Two teams are challenged with building a single 13-foot bridge using only 28 sticks. No tools other than their own creativity may be used, and they must collaborate to devise a way to build the bridge over an imaginary 6-foot moat that separates them. They cannot cross the moat, which is marked with ropes.

The teams brainstorm alone at first but eventually join forces to create the span together. Some teams will build their halves independently, then meet in the middle, while others will construct the bridge in its entirety. Either way, the stable, self-supporting structure is a visible metaphor for creating team stability, finding a way to cross a cultural divide, or overcoming fear of failure.

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Team Development

Use it to coordinate actions, improve teamwork to achieve a goal, and build team spirit

Communication

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

Collaboration

Use it for coordinating action, cooperating to achieve a shared goal, and exchanging information

Project Management

Use it to plan and optimize work processes, and assign roles

Leadership

Use it to practice delegation and facilitation, and decision making in uncertain situations

Systems Thinking

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