Agile Games Night
Trust, Creativity and Decisions
Introductions
Why Agile Games Night?
• Learn a game based on focus/topic
• Learn techniques and how to create your own active, visual and engaging
sessions through games and known active training techniques
• Test out your games with the group before using them
• Have fun and meet new and old agile friends
Agenda
• 6:00-6:30 Social/Networking
• 6:30-6:45 Introduction and announcements
• 6:45-7:45 Play Games
• Trust “ Anyone who?
• Creativity “ Tear it Down, Build it Up”
• Decisions “ Pain-Gain Map
• 7:45-8:00 Retrospective
Trust –Anyone Who?
Goal of Game:
Help establish trust between team members by learning to play with failure, rescuing each other
and building a safer environment.
Timebox: 10 minutes
Before We Start:
• Create groups of 10 people
• Chairs arranged in a circle
• One volunteer from the group stands in the middle of the circle
Start with something about yourself…
“Anyone who…”
Examples:
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Anyone who has red hair
Anyone who had eggs for breakfast
Anyone who has children
Anyone who is wearing flip-flops
Discussion
• How did it feel being in the middle?
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Why?
How did it feel watching people in the
middle?
What made the game enjoyable?
Did any questions make you feel
awkward?
What did we learn about each other
during this game?
This game encourages players to expose
some facts about themselves, which may
uncover similarities in players. Exposing
truths about themselves increases player’s
vulnerability. This game encourages
players to rescue each other, which helps
build trust.
Trust- Anyone Who?
Use this game in an agile retrospective
to encourage players to admit their
struggles in the previous
iteration/sprint. For instance, “
Anyone who was late for a meeting
last iteration/sprint? “ If the team can
accept these vulnerabilities to discuss
how to address them together.
Creativity- “ Tear It Down, Build It Up”
Goal of Game:
Demonstrates that the difference between successful and unsuccessful ventures
is often determined by the way we see the world.
Timebox: 20 minutes total time
Before We Start:
• Create Groups of 10 people
• Supplies Needed: Markers, Easel Paper, Dry Erase Markers and White Board
Luggage
Luggage
• Why this will NEVER Succeed….
8 Minutes to Brainstorm and list out on one sheet of easel paper
Luggage
• Why this WILL Succeed….
8 Minutes to Brainstorm and list out on one sheet of easel paper
Discussion
• How many “why not” reasons you
are capable of listing for this
product that has obviously been
successful?
• How many times did you team
members say “Yes, but”?
• How do you see things now after
this exercise
This games opens up our creativity
and demonstrates between successful
ventures and unsuccessful ventures by
the way we see the world.
Creativity “ Tear it Down and Build it Up”
You get sidetracked and discouraged or derailed by “Yes
buts” and negative opinions of people who fixate on “what’s
wrong”- learn to stay focusing on what’s good and helpful
about your work. Try “Yes AND” next time.
Decisions- “Pain-Gain Map”
Goal of Game:
Develop an understanding of motivations and decisions
Timebox: 15 minutes
Before We Start:
• Create Groups of 10 people
• Supplies Needed: Markers, Easel Paper, Dry Erase Markers and White Board
Steve Jobs
• It’s 2007, we are tasked to convince
Steve Jobs that iPhone needs the
ability to attach a file in an email.
Step Inside the Mind of Steve
• What does a bad day look like for
him?
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What is he afraid of ?
What keeps him awake at night?
What is he responsible for?
What obstacles stand in his way?
• What does this person want to
aspire to?
• How does he measure success?
• Given the subject at hand, how
could this person benefit?
• What can offer this person?
The Decision Maker
Let’s Pitch to Steve..
Discussion
• How did you prioritize you’re the top pains and gains?
• How did collaborating in a group help form a decision?
• How did this exercise change your approach on adding this new feature in
email with Steve?
Decisions-” Pain-Gain Map
Use the prioritized pains and gains to use for presentations, value
propositions, or any other instance where you are trying to influence
a decision.
Agile Games Night 2
Game Storming
Learn how to create a game using the entire technique of three games to create specific outcomes. We will
use an example to show how it is all put together!
Let’s Get
Interactive!
• Have a topic or area of focus and
want to see it turned into a game?
• Do you have a game that you want
to try it out?
If interested: Message Ed, Adam,
Fred or myself to be added to the
board via the Meetup Messaging