Activity: Finding Nemo
Merry Christmas folks!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends and having some merry moments. As my Christmas day winds down I'm already looking at 2014 with anticipation. We've got some VERY big projects that will change and shape our current programs. I'll need all my staff to rally behind these new changes to make sure that these programs excel our expectations.
Change is a funny thing, don't you think? People, much like animals, naturally resist change. So when we are confronted with change - we need our troops to rally. That's one of the only ways to make change work well.
Now that the front-loading is done - let's get onto the activity. Though it doesn't deal directly with change - it does deal with reaching "Critical Mass". We'll get into what that means in the debrief. Here's the activity:
Finding Nemo
Number of Participants:
20 or more.
Setting up the Field of Play:
No props needed. Have participants spread out throughout your playing area. They will begin the activity with their eyes closed as the facilitator chooses one "Nemo".
Rules for Play:
Explain the Rules for Play first before you select Nemo in the case that any participants need clarification before the activity begins. Here's the Rules of Play:
- Everyone will mingle around trying to find Nemo. Each participant is to ask everyone they meet if they are Nemo. Both participants need to be asked. Naturally, almost everyone will say no...except Nemo...but not at first.
- "Nemo" is a crafty fellow who sometimes lies. At the beginning of the activity, Nemo will lie about being Nemo for the first 15-20 seconds. Sufficiently telling a good number of people that they are not Nemo.
- After about 15-20 seconds, Nemo tells the truth.
- When Nemo identifies himself to a participant, that participant immediately goes behind Nemo and puts their hands on Nemo's shoulders. Nemo can keep mingling (and must then only tell the truth).
- HOWEVER anybody that sees that Nemo has someone joined onto their shoulders can also join the line (essentially, creating a large congo line).
- At some point enough people have joined the line behind Nemo that everyone still mingling notices. At that point, EVERYONE abandons mingling and rushes to join the congo (Nemo) line.
Once you've explained the Rules of Play, have all the participants close their eyes so that you can sneak around the room (or sing around the room) and select your Nemo. Once you've selected your Nemo, tell all of your participants to open their eyes, check to see if anyone needs further clarification. Then remind people that PEOPLE are more important than games...i.e., don't stampede over someone just so you can join the Nemo line.
Now you're ready to play.
Once the game ends, allow participants to laugh and share about it. And then play it again. Since the game only takes a minute or so to play through, you can go through several rounds of it without having participants lose interest. However, it is very interesting to watch participants evolve as they inquire about Nemo with only half attention. They are watching and attentive to the change in the game rather than their task. Their task has evolved.
Alright peeps! That's your activity for the week. I'll be back in a couple of days to talk through debrief topics regarding the activity and the top of Critical Mass. I'll just leave you with the definition of it to chew on...:
I hope that everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends and having some merry moments. As my Christmas day winds down I'm already looking at 2014 with anticipation. We've got some VERY big projects that will change and shape our current programs. I'll need all my staff to rally behind these new changes to make sure that these programs excel our expectations.
Change is a funny thing, don't you think? People, much like animals, naturally resist change. So when we are confronted with change - we need our troops to rally. That's one of the only ways to make change work well.
Now that the front-loading is done - let's get onto the activity. Though it doesn't deal directly with change - it does deal with reaching "Critical Mass". We'll get into what that means in the debrief. Here's the activity:
Finding Nemo
Number of Participants:
20 or more.
Setting up the Field of Play:
No props needed. Have participants spread out throughout your playing area. They will begin the activity with their eyes closed as the facilitator chooses one "Nemo".
Rules for Play:
Explain the Rules for Play first before you select Nemo in the case that any participants need clarification before the activity begins. Here's the Rules of Play:
- Everyone will mingle around trying to find Nemo. Each participant is to ask everyone they meet if they are Nemo. Both participants need to be asked. Naturally, almost everyone will say no...except Nemo...but not at first.
- "Nemo" is a crafty fellow who sometimes lies. At the beginning of the activity, Nemo will lie about being Nemo for the first 15-20 seconds. Sufficiently telling a good number of people that they are not Nemo.
- After about 15-20 seconds, Nemo tells the truth.
- When Nemo identifies himself to a participant, that participant immediately goes behind Nemo and puts their hands on Nemo's shoulders. Nemo can keep mingling (and must then only tell the truth).
- HOWEVER anybody that sees that Nemo has someone joined onto their shoulders can also join the line (essentially, creating a large congo line).
- At some point enough people have joined the line behind Nemo that everyone still mingling notices. At that point, EVERYONE abandons mingling and rushes to join the congo (Nemo) line.
Once you've explained the Rules of Play, have all the participants close their eyes so that you can sneak around the room (or sing around the room) and select your Nemo. Once you've selected your Nemo, tell all of your participants to open their eyes, check to see if anyone needs further clarification. Then remind people that PEOPLE are more important than games...i.e., don't stampede over someone just so you can join the Nemo line.
Now you're ready to play.
Once the game ends, allow participants to laugh and share about it. And then play it again. Since the game only takes a minute or so to play through, you can go through several rounds of it without having participants lose interest. However, it is very interesting to watch participants evolve as they inquire about Nemo with only half attention. They are watching and attentive to the change in the game rather than their task. Their task has evolved.
Alright peeps! That's your activity for the week. I'll be back in a couple of days to talk through debrief topics regarding the activity and the top of Critical Mass. I'll just leave you with the definition of it to chew on...:
The amount or level needed for a specific result or new action to occur
Frohe Weihnachten!
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