Professional games facilitators were surprised when I described the first “Make Your Own” potluck where we made things in teams.  “Didn’t you warm up first?” they asked.  “How did you introduce people to making things?”

I thought the answer was simple.  I thought it was potluck.  People brought food, and eating and sharing food opened us to the idea of making things.  But in comparing the potlucks, I think it’s something extra.  I think creating something tangible and playful — interpersonal games or visual art — opens people up to making things.  It’s not like creating theory or plans.  You see what you make.  You can play with what you make.  You can show other people what you made.  We’re all on the same page.  When a team makes a kite out of tin foil, tape, straws and ribbons, you know what the kite is.  It’s different from planning how to get cameras to kids in schools, where everyone probably has a different image of who the kids will be, what the cameras will look like, etc.

Make it a team project, so the team is doing it together.  Personal projects and “show and tell” are fine, but people are likely to be judgemental (”I know how to solve it so why don’t you?”  “In my experience it’s easy, just do ________.”)  Involve people in the same challenge, with results that you can see, hear, smell, taste or touch.

Allow the team to choose the project and how to achieve results, so they realize, “We can make anything we want.”  And then their relationship becomes about making what they want and playing.

So, teambuilders, start with something tangible, something that can be completed, mission accomplished, in the first meeting.  People are more likely to bond with strangers, open up, let their guard down, have fun, feel deeply satisfied and happy, and learn about each other in the process.  Make a game or an art project, clean a kitchen, build a house, improvise a theatrical performance.

And yes, I still think potluck is a good icebreaker to having people feel appreciated and appreciate others.  “You made this chicken?  It’s wonderful!”  “Thank you.”

• You’re invited to “Make Your Own” this Sunday April 15, 5:15pm
• Like surfing on a wave
• Indulgences
• “Make Your Own” game rules summarized
• How do we become “we”?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 13th, 2007 at 6:10 pm and is filed under Teams. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.