Team Building Games & Activities

Values Clarification

Instructions:
Facilitator introduces the exercise as a tool to explore personal values and their relationship with team
values concepts important to leadership.

This exercise has four components:

Defining personal values
Sharing values with the chapter
Creating a chapter values statement
Applying the experience to your affiliation

Step One: Chapter members and facilitators should rank the 25 values listed on the following page, 1
being most important and 25 being least important. They should circle or highlight their top five choices.

Step Two: Delegates and group members share their top five ranked values with the group and
explain the significance of the order.

Step Three: Facilitators lead discvussion with group posing the following questions:
Q: What values can be seen across our rankings?
Q: What values do we as a chapter agree are essential?
(Chapter must agree on five to seven values as a group and facilitator records them on a
statement list, posted in a central area of the room.)

Step Four: Facilitator leads discussion on how this applies to the affiliation as a whole and the
affiliation as a chapter experience: These values are the basis for our actions and interactions, and for
how we should achieve the expectations we set earlier for our chapter. Pose the following questions:
Q: What do these values mean as we work together in our affiliation?
Q: What does this mean when we work together in our chapter?
Q: How important is values exploration and creating shared values when trying to create
change?

Closing: This activity is meant for us to explore our personal beliefs and how they fit as we work as
group. Knowing your values is a critical component of leadership for we must know what we stand for if
we are to inspire a shared vision, enable others to act, or model the way.

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Individual Values Rankings

Achievement Top 5 Personal Values

Advancement
Authority 1.
Balance 2.
Contribution 3.
Creativity 4.
Customer Service 5.
Enjoyment
Excitement
Fame
Growth
Independence Top 5 Chapter Values
Integrity
Knowledge 1.
Money 2.
Performance 3.
Power 4.
Quality 5.
Recognition
Relationships
Security
Stability
Self-Actualization
Teamship
Winning

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 What I need/ What I Bring

Items needed:
Half-Sheet Papers, Writing utensil for each person

Instructions:
Chapter members should use the half sheets of paper to write what they bring/contribute to the
chapter on one side, and what they need/expect from the chapter on the other side. Encourage
participants to use only one word or very short phrases to communicate their points.

Once everyone in the group has had a chance to write their thoughts, ask someone in the group if
they would be willing to start the sharing process. Continue until everyone has had a chance to
share.

Processing:
What are the basic reactions to this exercise?
Were there common things that emerged from the two lists?
Are there items tat people are surprised about?
What ground rules can the group agree upon for their interactions as a result of this
exercise?
Does this create some new expectations of the chapter?
What happens if people forget what others need from the group?
What happens if people to do not share and contribute their strengths to the group?

Three Islands

Instructions:
Divide chapter into either three or six groups. (Depending on the amount of people, each group
should have about 8-12 people in it.) Three small groups (islands) make up one large group, if
you have six groups, have them each play at the same time (two large groups). Before giving
instructions to the groups, blindfold participants on island number one.

Explain to the large group(s) that each island is to accomplish a task given to them. Explain the
objectives and instructions to each group separately and that they are to ensure the other islands
do not hear the instructions.

Island 1:
Objective: to get three balls in their can
Resources: three balls
Supplies needed: three balls, one trash can, blindfolds, rope to create the islands.

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Rules for island one:
You cannot step off the island onto the ground
Balls will automatically float back to your own island.
You may not remove your blindfold.
Only a blindfolded person can throw the balls into the can.
The can cannot be moved.
Participants can NOT see where the can is.

Island 2:
Objective: to aid all the blindfolded people in their task and utilize available resources.
Resources: two wooden planks
Supplies needed: two planks, rope to create the island
Rules for Island two:
Resources or people can t touch the ground outside the island or they
float to Island one.
You can t use or touch any of your resources until people on Island 1
have completed their task.
The Islands can t be moved.
You are MUTE for your entire activity
Only the blindfolded people can touch the balls on their island.
Jumping from island to island is not allowed.

Island 3:
Objective: to get everyone on your island, to get the balls on the cones into their can, to get
untangled.
Resources: two balls, piece of rope.
Supplies needed: two balls, one can, two safety cones, piece of rope, rope to create island
Rules for Island three:
Resources or people cannot touch the ground outside the island or they
float to island one
No one can come onto your island until you have completed all of your
tasks.
You can only knock off balls with the resources given to you.
Islands cannot be moved.
Jumping from island to island is not allowed
They will start in a human knot

Participants begin, facilitators must bring everything that touches the water to island one.

Processing:
- What was going on at each island?
- What conflicts did you experience during the course of the activity?
- What communication took place during the activity?
- Was any part of the process frustrating to some? Why?
- Was the process different on each island?
- What was the turning point of the exercise?

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Application to Fraternities and Sororities:
- What analogies can be made about this exercise to our chapter?
- How does this exercise relate to challenges in our chapter and/or Greek community?
- How can we foster communication and collaboration among these different sub-groups?

Additional Questions to relate:

- How are your values and beliefs a part of your leadership style?
- What are some individual leadership challenges you have faced?
- How can we build a better chapter?
- What are some examples of when you have effectively confronted someone?
- How do we successfully work as a team?

Steps to Change

Items Needed: One plastic garbage bag per person

Equal groups of 10 to 15 people.
One facilitator for each group

Instructions:
The goal of this exercise is for the participants to realize that they have the power to engage
people of authority in the creation of change. The activity will examine the roles of
collaboration, common purpose, and creating change. The activity can be difficult and may
cause some participants to experience frustration.

Facilitator starts by asking the group what resources do you have for making change? Typical
answers are listening, time commitment, respect for others, cohesion, money, openness, etc. As
each group member names a resource, write that resource on the bag and give it to that person.

You will use the resources you just named as stepping stones in the activity. It is called
Steps to change, and it is extremely difficult and challenging. For this activity, I will represent
the administration or the system. If at any point you have any questions or concerns, please let
me know. I AM HERE TO HELP YOU.

Facilitator should continue: Change is not an easy thing. The path between these two line
markers (start and finish should be at least 20 yards apart) symbolizes the path our chapter will
take to create change. You must use the resources given to you to get from beginning to end
with out touching the ground. You may only step on your stepping stones. As the
administration, I will count out loud during your journey. Each time I reach 30, you will give up
one of your resources.

You must all travel together, and you may not leave any group members behind you to pick up
later. If any member of the team touches the ground, the whole group must begin from the
starting line. Are there any questions? Before you begin, I will give you three minutes of
planning time.

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Facilitator acts as a rule-making administration by counting the elapsed time and collecting the
stepping stones. Be sure to challenge the group. The activity should be virtually impossible to
accomplish without negotiation/collaboration.

Participants are never directly told that the facilitator may negotiate/collaborate with them; if the
group members are frustrated, simply remind them that the administration is willing to work with
them and help them meet their goals. When the participants do request to negotiate, ask them to
agree on a specific request and send a spokesperson with the request. (Groups could request the
facilitator count slower and to 40 or ask for more stepping stones.) Facilitator should negotiate
and provide the minimum amount of resources needed.

Continue for only 15 minutes. At the conclusion, bring the group together to process.

Processing:
- How did the group handle the administration?
- Did the group effectively deal with adversity?
- Did adversity cause conflict within the group?
- How did not succeeding affect the group?
- Where were people s leadership skills/practices evident?
- What made you decide to approach the administration for help?
- How did it feel to ask for help?
- Was this process of change easy?
- Would the group consider themselves successful?

Application fro fraternities and sororities:

- How can you translate some of these lessons into real life?
- What role will negotiation and persistence play in your change process?
- What kind of leadership are they going to need to provide in order to ensure successful
change?
- Will they be willing to engage in the process by themselves?
- How will they ensure their success? Where they find the small wins?

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