Land Mines

Dynamics

Communication

Quality

Teamwork

Description

Everyday in business, we set out to do battle with the competition. We must produce or sell a quality product at a fair price in order to be successful. Along the way, there are many obstacles or land mines that if we trip on them, they will blow up. This explosion could ruin not only the project, but the person as well. There is a long stream of people involved in the business success chain. These people must learn to communicate effectively as a team in order for them to survive the minefield of business. The group will be broken into two sets - one to represent management and one to represent the employee. Together, they are to successfully negotiate a "Minefield" that you have created for them using bottles of water or #10 cans. The "employees" are blindfolded, so the area must be safe.

Metaphor

As we send out the field personnel to sell or provide our service, it is the leader’s responsibility to make sure that they can deal with and negotiate the land mines that await them. The further from the leader the employee gets, the harder it is for the leader to do this effectively. Both parties must know what the other is dealing within order for them to be successful.

Resources Required

A large, open, level area* and the following materials:

Roll of masking tape or paint

100 16oz plastic bottles of water or 100 #10 cans

Bandannas for blindfolds (1/2 the total of the group)

* This could be done inside or out

Time

This WooHoocise will take approximately 5 minutes to set up with the group, 15 minutes to complete depending on the size of the group and 20 minutes to debrief. This will be a total of 35-50 minutes depending on group size.

Participants

This WooHoocise is limited in size only by the room or area of the exercise. For every 12 participants, there should be at least one facilitator. This WooHoocise tends to become very competitive and you will need the extra resources for safety issues.

Preparation

1. Bring the resources to the open area and place a line of tape on the floor or ground across each end of the "minefield". The size of this area will vary depending on the size of the group. Be careful not to set an area too small. The participants will start to bump into each other and cloud the objective of the WooHoocise. You may need to mark the sideline as well, if you are outside.
2. Place the water bottles or cans sporadically around the minefield area. Make sure when you are finished that there are no straight paths from one side to the other. Also, be careful not to put too many mines out as to make it so difficult that the group does not have a chance to complete it.
3. Set the bandannas for the blindfolds aside and out of view until you are ready for that part of the discussion.

Method

1. Convene the group in an area adjacent to the prepared site and give them a summary of what this WooHoocise entails. Try not to be too forthcoming your information or strategy as this will dilute the effectiveness of this exercise. There is to be no time given for strategy!
2. Divide the group in half and have them partner up.
3. Have one person from each partner group volunteer to be the employee who will negotiate the minefield and have the other one serve as the leader who will guide them.
4. The guides may speak to their partner, but they may not touch them and they may not move across the tape line at the end.
5. The employees are not allowed to speak for the rest of the WooHoocise.
6. When you say go, each team tries to successfully negotiate the minefield by "shouting " their instructions to their partner. If the employee hits a mine, then they must return to the start line and begin again.
7. Every team must get their partner to other side before the WooHoocise is complete. If you stop before they are done, it will be very frustrating to your group and the debrief will go very poorly.
8. The group is trying to get from one side of the minefield to the other. They may not use the walls along the side, however, to do this. The walls or sidelines are out of bounds and count as a mine. Therefore, if the employee touches them, they must go back.
9. After your explanation is over, have the "employees" put on their blindfolds. Do not explain that there will be a blindfold until this point, but make sure that anyone who has volunteered to negotiate the minefield is comfortable with being blindfolded. Prepare for any concessions needed like holding of eyeglasses, etc.
10. Make sure that you have provided adequate safety instructions to the group and that you have the proper number of facilitators to provide for safety.
11. When everyone has successfully negotiated the minefield, hold the debrief.

Safety

Since half of the participants are blindfolded, you must be sure that the outlining areas of the minefield are safe and that you have extra facilitators to watch the sidelines. Always communicate to a blindfolded person by touching them on the arm when you are talking to them.

Debriefing Questions

First, to the blindfolded participants.

How did it feel to try to work your way through the minefield without being able to see?

How dependent were you on your partner?

How hard was it for you the further away from your partner you got?

Was it difficult for you to know if the directions being shouted were for you or for someone else?

How did it feel to get so far through the exercise and then be told to go back because you struck a land mine?

Were you ever confused by the instructions being given to you?

Second, for the guides.

Did you have a plan for success before we started?

Did you have to change that plan during the exercise?

Was it frustrating when your partner would not move correctly no matter how hard you tried?

How hard was it for you the further away your partner got?

Third, for the entire group.

Why did the exercise naturally evolve into a competition?

Did we state at the beginning that this was a competition?

In your business, what are some of the land mines that are waiting for you?

In our scenario, whenever you hit a land mine, you blew up and had to return to the beginning. Is it possible to prepare people to strike land mines and survive? (hint: You are looking for training)

As leaders or managers, how do we provide for effective communication the further away our people get?

Variations

Depending on the size of the group, you may need to have the teams converge through the minefield from both end lines. This adds a very interesting dynamic since the guides are now shouting from both sides at the blindfolded employees on the minefield.

Also, you may want to have the group try again, with their newly discovered information. Be careful not to let them turn this into a race. Or you could repeat the WooHoocise and have the group reverse roles. This variation will add considerable time to your WooHoocise. Keep