Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Goals 1. To evaluate various group problem-solving approaches. 2. To examine the role of competition on group performance. 3. To consider the influence of making errors on the inclination to take risks. Group Size Several groups of three to five persons each. Time Required 20 to 30 minutes. Materials 1. A copy of the Appearances Puzzle Sheet and a pencil for each participant. 2. A prize for the winning group (optional). 3. A transparency of the Appearances Solution Sheet or a copy of the sheet for each group. 4. An overhead projector. Physical Setting A room large enough for groups to work without disturbing one another. Writing surfaces should be provided. Process 1. Direct the participants to form groups of three to five persons each. 2. Distribute a copy of the Appearances Puzzle Sheet and a pencil to each participant. 3. Refer the participants to the instructions on the puzzle sheet and read them aloud. 4. Explain that the first group to arrive at the solution will be the winner (show the prize, if you chose this option). Say that when a group completes the puzzle, a member of the group is to stand. Signal for the groups to begin.

The New Encyclopedia of Group Activities. Copyright 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com

5. Acknowledge when the first group completes the puzzle, and stop the activity. Ask the winning team to reveal the solution, which follows: NOBODY SEEMS TO BE LISTENING EXCEPT WHEN YOU MAKE AN ERROR. 6. Display the Appearance Solution Sheet transparency showing the correct path on the grid using the projector (or distribute a copy of the Solution Sheet to each group). 7. Lead a concluding discussion based on the following questions: What approach did your group use to solve the puzzle? How did competition to be the winning group influence performance? If you were going through the same activity again, would your group change its problem-solving approach? If so, how? If not, why? Looking at the solution, how does this statement apply to what happens in the work environment? How does this influence your inclination to take risks? Give some examples of situations in which this was the case. How does the element of competition influence your inclination to take risks? Give some examples.

The New Encyclopedia of Group Activities. Copyright 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com

Appearances Puzzle Sheet

Instructions: A statement is coiled in the 7 by 7 grid below. To spell it out, start with one letter and move to an adjacent letter in any direction. Each letter is used only once and one letter is null. (HINT: Start with the letter N.)

The New Encyclopedia of Group Activities. Copyright 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com

Appearances Solution Sheet

Solution: NOBODY SEEMS TO BE LISTENING EXCEPT WHEN YOU MAKE AN ERROR.

The New Encyclopedia of Group Activities. Copyright 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com