Gear Up For Excellence - Midland Texas 1

The participants split into 6 groups. Each group was given a set of 50 index cards. With these supplies, the groups were faced with the Vertical Limit Challenge. In this challenge groups were charged with building the tallest free-standing structure using only the supplies given. The twist was each group had to obey the "Cards of Fate". Every five minutes the game was stopped and each group sent a representative up to select a card of fate. These cards had a variety of "fates" on them including: add 10 cards, change groups, knock down your building, add 25 cards and do nothing.

Groups went to building right away. There were many different architectural designs around the room and everyone was enthusiastic. Then the first round of "Cards of Fate" came. Some groups were disappointed and others excited. The building continued. After a few rounds there were a couple of groups that ran out of cards and continued to have bad luck when it came to the "Cards of Fate", they begin to think critically about how to be more successful.

One group joined another in order to get more cards. They began to build faster and with more excitement. Another group saw this strategy and saw that it worked. They too joined another group. When it came time to send a representative for a "Card of Fate" the joined group sent one instead of two for each of the smaller groups.

After much fun building there were several tall free-standing structures around the room. We talked about what strategies were successful and how to use this to build community.

Collaborate = Accelerate
When you work together you increase your ability to generate ideas. These ideas are the fuel for progress.
Share Resources
When teams joined forces, they accumulated human and physical resources. This gave them a distinct advantage over the other groups. They had the ability to build faster (more hands) and the resources (more cards) to build a taller structure.
Know what you can control
The Cards of Fate were causing problems. By understanding the odds, teams that formed alliances improved their odds by controlling the number of cards they would need to draw each round.
Don't compete, just win.
Never focus on the other team. Instead, focus your energy on doing your best work.

The Keys to Building Community are critical to the development of healthy communities. Imagine if we lived in a world where everyone knew these and lived by them?