Passes and Agile Sequence

Agile Sequence is a classic problem solving exercise to inspire innovation, foster collaboration and teamwork.

Ask your group to form a circle, and to pass a soft tossable (eg fleece-ball) around the circle so that everyone passes the item once and receives the item once.

Ideally, encourage people to pass the item across the other side of the circle. What you don’t want to see are lazy passes to their direct neighbour or people too close to them.

Starting and finishing with the same person, establish a pattern of tossing a ball within the circle so that every person tosses and receives the ball once. Let’s say the ball-passing started with you, which means the sequence will end with you receiving the ball.

Repeat this sequence of tosses several times to establish the pattern. Challenge your group to pass the ball in this sequence as fast as possible, meeting three key parameters:

• The ball passing starts and ends with the same person
• The ball must be passed in the same sequence every time
• Every person must be responsible for passing the ball

It is critical to establish one familiar and repeatable sequence of tosses. Without further notice, challenge your group to repeat the sequence of tosses, in the exact order as now established, as quickly as possible.

To this end, announce that you will record the time. Permit three official attempts to record the fastest time.

Allow plenty of time for discussion, planning, and trial and error before each attempt.

Frequently, but not always, the group will cotton on to the idea that they are not required to remain in a circle. Observe moments of clarity, creativity and ideation.

Moment of Reflection

• How was your group challenged in this exercise? Why?
• Did your group get stuck at any time? Why? What were the obstacles?
• Describe your ideation process.
  How did your group make decisions during the activity? Was this effective?
• Do you feel that the group took short-cuts, or bent the rules? Which ones?
• How do you feel about the interpretation your group took on ‘passing’ and ‘in sequence?’

The topics of this publication: integration, interactions, disinhibition, observation skills, strategy, energize, innovations, collaboration, teamwork, cooperation, adaptability skills, adaptation, planning, foster relationships, creativity