Two teams must work together to construct a miniature city using building blocks. The 'Visionaries' are given photo cards of the buildings while the 'Doers' are seated at a table with the blocks. The Visionaries may not show their cards to each other or to the Doers, and they cannot touch the blocks. They can only give verbal instructions to the Doers.

No one knows it at first, but each photo card has a slightly different view of the building to be constructed. The group is confused at first, but quickly realizes that they must use other’s unique perspectives, along with explicit communication, to build the city.

Once the buildings are erected, the Visionaries exchange photo cards to check the results, and everyone reflects on the experience. If time permits, the Visionaries and Doers can swap roles and do the activity again, applying their new insights.

This activity is ideal for addressing multiple perspectives, giving and receiving information, effective collaboration, and optimizing work processes.

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Team Development

Use it for coordinating actions, working with multiple information sources, improving teamwork to achieve a goal, and building team spirit

Communication

• Use it for giving and receiving information, and accepting views and ideas from others

Collaboration

Use it for cooperating to achieve a shared goal, highlighting different working styles, and exchanging information

Project Management

Use it for planning and optimizing work processes, and seeing a challenge through to completion

Performance Improvement

Use it for adapting to make progress, and demonstrating individuals’ need to contribute to group projects

Systems Thinking

Use it for experiencing interdependencies, and synchronizing the actions of the parts to achieve system goals

Icebreaker

Use it for a fun and easy kick off, to activate a group, and to create team