Ingredients:

• Origami instructions for half the participants (like this one)
• Blank standard sized printer paper for half the participants

Directions:

Pair up participants and provide an instruction sheet (face down) to one person in each pair (the “instructor”), and provide a blank sheet of paper to the other member of the pair (the “folder”). Split the pairs into three groups:

• Group 1 sits side-by-side,
• Group 2 sits face-to-face, and
• Group 3 sits back-to-back.

On “Go!” the person with the instruction sheet flips it over and instructs the other member of the pair how to fold the origami.

• In Group 1, one person folds, but both can consult the instruction sheet as much as needed.
• In Group 2, the folder must not see the instruction sheet, but the instructor can watch the folder and provide feedback on progress.
• In Group 3, the instructor and the folder cannot see each other, but they can talk (over their shoulders) as much as possible.

As each group successfully completes the origami item, have them stand up. The facilitator may cut it off after a period of time, because Group 3 may not successfully finish.

Learning Points:

• Collaboration leads to faster results and better quality.
• Communication barriers on geographically dispersed teams can be disastrous, even if there is unlimited verbal communication.
• Visual maps are a useful communication tool.

CREDIT: Ken Howard, Improving Enterprises

Posted by Don McGreal

30 mins

Ingredients

• Supplies for each team: play dough, pipe cleaners (chenille stems)

Directions

Each team selects one Business Analyst (or Product Owner) to come look at a picture of an item that a customer wants built. The BA’s are instructed to only use imperatives and similes (no ‘rhymes with’) and to not use certain words (like the game Taboo) when describing the item to the rest of their team.

• In round 1, the item is something simple (such as a chair), but the BA must communicate only in writing. This should only take a few minutes for the team to create using the given supplies.

• In round 2, the item is something simple (a teapot), but the BA can speak with their team. This should show how much easier it is to communicate by speaking.

• In round 3, the BA is shown an item that isn’t as easy to communicate (a motor-cycle RV or a make-up kit built in to a computer mouse for instance). Since items like these are not common, it should be much harder to build.

Note: A quicker alternative to this game is to have teams draw the items instead of using the supplies.

Learning Points

• In software, we are rarely creating something that already exists. Without a common vocabulary, we are forced to communicate in imperatives and metaphors and, quite often, much is lost in translation.
• Iterative development with demonstrations allow us to hone in on what is really needed, rather than what is asked for.