This quick team activity shows individuals how to cope with rapid-paced changes in the workplace.

Me and U

Time: 10-20 minutes

Purpose: Learn how to accept and adapt to change in the workplace and accepting the minor mistake we’ll make

Participants: 5-15 people

Materials: None

1. Arrange the group into a “U” formation.
2. Have them count off down the line so everyone has a number.
3. The first participant begins by calling anyone else’s number.
4. Immediately that person must call someone else’s number.
5. Play continues like this until someone hesitates or calls an incorrect number (either their own number or a number that is not in the group).
6. That participant goes to the end of the line. She and everyone that was behind her now have a new number.
7. Resume play.

Summary:

• How did you feel when you made a mistake? (Like a failure, I let the team down, disappointed in myself, embarrassed, etc.)
• How did it feel to watch someone else make a mistake? (Empathy, glad it wasn’t me, angry or frustrated, disappointed, etc.)
• What is our typical reaction when we make minor mistakes at work? (Point out that changes lead to some minor mistakes, and we should not focus on them.)
• How did you feel as your number continued to change?
• How did you feel watching the pressure others were experiencing, but you weren’t?
• What implications does this have for us on the job?

 Tips for success:

• Have the group set a pace by clapping hands to a beat.
• Quicken the pace so everyone “fails” often and then numbers change frequently.
• Watch to see if anyone tries deliberately to trip up those at the beginning of the line. Ask why during the debrief. Do we not like to see others remain successful.

Source: Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers – Brian Cole Miller, pg. 108-109