Free Team Building Game

Keypunch

Objective:

• For participants to work together to address a complex group problem-solving challenge.

Group Size: 

• 10-30 participants.

Time:

• 45 minutes.

Equipment  :

• One boundary rope approximately 50' long, 30 carpet squares or paper plates -  numbered from 1-30, one cone.  (Increase supplies, based on numbers of participants.)

Facilitation:

• Advance preparation: form a rectangle with the boundary rope. Spread out the numbered spots within the boundary rope so that consecutive numbers are spread far apart from one another. These should seem to be placed in a random fashion. This will form your keypad. Place the cone as a starting/ending point approximately 10 yards away from the keypad.  
• Have all members of your group stand behind the starting point.  Explain that a terrible computer virus has infected the computers in the payroll department at your company and that this group of computer experts has been hired to disinfect the system.,   
• In order to disinfect the system, the team must enter the "restricted area" (anywhere beyond the starting cone, press the keys (spots) on the keyboard (anywhere within the rope boundary) in sequential order from one to 30, and get out of the "restricted area" in less than 30 seconds, with the following two stipulations:  

  ·       there may only be one person actually contacting the keyboard (i.e., the spots and/or the spaces between the spots, anywhere within the rope boundary) at any one time. Should two or more individuals be contacting the keyboard at one time, the board is "fried" and the group must begin again at number one. Time, of course, continues.  

  ·       Keys must be touched in order. If any keys are touched out of order, the board is "fried" and the group must begin again at number one. Time, of course, continues.   

• The group has a total of four attempts to disinfect the computer, time for each attempt begins when the first person in the group moves past the starting cone on their way to the keypad and ending when the last person arrives back at the cone.
• At the end of 45 minutes, the computer will crash irrevocably with the terrible consequence that everyone's pay check will automatically disappear.

Facilitator Notes:

1.     The first attempt will be much longer than thirty seconds as the group has not even seen the keyboard up to this point. Successful groups often use either the first or second attempt to truly study the situation and attempt multiple solutions while letting the clock run.  

2.     Key turning points for the group: they realize that all can be involved rather than just one person; that they can touch the keys with hands as well as feet; most significantly, that they can slow down and use one of their attempts to study and practice.  

Development Areas:

• Cooperation - involving all members in the process & solution

• Organizational skills

• Problem Solving under Pressure

• Collaboration

• Communications - Ensuring all ideas are heard

Debrief questions:

1. Were you happy with your team's performance at the end?

2. How did you  figure out any strategy to successful completion of this task?

3. Did everyone on your team agree with all of the decisions being made?

4. Did everyone on your team participate in offering ideas for ways to win?

5. How do you feel your team did during this challenge?

  to more team building programs for change management:

The Amazing Race

So You Think You Can Dance

The Apprentice

Survivor

Millionaire

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Deal or No Deal

The Idol

Pyramid

Jeopardy