Home | History | Findings | Mission
Process | Links | Buy

C Squares® All Rights Reserved 2003
Phone: (516) 931-2971
EMAIL

 

Players may give pieces to other players but they may not take pieces or in any way signal a team member that they want something from them.  It  frequently happens in groups that one or more person will complete a square while the rest remain frustrated and unable to. The people with completed squares now have the choice of breaking up their square and redistributing their pieces or not. Typically the groups that do best at this remain unattached to any individual squares, focusing instead on mission success and helping others complete their tasks before completing their own.

PURPOSE:  To raise awareness of the importance of cooperation in problem solving.

MATERIALS:  Five squares of equal size made of various geometric shapes. The pieces of the squares are placed in white gift boxes rounded by red ribbon. Each participant is given a tent card which they are invited to place on the work surface before them. One side has rules, the other directions. Observers, facilitators, or team members may point to specific reminders on the card during the activity since a no-talking rule will be in effect.

PROCEDURES: Have participants form groups of five with an observer and seat each group around a table or flat surface.  Provide each member with a small white gift box. Explain the game this way: "Your task is to make five complete squares of the same size. No one will have achieved the mission of this objective until all members have that completed square directly in front of them." There are only three rules: 1. You may not communicate -verbally or non-verbally- with each other, 2. You may not take pieces from other members, 3. You are free to give pieces directly to other team members.

Do not direct participants to cooperate. They discover soon enough that the only way they can succeed is by cooperating. Once familiar with the rules, let them begin. You may choose afterward to pose questions to the group. Some examples: How did your group get started? At what point did your perspective change? How did you feel when you couldn’t complete all five squares? When did you feel the shift occur in the groups' energy? How were the behaviors of group members different during the activity? How do you feel now about what you did during the activity? How might C Squares ® be helpful to you in another setting?

 
C SQUARES ® - Team building games, the new and improved broken squares puzzles for teaching collective bargaining, cooperation, communication, enhancing emotional intelligence and improving employee performances.
"The first step towards success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself."

Michael Caine


 

YOUR WINNING CHOICE

How it works: Each participant receives a number of pieces of like colored poly-foam shapes. The task of each person is achieved once a six-by-six inch square is assembled  directly in front of them.  All pieces must be used. At first no one can complete a square using only what they've received. They have to exchange pieces with other team members to obtain what they need to build a uniform square.  Single players cannot achieve the mission until everyone  has their completed square in front of them. There are thirteen incorrect ways of building a square but only one way to ensure every participant builds the square that will guarantee completion of the teams mission.