Teambuilding Activity: The Change

A very fun exercise that can be applied during change processes is the following:

Form pairs. Stand opposite each other and observe the other person carefully, remembering what they are wearing.

Now both of you turn around and change five things about yourselves. When you're ready!

Okay, turn around, look at each other again, and guess what things the other person has changed.

Ask them when they're done: Was it easy to change five things?

Notice that participants usually remove something rather than add. How many did that? In life, we often associate change with losing something. Change also gives you things.

Also, note that when the exercise is over, people quickly undo the changes. This is typical in situations where we deal with change.

As an alternative, you can keep asking participants to change five things again. They will become frustrated and indicate that they really can't change any more things. Only the out-of-the-box thinkers will start adding things. This can demonstrate how frustrated people become when faced with constant change.

Thanks to Hein Boschker, Sentido, for this exercise.