No more boring meetings! I cannot claim to be the creator of any of this stuff but I have tried, tested and can recommend all of it. "Nobody has to play but everybody is welcome."
Open your meeting with a Check-in. This is a really effective method to bring everyone into the meeting to get them mentally present and ready to start. This space creates knowledge and insight about each other and perhaps what else might be here. For example: Tell us about your shoes? Take 30 seconds to a […]
Read More Check-insAnyone leading meetings, presentations, or teams should be aware of Liberating Structures. 1, 2, 4, All is one of the best facilitation techniques in my toolbox.
Read More 1, 2, 4, AllAn awesome icebreaker. No words. Lots of smiles.
Read More Copy ClapsFun and playful way to begin a session with a large group.
Read More Train Station GreetingsPartner activity in which one person traces the identical path of their partner’s fingers as they draw numbers in the air.
Read More Space CountingA really fun way to learn the value of inspecting and adapting a teams through-put rate through iterations, self organization, estimation, historical data, and sustainable pace. Created by Boris Gloger. Tastycupcakes online version Play in person and materials
Read More The Ball Point GameHighly recommend! Participants get the feel and touch of emergent design, iterations, teamwork and operating from high-level requirements. Demonstrate the roots of Scrum through cross-functional and self-organizing teams. I have co-trained this exercise a couple of times with Dhaval Panchal. It originates from Brent Barton. Complete instructions here
Read More Movements of a Hypnotic NatureCredit to @ChrisSims who I first saw running a session like this at an AONW conference. I have used this exercise to help teams understand how a they can reach consensus in estimating work regardless of the differences in experience and skill-set amongst them. Part 1 Divide your room into equal teams (6 – 10 people on a team works well). […]
Read More Estimation GameForm groups of 6 to 8 people. Challenge each group to create a machine out of their members by imitating the appearance and action of the machine with as many parts (gears, levers, etc.) as they can devise. The machine should have motion and sound, and include all team members. (If a group is having […]
Read More The Human MachineThe Marshmallow Challenge is a poweful exercise in fostering collaboration, it also reveals how we make many false assumptions. It originated with Dennis Boyle, Health and Wellness Partner at IDEO. Peter Skillman and Tom Wujec then presented TED talks about it. Instructions
Read More Marshmallow Challenge
Games Simon Plays 