Change Management Games: 1: 'Keep the ball up'.

The aim
of the first one of the change managment games is, to keep a
ball up for hundred counts.
1. Ask the trainees to stand together in a tightly knit group.
2. Pass them a throw ball.
3. Tell the group that it is expected to throw the ball in the air
and keep it up for a 100 counts to win the game. If the ball is
allowed to drop on the ground before reaching the count of
hundred, then the training game should be started anew
beginning the count from 1.
4. Once the group has succeeded (usually in fifteen
minutes)debrief the first of the change management games.
5. The first step in the debrief is for them to understand that
change is inevitable. If outward conditions do not motivate
them to change already, change will visit them any way. (You
threw the ball at them and expected them to follow your
instructions. So you announced the change and the group had
to cope with it.)
5. Bring to the notice of the group the strategies they used to
succeed in the first of the change management games discovery of a few experts who are able to control the ball and
keep it in the air; as soon as the ball strays, the group directs
it back to the experts; discovery of some experts who are also
leaders and who bounce the ball towards as many of the group
as possible so that they will also be involved.
6. Draw further parallels with the process of change
management as listed above.
7. Materials you will need: A volley ball or a throw ball, or a
good sized ball.
8. You'll need to be in a high ceilinged room in about 500 sq.
ft. of space, if you are playing indoors. I prefer to play this
training game outdoors.
9. Caution the participants not to throw the ball too high as it
could hurt somebody's fingers or face as it falls down.
Change Management Games: 2. Group Juggling
1. You'll need: three small basket balls per group, and five to
six people per group
2. Demonstrate this training game with one group. Once you
have shown them how to play it then the other groups can
start playing.
3. Instructions for playing the second of the change
management games:

Ask the group to stand in a circle

Assign one of the group members to be the initiator and keep
all the three balls at her feet
Tell them that all throws should be underhand ones. The way
to be successful in group juggling is to focus on only two
things. The first is to remember who threw the ball to you. The
second one is to remember whom did you throw the ball to.
Tell them at the end of it the group will have all three balls
being passed simultaneously and the group will have
successfully juggled the three balls. At first this training game
will seem unachievable, but a trial will change the perception.
Also tell them that if they drop the ball or balls during the
training game then they will have to start the training game
from scratch.
Ask the initiator to throw one ball to another member of the
group. This member then throws to the next person and on it
goes until the last person throws to the initiator again.
Follow this pattern for a couple of iterations until the group
gets used to the pattern of throwing and receiving
In the third round after the ball leaves the initiator's hands,
gesture her to throw the second ball in the same pattern.
Let the group get used to two balls for a couple of rounds.
Again gesture to the initiator to include the third ball.
By now the group will be so focussed on the juggling they will
hardly notice the third ball for a couple of seconds. When they
do the excitement is so high that they continue the juggling
with renewed focus.
Of course they will drop the balls a couple of times, but they
will get back into the training game and succeed.
The success in the second of the change management games
leads to excited jubilation. The successful groups traipse over
to the still struggling ones to provide tips.
This training game the second of the change management
games provides a success experience which requires team
work and consistency. After they have had a few successful
rounds of group juggling you can stop to debrief the training
game.
During the debrief of the second of the change management
games, draw their attention to:
Change once it has visited the organisation finds a champion in
the organisation - usually the leader.
The leader has the task of initiating two or three sub changes
simultaneously.

To succeed she sets up a pattern of information and

performance flow
Once the pattern is fixed on she introduces a second subchange.
As long as the stakeholders know the pattern they do not mind
sticking to their piece of the change process.
The pattern gives the stakeholders the comfort level that they
need to complete the change process as it grows to its full
size.

Change Game 1: Cross Your Arms

Duration: 5 minutes
Number of participants: unlimited
Materials required: none
Description/Process: For practitioners facing a large class and not a lot of
time, this exercise really gets the point of change across. After the introduction
of the change subject, ask the audience to cross their arms. My operational
definition of crossed is folding their arms together, as if they were bored or
waiting for something. Once they have completed this task, ask them to fold
their arms the other way, reversed of what they just performed. I guarantee
that 90 percent of the class will struggle with it.
Discussion Questions
How did it feel when you were asked to cross your arms the other way?
Did it come naturally or did you have to stop and think about it?
Were you comfortable with doing this differently from your normal process?
What are some things that make people resistant to change?
What can you do to make it easier for people in your organization to accept
the changes associated with Lean and Six Sigma?
What kind of support is necessary to maintain the changes associated with
Lean and Six Sigma?
Facilitator Notes
When people cross their arms, they do so naturally, without even thinking
about it. When they are asked to fold them the other way they, for the most
part, stop, refold their arms again and then try to figure out which arm was on
top, which arm moves first and so on. Try this yourself and see. Encourage
participants to consider and share their own personal emotions related to
making changes.

Change Game 2: Change Your Seat

Duration: 5 to 15 minutes (depending on debrief)

Number of participants: unlimited
Materials required: none
Description/Process: This is another quick and easy game. Participants are
asked to change where they are sitting so they can experience the emotions
and feelings often associated with change. After the class gets situated and
comfortable, the facilitator should ask participants to change seats.
Discussion Questions
How did it feel to be asked to change seats?
Did you view changing seats as an opportunity to sit with someone new or as
an uncomfortable or undesirable change?
What are some things that make people resistant to change?
What can you do to make it easier for people in your organization to accept
the changes associates with Lean and Six Sigma?
If participants move back to their old seating arrangements after the exercise
is over, ask the following questions:
Why is it difficult to maintain changes once they are made?
What kind of support is necessary to maintain the changes associated with
Lean Six Sigma?
Facilitator Notes
Encourage participants to consider and share their own personal emotions
related to making changes. This is what makes the exercise powerful. Another
twist to this game might be asking participants to change seats frequently,
which also can help them enhance their personal ability to deal with change.

Change Game 3: Change Your Look

Duration: 30 minutes (depending on debrief)

Number of participants: pairs of two
Materials required: none
Description/Process:
Tell participants that they are going to assist in an experiment about making
changes. I would not mention that it is a game. Obtain their buy-in ahead of
time with their agreement to live with the changes made until the experiment is
over. Reassure them that the experiment only lasts 30 minutes, and they will

not have to do anything that they feel uncomfortable with.

Number participants off in groups of two and have each pair stand facing each
other.
Ask the participants to determine which one will observe and which one will
make the changes.
Tell the observer to study their partner closely because their partner will be
making a few changes.
Next, the observer from each pair should turn their back (or close their eyes)
and ask the other person to make five changes to their physical appearance.
This could mean moving their watch from one wrist to the other, removing a
shoe, taking off jewelry or a tie, or removing their glasses. Give participants 30
seconds to complete the changes.
Participants may face each other again, all eyes open and ask the partner
who did not make changes to identify as many changes as possible. Allow
about 30 seconds for this.
Do a couple more rounds of steps 5 through 7.
Finally, ask participants to make 10 changes in 20 seconds. You will likely get
some resistance at this point. When you start to get verbal resistance, stop
and move to the discussion questions.
Discussion Questions
How did it feel to be asked to make so many changes?
What are some things that make people resistant to change?
What can you do to make it easier for people in your organization to accept
the changes associated with Lean and Six Sigma?
Begin with the preceding questions. At some point participants will begin to
refer to the changes made during the exercise. When this starts to happen,
ask the following questions:
Why is it difficult to maintain changes once they are made?
What kind of support is necessary to maintain the changes associated with
Lean and Six Sigma?
Facilitator Notes
When providing instructions for this exercise, obtain agreement from the
participants that they will maintain whatever changes are made until the
exercise is over. Prompt the group to think about and share their own personal
emotions related to making changes.
Some participants may make the point that these changes are not like
changes being made in the organization. If this happens, acknowledge the
validity of the statement, but ask how these changes and peoples reactions
to them are similar.