ABCD-Training-of-Trainers-Tools-July-2013

present their ideas creatively. Invite them to bring their symbols into the training space each day as a
reminder of how they understand good leadership.
Why? Because?
Give half of the group a piece of green paper (or any colour you choose). Give half the group a piece of
yellow paper. Ask those with green paper to write down any question they want starting with the word
“Why…” (e.g. why is the sky blue? Why am I so hungry? Why is there poverty?). Ask those with a piece
of yellow paper to write down any statement they want starting with the word “Because…” (e.g.
because I said so, because of something you did, because your dog bit me). Line those with green paper
opposite someone with yellow paper. Ask the person with the green paper to ask their question
(Why…?). Then have the person with yellow paper respond (Because…?). Usually, the question and
answer do not make much sense. When everyone has read their pieces of paper, ask the group to vote
on the pair whose question and answer made the most sense.
The Human Knot
Invite the participants to stand and form a circle for “The Human Knot.” Participants stand in a circle,
shoulder to shoulder, facing in. Each person takes the hand of someone on the opposite side of the
circle. Your hands should be with two different people. Through communication and a series of twisting
movements, without letting go of anyone’s hands, the group tries to return to a circle. At the end, some
participants may be facing a different direction than when they started. Some may form several smaller
circles. The object of this game is communication and the goal is to return to a circle without letting go
of the hand you are holding at any time.
Team Drawing
Divide into groups of 6-10 participants. Give each group a piece of paper and a coloured marker. The
first person in each group begins to draw something. After 30 seconds, the training leader says
“change,” and the paper (incomplete diagram) and marker are handed to the next person in the small
group. This person continues to build on the first part of the drawing. Play proceeds by having the
drawing passed around every 30 seconds until all members of the small group have tried to complete it.
Group members cannot talk or gesture to each other with their hands. They can use facial expressions
and other body movements to try and indicate what is being drawn. Once the time limit has been
reached, they share their drawing with another group, which must try to guess what has been (or was
intended to be) drawn.
Communicating without Speaking
This team-building activity is built on working out a non-verbal communication system. Divide into
teams of 6-10 participants. Each team should devise a secret, non-verbal way to communicate with each
other that allows a simple piece of information (a single digit between 0 and 9) to be passed among all
of the team members. The number must be conveyed using non-verbal, secret signals (it cannot be
spoken, mouthed, written, signaled by holding up a number of fingers, or “tapped” out by fingers, hands
or feet). People should be encouraged to use facial expressions and eye contact. Give the team up to
five minutes to devise their secret code. As the training facilitator, you should then whisper a number to
someone in each different team. The team begins the process of communicating this number among all
team members at the same time. When a team member believes they have understood the number,