OCTOBER 2023
PROBLEM-SOLVING & TEAM-BUILDING
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller
FACILITATOR PROMPT:
Working together to survive on a deserted island will stretch your teams’ problem-solving skills and help to build team dynamics. Collaborative group activities give your team opportunities to learn essential life skills while working and communicating effectively together.
Before explaining the exercise, separate your team into small groups of 4-6 people. You can separate them before the meeting, or have them select their own groups upon arrival. Give each group a poster-sized post-it sheet. Pass out a worksheet to everyone so they can folow along.
Read the following aloud once they are in their groups:
"You have been stranded on a deserted island with your group. The island is sub-tropical with monsoonal rain. There are some coconut trees and fruit trees off the shoreline. You must choose only 4 items to help you survive. Each person must individually consider and determine items that they believe the group needs to survive, and will then justify these items to the group. Then together as a group, prioritize the items and decide on the 4 total items you will all need. Write the items on your post-it poster sheet."
After 20-30 minutes, bring the groups back together. Have each group stick their poster sheet onto the wall and share their items and why they picked them to the rest of the group. Do a comparison - are there similar objects between groups? Are there any outliers?
Discussion Questions:
How did you feel about the number of people in your group? Would it have been better to have more or fewer and why?
How did you decipher the individual needs and the collective needs?
Did anyone have expertise that you relied on?
What collaborative skills did you need to engage in the task?
Where else would you use these types of skills?
EXERCISE:
Necessity is the mother of invention. Use the following worksheet and enjoy watching your team get creative while solving a problem!