Every Team Building & Leadership program engages people and learning on different levels. The challenge is how to retain and transfer the ideas, skills, and plans into action?

This requires a trap! The video illustrates a processing & reflection based initiative. Active processing works to take an existing idea, combine it with a new skill and develop a connection within your habits and brain.

TRAPS OF INQUIRY

Here is how it works.

To be used following a team building activity, with the purpose of asking questions and transferring learning into the team, organization, individual.

You will need at least 1-3 mouse traps per/person I prefer the Victor Metal Pedal Traps.

Before beginning the processing cover all safety and trap setting protocols, also make sure that all people are comfortable with mouse traps.

Each person is supplied with one trap per person…ask each person to think of a question they have for the team or somebody else on the team. These questions should be to gain insight into the feelings, planning, ideas, actions, goals, follow up, leadership of the team and/or another person.

Ask for a volunteer to ask the first question (the question can be to a specific person or just to the team in general). Once they ask the question allow for people to answer the question, and ask follow up questions as needed.

Once the first volunteer asks the question and it is sufficiently answered by the person and group the person who asked the question loads their trap and places it on the ground (table, steady surface) as shown in the video. The traps must be set and placing them can be tricky. Take some time and play around to determine the best way to accomplish this.

Ask for another volunteer, and the process continues until all people have gone or you are out of mouse traps. While placing the traps allow the group to create their own shape. As shown above this group created a question mark. Let the group choose their own shape and design, it aids in the choice and autonomy of the learning.

When all the traps are set in their formation ask the group questions about the shape they chose. Look for significance in the structure, view patterns in the questions and responses from the people.

Once everyone has asked and answered some questions about the team building who is going to spring the Traps of Inquiry into action? Here are some suggestions (please feel free to have the group or you determine the best way);

• Group Chooses a person
• Each person is given a ping pong ball or balloon and group tosses at the Trap of Inquiry
• Facilitator sets it off
• Entire group blows on the traps

Purchase the E-Book: How to Lead Awesome Team-Building Programs

Did you ever wonder “How does one lead AWESOME team-building programs? Programs that ensure that content and learning take place. A teambuilding program that is fun, and teams leave better than when they arrived?” Now you can find out; In this 55 page E-book you will find applicable strategies, team-building activities, facilitation, de-briefing, and processing activities + theory that you can use immediately.

michael cardus is create-learning