Telling Lies

People often don't talk easily about their frustrations with the organization, their problems with change at hand. It does not pay. This can become a serious problem later on.

When we feel tension in the group that needs to be explored, we can ask participants to each prepare three lies about their organization. They share them to each other, one at a time. "Lies" are statements that they believe are not true, but that might be expressions made by others in the organization. We write down the statements on the whiteboard -- not permanently!! -- and when finished participants share what they notice about the "lies".

This instance of IceBreakers, TellingLies helps surfacing frustrations and express things that are difficult, or threatening to discuss in a safer and humorous way. Through exaggeration near truths about the working environment are discussed. Debriefing is necessary as well as good facilitation.

Adapted from Peter H. Jones, HandbookOfTeamDesign, Mc Grawhill 1998, ISBN 0-07-032880-3

Much safer, but with similar effects is MyFavoritePictureOfTheOrganization? soon to be described here.

-- MartineDevos

CategoryGamesandIcebreakers