Chain of Command
Chain of Command is a medium-energy team building activity for groups of 8–16 people.
What it is
Chain of Command is a game that fosters problem-solving skills. The emphasis is on facing challenges as a team through trust and co-operation. Leadership must be shared in order for the group to accomplish the task which creates rich discussion during the debrief.
What happens
The game has a line-up pattern and therefore the name Chain of Command. The facilitator indicates a strict deadline. This will simulate a fair amount of real life office stress among the participants. Using the many variations to Chain of Command, you can help participants discover the pitfalls of gaps in communication and to appreciate the nuances of different communication styles.
This is a game that has a lot of fun in store for the facilitator too. You can create even more challenges and raise the bar in fun quotient, by making the going extremely tough for capable teams. But at the same time you can play benevolent, by simplifying the task for a troubled team that may be stuck and not having any fun at all!
Who it's for
If you are looking for a game that involves thinking through a problem and solving it as a team, then choose Chain of Command. The game is based on team dynamics in tackling problems.
What the group learns
from Chain of Command?
Delivering an optimum solution within a tight deadline.
To think creatively, on their feet, under pressure.
That a good working relationship, good communication and trust within a team can go a long way in efficiently handling business situations.
The insight gained from the activity usually gets articulated by the participants in the conversation initiated by the facilitator after the exercise. It is critical to have this dialogue with the group because the thoughts vocalized after a team building exercise will ultimately drive home what the exercise sought to accomplish in the first place.>
Chain of Command Activity:>
Variations
- Blindfolds are always fun to mix it up.
- Make the blindfolding completely random and give them a temporary impairment that only you can take away.
- Blindfold and un-blindfold frequently to create a more chaotic activity that participants generally find more fun.
- Bring face masks used in hospitals and randomly silence some or all of the participants – works especially great in hospital settings.
- Another great physical impairment is to tell some or 6 Chain of Command all of the participants they can now only stand on one leg.
- Take this away from some or all of them at will.