Themes: Group Dynamics
Objectives
- To make the participants work together towards same goal
- To make participants engage in more meaningful way
- To develop trust between the participants in a working process
Duration and Planning
- 15 minutes: Introduction of the method
- 45 minutes: Mission Impossible
- 30 minutes: Evaluation of the method
Materials
- Paper Tape
- Chairs
- Task List for the participants
- Board markers
- Pastel Paint
Recommended Method
In this section, we will implement the mission impossible activity to make the group work together as a whole and engage them in activities that are easier to make them feel more comfortable while building a trust and team to make the activities later on in a more deepened manner which requires teamwork and individual work. The facilitator provides a framework about the mission impossible activity prior to the start which will make the participants to engage with the local population, learn about the Spanish culture as well as learn about themselves through the process of the activity. The simple task can be found in the “Additional Information & Readings”.
For 45 minutes, the participants as a whole group rather than individual and small groups try to complete the tasks so that they learn how to work in a whole group. Afterwards, the group presents their tasks for 20 minutes than the debriefing process started. The facilitator can use the following questions during the debriefing process :
- How did you make the choices?
- Who (if anyone at all) was in the lead?
- What are the coordinating mechanisms?
- How are you as a team building on each others strengths?
- How did you manage to complete the overall tasks?
- What was really interesting during the completion of the tasks?
Afterwards, the facilitator provides an input on the “5 Stages of Team Development” (Tuckman Model). Than closes the workshop with the provision of the input and the questions of the participants.
Task List & Facilitators Note
You can use the task list below, though, you have to tailor the list according to the needs and the capabilities of the group. In that way, the facilitators should keep on eye the participants during the implementation process of the tasks so that the participants follow-up the guidelines provided by the facilitators.
| Mission IS_possible? Good Afternoon group,We got the information that you are composed of 30 people from different Southern Europe Countries with full of motivation and willing to work together during one all week!Your first mission as a group – should you decide to accept it – is to accomplish the following 15 tasks in 45 minutes: 1. Learn the story of Alcala la Real Castle from the local people 2. Make a group song with following words: frog, umbrella, citizens, water, chair, book, participation, human rights of youth, story, spoon, Europe, citizenship, youth work, inclusion. (You have to present the song after the exercise all together) 3. Make a painting (flip chart size) on “Human Rights of Youth” 4. Take at least 3 different pictures of the group, including all participants: in one of them only six feet can touch the floor, in the second one show your message to Europe, and in the third one… be creative! 5. Calculate how many years of youth work experience have this group 6. Make 5 different origami 7. Make a “not-to-do” List for the week – document it in a flipchart! 8. Make the 100-things-that-you-love list – document it in a flipchart! 9. Make a list of 30 reasons why it is better to be here right now rather than back home – document it in a flipchart! 10. Come up with 25 ideas on what to do on the free evenings – document it! 11. Learn how to say “you are very beautiful!” in all languages that participants speak 12. Everyone keeps silent for 1 minutes 13. Make a weather forecast for the next week in pantomime (no sound) 14. Think of your own personal dance movement and be prepared! 15. Learn 10 Spanish sentences! This message will not self-destruct in five seconds, but you have only 45 minutes to accomplish these 15 tasks. Can you do it? |
Additional Information and Readings
Other activities related with “team building” can be as well implemented according to target group.
5 Stages of Team Development ( Tuckman Model ) https://www.wcupa.edu/coral/tuckmanStagesGroupDelvelopment.aspx
