Blinded Partner Walk With Supervisor

By trusting each other we can see where we’ll go as a group and how we’ll get there using teamwork!

Materials

Blindfolds (handkerchiefs or other non-see through fabric) for half of the group, obstacles, index cards, scissors, playing cards, markers

Description

1 – Pair up. Decide who is the leader and who is the follower.

Blindfold the follower. The leaders will follow the instructions I give them.

1 – Lead your partner around the room. Make sure they step over the obstacles in the floor. You may guide them with your hands and your voice.

2 – Have your partner cut out the shapes drawn on their cards.

3 – Have your partner deal four hands of cards. You may not touch the cards.

2 – Same pair. Same leader and same follower. Remove blindfold and use it to tie the wrists of the follower. The leaders will follow the instructions I give them.

1 – Have partner sort the deck of cards into 4 neat piles according to suits. You may not touch the cards.

2 – Have partner sign the shapes they cut out earlier. You may not touch the cards.

3 – Have partner remove floor obstacles and stack on windowsill. You may not touch the obstacles.

3 – Same pair. Same leader and same follower. Remove wrist ties and use it to tie the ankles of the follower. The leaders will follow the instructions I give them.

1 – Have partner take cards to table down the hall and place them neatly on it. You may not touch the cards.

2 – Have partner take the floor obstacles out to the hall and cover their cards with them so they will be safe. You may not touch either the cards or the obstacles.

3 – Send partner back down the hall to bring back the cards and the floor obstacles. You may not touch either the cards or the obstacles.

4 – Same pair. Same leader and same follower. Remove ankle ties and follow the instructions I give.

1 –Have partner place the obstacles back on the floor and step over all of them once, then return them to the windowsill. You may not touch the obstacles.

2 – Have partner put the cards back into their boxes and place them on the windowsill beside the obstacles. You may not touch the cards.

3 – Have partner fold the shapes in half and print both your names on the other side. You may not touch the cards.

Debrief notes

Encourage participants to fully debrief, focusing on applying learning from the activity.

Learning points –

  • Some supervisors refuse to let staff see the big picture, and that can lead to stumbles and distorted work products and lots of frustration on both sides.
  • Some supervisors don’t care whether staff sees the big picture, but keep their hands “tied” by nitpicking or staying in the past.
  • Some supervisors don’t want their staff to grow and step out on their own in any way – either within the work unit or outside. Those staff members soon get stale and their growth is stunted.
  • The best supervisors share as much information as they can with their staff so that they can grasp the big picture, and they set them free to be creative and to take on new responsibilities. When staff feel more trust from the supervisor, this leads them to trust the supervisor more. This employee is much more likely to give 110% than any of the ones who are kept in the dark or who are tied down from using the full range of their abilities.