What’s Happening in Your Neighborhood? An Experiential Exercise for Teams

Abstract

This article describes an interactive experiential group problem-solving exercise. It has had considerable impact on students’ understanding of team function and membership. It enables them to learn, in a practical and unforgettable manner, that effective teams have certain key characteristics. The main feature of the exercise is that students must depend on each other for information. Without everyone’s contribution, the problem remains unsolved. Usual problem-solving methods are inadequate, creativity is essential—and it is great fun! The exercise gives students a means of measuring the effectiveness of their own group processes, and acts as a motivator in further developing the groups and teams to which they belong.

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