Team Building Game
to Bring Your Team Together
by Brian D. Biro


Game #1: The Hula Hoop Relay

This hilarious, energized game is unmatched, when it comes to helping a team learn to beat with on heart. For this game, you'll need two large-sized hula-hoops (available at any major toy store), a stopwatch or a watch with a second hand, and a minimum of twelve participants. Here are the instructions:

1. Have everyone hold hands, forming the group into a connected circle.
   
2. Announce, "This is a game of speed!" Then repeat to the group with great energy, "This is a game of..?" The team will call out the word speed! If they are not loud enough, repeat it again!
   
3. Next announce that there are only two simple rules to the hula hoop relay: "You man not let go of one another's hands, and you are to act as a team!"
   
4. Decide where you want to start the hoops (one hoop directly across the circle from where you place the first). You unlock the hands of the two people at the spot where you have chosen to start the first hoop, set the hoop over their hands, and re-lock them. Do the same on the opposite side of the circle with the second hoop. Once both hoops are positioned, announce, "This is a game of what?" They will call back, "Speed!"
   
5. Announce while using physical gestures to demonstrate: " When I say go, the clock will start. This hoop must go this way (clockwise) around the circle."Then rush over to the other hoop on the opposite side of the circle and continue, "And this hoop must go this way (counterclockwise). When each hoop has made it all the way around the circle and returned to where it started, the clock will stop. This is a game of what?" ("Speed!") "You may not let go of each others what’s?" ("Hands!") "You are to act as a what?" ("Team!") " Ready, set, go!" (Be sure to start you stopwatch or note the time carefully on your second hand).
   
   As they begin, just step back and observe. Listen to the level of their cheering (if any) and enthusiasm. Watch for the level of energy. Are they really going for it? Or are some casually making their way through? Notice whether they physically help one another. Also, is there anyone who keeps on trying despite getting a bit tangled up? Turn up your powers of observation so that your upcoming facilitation and integration is right on target.
   
   When they have managed to get the hoops around the circle and back to their starting points, stop the clock. Enthusiastically announce their time. They will applaud. You can quip, "That’s what I like about you. You have no idea if that’s a good time or not, but you applaud anyway!"
   
   Now begin to really bring this game to life. You will now raise their standards. Simply say, "I know you can improve you time. This time, your goal is---------." (A good rule of thumb is to set a time that is fifteen seconds faster for every twenty participants than the previous time. Thus, if you had forty players, set a time of thirty seconds faster and forty-five seconds faster if you have sixty participants, etc.) With great conviction, say, "I know you can do it! How many of you believe me?" (This should be energized—have them respond by raising their hands and cheering yes!). Then continue, "If we’re going to achieve our new goal, we’ll need to act more as a team. How could we be more of a team?"

You are looking for three key principles to come out here:

1. Cheer and support each other! Odds are, they were fairly quiet the first time through the game. They might have cheered only when they got through the first crossing of the hoops, and perhaps right at the end. Give examples of the power of cheering and supporting to life performance. I tell the story of the Winter Olympics and the U.S. Ice Hockey team in Lake Placid, New York in 1980. A group of American college kids pulled off an unbelievable upset by beating the Russian team made up of the greatest players in the world. What kind of crowd was in Lake Placid that day? A totally psyched up, incredibly loud U.S. crowd. It made a huge difference. Ask your participants how they can apply the principle of cheering and supporting each other in their work and at home.
   
2. Help each other! The key learning point here is to overcome the that’s-not-my-job/department syndrome. If you see an opportunity to help a teammate through a fresh idea, suggestion, or action, go for it! It’s also vital that the receiver be open to the help and not push it away. Key Question: "What would happen if an atmosphere was created where help was welcome, both to offer and receive?" The team would soar!
   
3. Energy! This is a great place to reinforce the importance of energy. Ask, "At what energy level on a ten point scale did the team operate as they moved through the hoops first time? What would happen if everyone elevated their energy level this second time at least two full points?"

You’re now ready for round two. Keep the energy high and set the hoops and two new points opposite one another. Point out the direction each is to go. Ask them to repeat their goal for this time through: "Remember: Cheer and support each other, help each other, and energy! Ready, set, go!"

This time through you’ll see heightened energy, more fun, and, very likely, considerable performance improvement. In many cases they will surpass the goal you’ve set for them. If not, odds are that they simply were so pumped up, they got a little extra tangled. Nineteen times out of twenty, however, they will have improved tons. When they finish, celebrate!

Ask, "What was different this time? How did it feel to have more energy?" Bring home the truth that be cheering and supporting each other, helping each other, and raising their energy they not only improved tremendously, they had more fun doing it! The same is true in the workplace and with your real life teams.

Now you’re ready for round three. Repeat the three principles they’ve learned about being more of a team—cheering and supporting each other, helping each other, and raising their energy—and let them know that up to now you’ve given them no time to strategize. Announce with great enthusiasm that you are certain they can complete the game this time in less than thirty seconds! They may have gone from two minutes and thirty seconds in round one to one minute and twenty seconds in round two. You are really raising the bar with this goal of less than thirty seconds for round three. Ask how many believe you. Watch carefully here. You will likely see far less certainty now compared to when you set their new goal after round one. The difference in energy will be apparent. This new goal seems out of reach to most.

Now give them two minutes to strategize and practice. Notice whether they come together to find solutions or if they break off into cliques and subgroups. Is everyone involved in looking for winning strategies, or are some off on their own, not participating? Who are the dominators, the ones who hold back, or those who check out altogether? Once again, your alertness as you watch the process unfold will make all the difference in the impact of your facilitation and integration of the game.

After two minutes stop them on deadline. Have them come together very close around you. Ask them if they came up with solution that everybody knew and agreed upon. "What was the two minutes like?" This is a great opportunity for you to teach key learning points about meetings, the power of questions, brainstorming, and transforming all players into full participants and eager team players.

Here are some Key Learning Points they should get from our discussion:

1. The two-minute, frenzied strategy session was like a lot of business meetings—lots of talking and little listening. Ask the team what the most prevalent challenges with many meetings are. They will come up with all sorts of points which directly relate to what they have just experienced. For example, a few people dominate everyone else, ideas are squelched rather than considered, when the meeting is over there is less clarity than when it started, and no one seems to have a solid idea of what to do next.
   
2. Explain that in most meetings, there tend to be people who become "dominators." These are the people who jump right to the front with energy and determination to give instructions. At this point surprise everyone by thanking the dominators for at least being eager to put themselves out there to make something happen. Then encourage them to expand their horizons, because there is almost always another group of people present who we’ll call "holder-backers."

Ask the team who often has the best ideas. Boom! They’ll recognize that holder-backers many times have tremendous ideas and insights. Why? Because they take in everything—watching, listening, connection. Dominators only notice their own idea and block everything else out. The problem with holder-backers is they won’t step forward with their ideas. They hold them in. why do holder-backers keep their ideas locked inside? Because some time in their past they were humiliated or stepped on for offering some different idea. They learned it was safer to keep quiet. If holder-backers withdraw further, they can slip into becoming "checker outers." These are the individuals who keep completely to themselves, who will no longer even be involved through their powers of observation.

At this point, encourage everyone to focus on becoming "bringer-outers!" Dominators can look around and notice the tuned-in-holder-backers and quietly ask them if they have any ideas. Holder-backers can also get creative about ways they can feel comfortable to bring their ideas to the table. For example, they can find the nearest dominator and express the idea to that individual, who will then bring it to the group. When everyone looks to be a bringer-outer, you will have a team running on all cylinders.

This is a great place to introduce the Team Possibility format, a simple and effective method for getting a tremendous amount done in meetings. Here is how it works:

1. Create you agenda as a series of questions.
   
2. The Team Possibility meeting is organized into a three-step process: Brainstorming, prioritizing, and action commitments.

Brainstorming is fast-paced with no assessment. Every idea is recorded. With such a welcoming and open atmosphere, an incredible number of ideas will be generated in a short time.

During prioritization, the team will determine which ideas and solutions they feel most beneficial and important to put into action.

Finally, during the last portion of the meeting, the team members will make individual action commitments. These are simply who will do what, by when.

Benefits: The clock is you friend in the Team Possibility meeting. You use it to create energy. Everyone knows the time frame is short and fast-paced. This elevates the level of concentration and alertness. Everyone involved in the Team Possibility meeting is involved and active from the opening brainstorming. All ideas are recorded and honored because there is no assessment during the creative session. Each individual knows he or she has the opportunity to be heard and to contribute. You will accomplish more in a forty-five minute Team Possibility meeting than in typical two-hour sessions. Most exciting, everyone knows their next step when they walk out of the meeting.

Explain to your hula-hoop team that the two-minute strategy session could have been run as a mini-Team Possibility meeting. They could have had one-minute for brainstorming ideas—quick, concise, clear. Then they could have used the second minute to prioritize—deciding which strategy to implement. Because everyone must participate in the relay, the action commitments are already determined.

At this point, you can run a quick Team-Possibility session with the hula hoopers. Let them brainstorm ideas and agree on a plan for round three. When they’re ready let them go for it! At least two strategies will enable the team to easily complete the game in less than the thirty-second goal you have set for them. One strategy is to move the group instead of the hoop. This means that all members of the team run in a clockwise circle one full revolution when you say go, and then immediately reverse and run a full counterclockwise circle. With this strategy, the hoops stay with the same people all the way around, yet they make their two full circles. I’ll leave the second and other strategies for you and your team to discover!

To wrap things up, have everyone thank at least two of their hula hoop buddies and sit down together to integrate the game. Start by re-emphasizing the importance and value of the principles and they successfully used to be more of a team—cheering and supporting each other, helping each other, and raising their energy—when they improved from round one to round two. These principles alone make an enormous difference.

Next, explain that the game also provides an ideal example of how to generate remarkable growth in your team. There is a four-step process to initiate unstoppable improvement:

1. Raise the bar.
2. Heighten you alertness.
3. Change your belief about what’s possible for you and your team.
4. Find and implement a better strategy.

A simple review of the game reveals how this four-step process comes into play. The first thing I did in the hula-hoop relay when we finished round one was to raise the bar. I said, "I know you can improve your time to-----!" and then watched closely for their response when I asked if they really believed they could achieve the new goal.

Later when we integrated the game I asked participants where that new standard had come from. Immediately they answered correctly—I snatched the goal out of the ether. I had a bit of experience to guide me, but basically the process of raising the bar was no more than making stuff up! This is an important realization for them as coaches. Goal setting is an imagination game.

When I raised the bar again by setting a new goal time before the third round, I again asked the team how many of them believed they could achieve the new level. At that point it was crucial for me to tune in as a leader and notice the level of their belief (mainly by observing their body language) because during integration I asked the group, "How many of you felt a major decline in your confidence about achieving your third round goal?" I got lots of hands and nods of agreement. Then I asked, "How many of you have ever had the bar raised by a manager or leader, but didn’t believe you could achieve the new standard? In fact, you may have felt you were already giving everything you had just to perform at your present level." Finally when I asked, "How does it make you feel when someone raises the bar for you, and you already feel like you’re giving your best?" They answered, "angry, disillusioned, like giving up, frustrated, defeated, unappreciated…"

That’s why, without changing disempowering beliefs about what’s possible for you and your team, raising the bar will have the opposite impact on improvement you desire. And, without heightening your alertness, you won’t be able to accurately gauge the level of belief. It’s not enough to ask the question, "How many of you believe you can do it?" You must heighten your alertness as a leader, both in the way you observe others and yourself. You must become clear whether your team is simply giving you lip service telling you what you want to hear, or if they truly have a high level of belief.

The hula-hoop relay provides a great example. When I asked the team how many believed they could improve markedly from round one to round two, the response was positive and unanimous. All could feel the energy and confidence. However, when I told them they could improve to less than thirty seconds in round three (raising the bar far higher), I observed far less certainty in their response. They may have said yes, but their body language expressed lots of doubt. When asked later if they felt the decline in their positive belief, their lack of confidence was obvious to them. This brings out a key responsibility as a coach. When you see and feel that the team’s belief is wavering with doubt and uncertainty, you must help them elevate their faith.

How do you instill greater certainty into the hearts of your teammates? Start by asking your team, "What is a belief?" Let the question sink in for just a moment or two, then ask another question. "How many of you believe something today that you didn’t believe five years ago?" you’ll see virtually every hand go up. Follow with, "So the first thing we know about beliefs is that they can do what?" The group will respond with a resounding, "Change!" Now ask for the definition of a belief again. They will give you some good answers. Enjoy them and build upon their responses. Offer the statement that a belief is nothing but a feeling of certainty about what something is or means. This feeling of certainty is supported by experiences or references that are real or vividly imagined.

Now ask, "So if you are a leader seeking to help elevate your team’s level of belief in themselves, or you want to change your own disempowering belief, how can you go about it effectively? In other words, when you see your team lacking faith, what can you do to help them change?"

Listen at this point for some great ideas. Encourage the team to put those ideas into action. Here are a few key learning points to add if they are not offered by the team:

1. Your own enthusiasm and level of belief can be powerful. Be a strong positive Pygmalion.
   
2. Breaking the new standard you have set into smaller chunks can make a big difference. The team may be able to see themselves twenty-five percent of the way to the bar, but not all the way. As soon as they see themselves making some improvement, they create momentum and begin to reel the goal in.
   
3. Ask them to think of a time when they achieved something about which they originally felt doubtful and uncertain. By asking them about their real experience of triumph in the face of a major challenge, you help them become fully associated to their ability to exceed their own expectations. They access the same resources and energy that served them earlier.
   
4. Use a surprise metaphor or game like the F-card to help them see there is ore than meets the eye. The same is true of their own potential.

Once you have observed that the level of belief in their ability to reach the new goal is strong, the final step in unstoppable improvement is to find and implement a better strategy. It’s critical that the beliefs is solidified first, however, or strategic vision is severely limited.

End by once again identifying the hula-hoop relay as a great example of the unstoppable improvement process. Ask, "Think back now and imagine if we had just done one round of the hula hoop relay. What would we have missed? How much of our ability and potential may have been left untapped? Odds are, we would have had no idea how rapidly and dramatically we could improve our performance." That’s why it’s so pivotal to ensure that your team knows the possibility for unstoppable improvement is ever present.

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© 2001-2009 - Brian D. Biro
Professional Speaker
Transformational Leadership Coach