Goal
How does exploring the unknown in a repetitive manner build confidence, support, and trust?
Level of Difficulty:
Beginner
Participants:
Group Game
Instructions:
Structure
For this game, we will be creating simple puns (don’t worry, they don’t need to be funny or even make sense) using the following structure:
185 ___ Walk Into a Bar. Where ___ is any topic
The bartender says “we don’t serve ___ here”. Where you repeat the topic/prompt
Insert Punchline
Play
Stand in a loose circle. Someone starts by announcing a topic. Then, take turns coming up with prompts. For instance, the topic may be software developers.
185 software developers walk into a bar. Bartender says we don’t serve developers here. Developers say “well, we’ll just mark this place a zero”
185 software developers walk into a bar. Bartender says we don’t serve developers here. Developers are blocked from getting what they want.
185 software developers walk into a bar. Bartender says we don’t serve developers here. Developers note the 500 error.
Keep in mind, none of these are particularly funny. But they all connect to something we know about developers and draw connections to the vocabulary they may use.
After 3-4 turns, someone may suggest a new prompt. Repeat with a few prompts and ensure everyone has a change to go.
For Remote Teams
To adapt this game for remote teams, the main difference is you might need to slow down a little. We want to encourage folks to jump in with a joke or line at any time, so pausing after one person finishes allows breathing room for someone else to go.
It is also a little difficult for first-time players to remember the prompt. To keep you videos on, I suggest entering the following text in the event’s chat tool, to allow everyone to have a reference point:
185 ___ Walk into the bar
Bartender says we don’t serve ___ here
Punch Line
Practical Application:
How does it get easier to suggest responses the more we hear other people go?
Often times, we are worried about coming up with the right idea, or the best idea. Instead, how can we build on each other’s jokes and awaken new ideas by listening? How might we see the team’s success as our success?
Collaborative Improv 