Group Juggle

This game can be used for teambuilding/getting to know each other/ communication/ and goal setting.  It's particularly fabulous to use with business groups.  

• SET THE STAGE: To begin, set the stage for the group.  If they are a business group, tell them you are their customer.  If not, ask them who their constituents are (ie. who do they have to please?).  
• Tell the group you'll be giving them a lot of information and the activity will allow them to work on their communication.  
• Ask the group their number one challenge at work/when working together.
• Do the same for each of 4 balls.  
• PRACTICE: Have everyone hold one hand up and tell them they may catch with two. Once they have had the ball they may put their hand down indicating, to everyone else, they have had the ball.
• See if everyone can remember the order they first set up by practicing passing one ball with no glitches.
• Before you incorporate balls 2,3, &4 into the game, make sure to ask the first person that they tossed their ball to. Remind them that, like communication, one needs to make sure your receiver is ready before one tosses ball number 2, 3, & 4.
• JUGGLE: Now ask the team to "juggle" by continuing the sequence.  The balls must be contacted, by everyone, in the order in which they were put into play.  The operative word here is contacted, but remember NOT to emphasize the word.
• CHALLENGE:  Time them!  Ask everyone if they think they can shave 3-5 seconds off their time.  You be the judge on this.  For example, if a group finishes in 34 seconds, see if they can get it under 30.
• Keep shaving in increments of 3-5 seconds for several rounds. If someone asks me, any questions about changing order or bending the rules. I usually ignore them or simply repeat my mantra. Makes for a nice debrief in the end. 
• Make sure to mumble the rules for the first several rounds.  Can add a nice debrief about how customers are often ignored.  
• After everyone figures out they can "think outside of the box," I'll start asking things like: How good are you? How fast do you think you can do it?
• FINISHING UP: If the group gets below 4 seconds and there's a celebration, stop the activity while the energy is high.  
• The debrief is the MOST IMPORTANT PART!  I'll usually ask the women, because they 9 times out of 10 come up with the solution, what it was like to be ignored. Follow that up with, why didn't you keep asking? Why did it take a man to say the idea before it was heard?  What helped the group succeed?  What could they improve on their communication?