Collective Masterpiece focuses on the diversity within a community or group of individuals and the impact that this diversity has on their work at completing the task of piecing together two puzzles. The task of completing the two puzzles is impossible with the original set-up of the activity, and requires group problem solving, effective communication, and open acceptance of each individual to successfully complete the puzzles. There can be a song, story, or theme that is revisited throughout the activity to bring focus and attention to the intended outcome that is metaphorically frontloaded at the beginning of the task. Once the community reaches a point of impasse with the task of piecing together their puzzles, then the group is invited to participate in creative problem solving. The facilitator may choose to prohibit verbal and written communication throughout the activity. Upon the completion of the task, time constraints, or impasse due to the group’s own developmental issues, the facilitator will intercede and begin processing the experience with well thought out and intentional questions and/or statements.
Clients to view and see the distinctness of:
Diversity within an individual
Diversity within a group of individuals
Diversity within a community of groups
Understanding of what Diversity is = “otherness,” or those human qualities that
are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet are present in other individuals and groups.
Differences between Primary vs. Secondary Diversity:
Primary – dimensions are age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, and sexual orientation
Secondary – dimensions of diversity that can be changed, such as educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, etc.
Seek to understand before one is understood
Communication = look at different forms of communication from verbal or
Written, and see how this is related to issues of diversity within a group
Focus on Team Effectiveness through these 3 Specific Areas:
1. How sensitive and perceptive are group members?
2. How much loyalty and sense of belonging do you have to the group?
3. How much trust and openness is in the group?
Two groups are randomly created by the distribution of stickers that have different symbols on them. The groups find one another by looking at the first symbol on their sticker (I choose either a triangle or a diamond). There is a second symbol (I choose three squiggly lines, a plus sign, a lightening sign, and a square) that comes in play later.
Once the groups are together, they are told that they are part of a larger community or town (the whole group) and they are the people making up this community. They are each given a specific directive that allows them to only perform certain actions with members of the other group (The directive is determined by the second symbol on their sticker). Each individual is not to share their directive with anyone.
The two groups are then given each a puzzle of around 24 pieces. Each piece has a symbol on the back of it and those pieces go to the corresponding group member with that same symbol on their sticker. Thus the person with a triangle and plus sign would get all the pieces that had a plus sign on the back (the triangle just designates the larger group they are in). The puzzles are put together as much as possible (each puzzle only consists of half of the right pieces, the other group has the other half with them in their puzzle box).
Once the groups can go no farther with their puzzle, they may send a representative to a common meeting place, and that person must take the piece with their corresponding second symbol on the back to trade or exchange if possible with the other group. Here is where each member’s directives come into play. The directives are set up to allow certain individuals to trade with anyone, certain to trade with only the mirror symbol in the other group, and those who can trade with no one. Therefore, the triangle square may be able to trade with any diamond, but the diamond plus sign can trade with none of the triangles. Therefore, they reach the common meeting ground and both leave with the same piece they arrived with. Also, each group member must come to the common meeting ground once before any one group member may go twice. This allows for everyone the ability to exchange their piece.
Once an impasse is reached, the groups are given time to write down their feelings and answer questions that are listed in the next section. From here, solution cards (I choose chiji cards) are distributed and each group member is allowed to come forward and find one card that represents a solution they have to the activity. Each member has the opportunity to share their solution within their group and then the group decides which solution they are to follow. Thus, the triangles come up with a solution and the diamonds come up with a solution. The groups then present their solution to the other group and it becomes law, even if it counters one of the directives that were given out at the beginning of the activity. The activity continues until success, time limit, or the group needs intercession from the facilitator.
What becomes a major issue in this activity is not the completion of the two puzzles, but the inability to complete a task or be successful as a group as long as each individual wears a label that inhibits their ability to interact or help their group out.
Again, there can be a song, story, or theme that is revisited throughout the activity to bring focus and attention to the intended outcome that is metaphorically frontloaded at the beginning of the task and used for structured processing at the conclusion.
Frontload / Pre-activity:
What does diversity mean to you?
Give examples of your own diversity?
Think or state situations in which your own diversity was made apparent?
What does diversity offer to you, others, a group, the world?
During the Activity: (I had people write this down and share after the activity to one other person)
What does your sticker (label) allow or inhibit you to do?
What are you feeling about your place within the group during this stage of the activity?
How sensitive and perceptive are group members?
How much loyalty and sense of belonging do you have to the group?
How much trust and openness is in the group?
After the Activity:
What are the directives that each of your labels requires you to follow?
How does this directive relate to an actual interaction you have in life with others?
How
does your label and directive limit you / How does your label and directive help you?
And what are the feelings associated with this?
How do differences strengthen or weaken a group as a whole?
What are some common traits that you found helpful to the group’s approach to the task?
When in the activity did you feel most limited?
When in the activity did you feel you had the most to offer?
How does labeling oneself and others hinder or help a group?
How does this activity relate to your interactions with others in the office, school, scout group, etc.?
What did this setting help you discover about yourself and others ?