How It Works
During game play, participants assume the role of artists - brought together from all over the globe by The Rainforest Collective (an organization promoting endangered rainforest awareness). Their mission is to assemble a mosaic, made of pieces that they and other design studios have created, which is to be displayed at a celebratory art installation for The Rainforest Collective's annual conference. Participants are organized into subgroups, but since no group has all of the required pieces, they must venture across boundaries and work collaboratively to achieve success.
As participants work both within and outside of their assigned group to complete the activity, they face personal assumptions about intra- and inter-team dynamics. In doing so, they build awareness of the challenges inherent in a virtual environment and how to overcome them.
During the debrief discussion, participants are introduced to the four core skills for working effectively across boundaries: reaching out, sharing information, exploring alternatives, and making it happen. Together these skills build lasting and powerful relationships that enable individuals and groups to achieve common goals. An action plan at the close of the workshop allows participants to identify what they will do differently in the future to build partnerships, enhance inter-team communication, and enable greater collaboration across boundaries.
Uses and Applications
Perfect as a stand-alone module or in conjunction with a larger organizational learning process, The Rainforest Game (Second Edition) is highly adaptable and flexible. The facilitator can focus discussion on several additional areas that may be relevant for the organization, including:
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Teamwork
- Innovation
- Leadership