FacilitatingAdultLearningForSocialChange(FALSCH)

SessionPlanningTemplate
(Group#1)

Addressing Power and Building Successful Teams: Facilitated Activity

Time:
45 Minutes
Participants:
Representatives of health organizations mobilizing to strengthen a referral network.
Your Intentions (Whats behind the curtain?)
Observe how issues of power and privilege manifest themselves in team processes.
Help participants to feel comfortable to draw learning from experience
Learning Objectives/Participants Take Away
To demonstrate the power of team problem solving.
To identify attributes of successful teams.
To explore strategies that address abuse of power in group processes.

Materials:
The Broken Squares Template cut out and pre-prepared for the appropriate number of
groups. Flipchart with the Brainstorming questions written down; Markers for Brainstorming Exercise
Agenda Overview:
Activity

Time Needed

Materials/Resources

Group Teams

5 minutes

Notecards with quotes:

1. Find the person who completes your
quote without talking
2. Group with the color notecards (2
groups of 4 green & yellow; blue & pink)
Qs: Introduce yourself by name; What is
the mission for your health organization to
encourage a strong network (white out on
the whiteboard)

Introduction Exercise

5 Minutes

Flipchart:
1. Distribute Broken Squares and discuss
the ground rules

Structured Broken Squares

Exercise

10 Minutes

Facilitate the Broken Squares Exercise

Debrief of Exercise

10 Minutes

Step 5: Mario with questions as large group

Brainstorming Attributes of
Successful Teams

10 minutes

NEW GROUPS flipchart People on

Successful Teams... thinking game and
real life

Closing

5 minutes

Discuss any closing remarks

Note to Facilitators:
The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate the dynamics of team problem
solving, and the role of power in facilitating or limiting participation and collaboration. Do not share this
purpose with the participants until the exercise is completed.
Detailed Description of Activities:
1. Divide participants into teams of five, making sure that one of the five participants in each team is a
member of your group! (This person is the Power Abuser.) Also, assign one observer to each team. (5
Minutes)
2. Introduce the exercise by explaining that the game the participants are about to play is a learning
experience that will be discussed later. Mix each set of 15 pieces (see sheet at end of guide) and distribute
three pieces at random to each of the five players on each team. Instruct the teams as Each member of
your team has three pieces of paper. When I say begin, the task for each of the five team members is to
form five perfect squares of equal size. Your task will not be complete until each of you has a perfect
square in front of you. REMEMBER: YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE GAME! The rules
of the game are as follows: (5 Minutes)
No team member may speak
Team members may not signal others to give them a piece of the puzzle
Members may give pieces of their puzzle to other members of the team
Observers will watch to ensure that members follow the Rules
You have 10 minutes to complete the task
3. Tell the teams to begin and call an end to the exercise after 10 minutes. Show the players who were
unable to complete the squares how to do so. [The role of The Power Abuser is to purposefully break
the rules and be very selfish in completing her/his square, while not supporting the others. Discuss
beforehand how abusive the Power Abuser should be, based on the goals of the session.] (10 Minutes)
4. Analyze what happened during the game, with a specific focus on power and the abuse of power, and
how it affected collaboration. Use the following questions to guide the discussion:1
General Question for thought. What aspects of teamwork, collaboration, and power dynamics
come to mind? Food for thought.
How was the spirit of collaboration in the group?
How did the actions of the Power Abuser affect the overall collaboration?
Was anyone interested in or able to stand up to the Power Abuser?
Have you been in both sides of the a situation similar to this activity?
Was there a critical point when members of the group began to cooperate or, began to NOT
cooperate?
5. Explain that the purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the dynamics of team problem solving
and the role of power in facilitating or limiting participation and collaboration. (10 Minutes for 4 & 5)
6. Write the following heading on a flipchart: People on Successful Teams... Ask the group as a whole
to think about the behaviors and actions they observed during the game or in the course of other

experiences that encouraged teamwork and led to successful outcomes. Ask participants to complete the
phrase People on successful teams... Write the responses on the flipchart. Be sure to include the
following if not mentioned by participants:
People on Successful Teams...
Clarify roles, relationships, assignments, and responsibilities
Share leadership functions within the group and use all member resources
Tolerate ambiguity, uncertainty, and a seeming lack of structure
Take interest in each members achievements as well as those of the group
Remain open to change, innovation, and creative problem solving
Are committed to keep group communication on target and schedule, while permitting
disagreements
Promote constructive criticism and helpful feedback
Foster trust, confidence, and commitment within the group
Foster a norm that calls for members to support and respect one another and remain realistic in
their expectations of one another
Effectively address abuses of power
7. Conclude that the Broken Squares exercise demonstrated quickly and clearly some behaviors that
promote teamwork as well as some behaviors that inhibit teamwork. The discussion expanded on the
characteristics of people who contribute to effective teams. It is easy to identify and even model these
behaviors in a workshop setting; however, the real world of working in teams is very different. In real life,
the tensions and expectations created when a group of diverse individuals come together to work on a
shared task exert a strong influence on how and when the group becomes a team. It will happena
team will emerge! (5 Minutes)

Notes To My FALSCH Self:

How does my content address issues of power and privilege in society? Does it help to build more
inclusive, equitable and sustainable communities, societies and social institution?
How do my facilitation strategies address issues of power, privilege and participation in the session? Are
we walking the talk?

Broken Squares Template