You can practice this activity to creatively demonstrate the importance of prioritizing. It works well with any team size and takes only about 10 minutes. You will need one tennis ball and container, five golf balls, and a Ziploc bag of black-eyed peas.
Create a space large enough for each team member to see the others. Introduce this activity as a way to demonstrate the importance of prioritizing items.
Ask if anyone likes to play tennis and gently throw the tennis ball to one team member.
Ask if anyone likes to play golf and carefully throw a golf ball to five different team members. (Note: If your aim is poor, simply hand the golf ball to five different team members!)
Ask if anyone likes black-eyed peas and ask the team member to hold the bag of peas.
Explain to the team members that the tennis ball is your “A” task – absolutely vital and must be done; the golf balls are your “B” tasks – important and should be done; and the peas are your “C” tasks – they could be done. We call these the fast and friendlies.
Now when we start (our day/to execute our plan), where do we start? We start with the fast and friendlies…. (Hold the tennis ball canister out to the team member with the peas and ask to pour some in the canister.) Then what do we do? (As the team says, A, B, or C, put the corresponding item in the canister. All the items will not fit in the canister).
But how should we start (our day/to execute our plan)? We start with the most important As (put the tennis ball in the canister), the Bs and then the Cs. And guess what? We can put all the items in the canister!
Debrief and Summarize
From your specific observations and the discussion, summarize this activity by emphasizing the importance of prioritizing to accomplish “more with less.”
- How can we apply this to our current situation?
- When should we use this tool in future situations?
If you like this activity, check out my book, Team Energizers, for 49 other team activities!
Related Articles:
Team Activity: Team Habits, Rituals, and Ceremonies
Team Building Activity: Face the Facts
19 Inexpensive Ways to Recognize Your Team
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Kristin Arnold
KRISTIN ARNOLD, MBA, CSP, CPAE-Speaker Hall of Fame, CPF | Master has been facilitating meaningful conversations between executives and managers to make better decisions and achieve extraordinary results for 30+ years. She's a leading authority on moderating panel discussions and passionate about finding the perfect olive to complement a vodka martini.
