with a perceived stressful situation. While the main activity may be made as easy or difficult as required, careful observation during the exercise and skillful facilitation by an experienced trainer during the debriefing is required. The exercise may be conducted in a large space, either indoors or outdoors.

Purpose

To develop awareness of the need for trust among team members.

Group Size

The group should be large enough to have two equal-sized teams of at least five participants, plus an observer and guide for each team.

Room Arrangement

A large area (indoors or out) is required.

Materials

Blindfolds for each participating team member

One rope per team long enough to tie each participant to other team members in a row with 2 to 3 feet of rope between each person. (The rope length will be approximately 6 feet times the number of participants.)

Obstacles for the groups to go over, under, through, and/or around

Clipboards and pencils for observers (There will be one observer per team)

Handout 41.1, Observation Sheet (one for each observer)

Suggested Obstacles

Inside Room

Two sturdy tables to go over, under, or through

Ropes tied between four to eight solid stands to act as a “hallway” to follow

Ropes tied between two solid stands for teams to go under or to serve as “electric” fences

Two to four plastic sheets taped to the ground to signify water obstacles

Outside Room

Two sturdy tables, for example, picnic tables to go over, under, or through

Ropes tied between three to five trees to act as a “hallway” to follow (Note: If trees are within a few yards of each other, use five. If the trees are separated by at least 5 yards, use three trees.)

Ropes tied between two trees for teams to go under or to serve as “electric” fences

Actual water hazards, for example, slow moving creeks, shallow ponds, puddles

Procedure

1.Divide participants into equal-sized groups, no larger than eight participants per group.

2.Assign one observer and one guide per group. Observers are responsible for completing Handout 41.1, Observation Sheet, and providing observations to the group during the activity debriefing. Guides are responsible for ensuring their assigned group completes the exercise safely. Each observer receives an observer sheet, clipboard, and pencil.

3.Give each group a rope and blindfold for every person (excluding the guide and the observer). They are instructed to tie themselves together in a row, then place the blindfolds over their eyes so they are not able to see.

4.The guide from each group leads the group to their designated starting point and stays with them for the duration of the blindfold exercise. Guides tell their group what obstacle they are about to negotiate, for example, a “water” obstacle, an “electric” fence, a rope hallway, et cetera.

5.With assistance from their guides, teams have 5 minutes to negotiate the obstacles.

6.At the end of 5 minutes, the observer selects the team member who has been the least involved in the process to become the new guide. The original guide becomes a member of the blindfolded team. While still blindfolded, the team must reorder and retie themselves to include the new member.

7.The new group has 5 minutes to continue negotiating the remaining obstacles.

8.When the next 5-minute time frame is over, group members remove their blindfolds and untie themselves. Each group, including the observers and guides, gather around a flipchart and choose a scribe who writes the answers to the following questions:

Describe the experience in adjectives, for example, “exciting,” “scary,” “frustrating.”

What is the effect of trust involved in the activity on a team?

What did you learn about your team?

What did you learn about the roles each team member takes on?

What did you learn about the roles you take on within the team?

9.The observer shares his or her observations (based on what has been written on the Observation Sheets) after answers to the above questions are given.

10.Each group has a spokesperson to report answers to the questions in step 8 to the larger group.

11.Based on the ideas shared, debrief the exercise from a larger viewpoint, identifying team issues raised, “food for thought” for participants’ return to the workplace, and possible next steps toward establishing and maintaining their team. Discuss the obstacle course as a metaphor for workplace barriers and how teams must rely on one another to overcome these barriers.

12.Debrief with a short lecture on trust, summarizing the points made in step 8. The following concepts/questions could be included:

STEPHEN HOBBS, ED.D., is the creator of the WELLTH Learning Network, Inc., and co-founder of The International Institute for Cultural Transition, Inc., and the Cultural Transition Institute. His work experience includes manager, consultant, instructor, facilitator, theorist, and published author. His practice focuses on customized experience-based learning adventures for individuals, groups, and teams; culture and transition; workplace learning; and the manager as educator.

DENISE DOLPH is the president of Co-Creations, Inc., and is an associate of the WELLTH Learning Network. She is a seasoned human resources generalist with specialization in training and development, career consulting, and recruitment.

HANDOUT 41.1