How Stress impacts our Team Alignment ( adapted for Alignment Team Productivity

[Louise Owen]

This simple throwing and catching a ball exercise not only energizes a group/team but also if carefully debriefed offers insights re. what happens to our attention to the larger team common mission and purpose when the team member’s experiences prolonged stress?

Materials:
A group of at least 10 people and a room big enough so people can stand arms length apart. 5-6 soft balls. (In a pinch you can use soft clean, wool socks folded into soft balls).
Instructions:
1. Ask everyone stand in a circle about arms an width apart. If you or they do not know each other ask them to go in a circle and take turns saying their names out loud.
2. Facilitator takes a ball and calls out a participant’s name and simultaneously throws it towards that participant. That participant catches the ball and calls out another name and throws to that participant. That participant catches the ball, calls another participants name and throws the ball…this continues until everyone has caught and received the ball. The last participant says the facilitators name and sends the ball back to the facilitator.
3. Repeat the pattern exactly the same way but faster. Facilitator calls out the same name and throws the ball… Ask the group what is easy/ hard about this? (likely response: harder when pace increases)
4. Facilitator asks each participant to take turns in the circle identifying their favorite food. Avocado, pizza, blueberries, etc.
5. When the circle is complete the facilitator calls out a favorite food “Avacado” and passes the ball to that participant whose favorite food was avocado. The next participant calls out another food and throws the ball. This continues until all the participant’s foods have been called out and everyone has caught and thrown the ball. If you have time and interest try this backwards.
6. Repeat the pattern exactly the same way but faster. Facilitator calls out the same food and throws the ball… Ask the group what is easy or hard about this? Where is their attention drawn? Are they able to see both the big picture and the individual interactions?
7. After a couple of throws the facilitator adds a new ball into the mix so people are calling out foods and names simultaneously. The facilitator continues to add the balls until everyone is yelling foods and the balls are being thrown and caught. Expect that there will be a lot of collisions and dropping of the ball and hopefully laughter.
Discussion/ Reflection Questions:
1. Ask participants what is easy or hard about this exercise when multiple balls were in the air?
2. Where was their attention drawn as things got more hectic? Why was it drawn there? What else were they able to perceive? What did they lose sight of?
3. How might this exercise relate to work or their workplace? i.e. As things get more hectic where does their attention go? What happens to the teams sense of cooperation, cohesion and interdependence? What happens when someone drops the ball?
4. What can this team do to align their larger common team vision, mission, purpose and at the same time focus on specific smaller team task required during stressful times?
5. What do participants want to remember form this exercise about what happens to our perception of team alignment under stress? What will help them remember?

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