Changing the Message: Book Excerpt

TRUST SEQUENCE

"Trust is an egg. If we break it, we can put it back together again but only with considerable effort. It's much easier to design a system that will keep it intact indefinitely. What? No Cody we can't just hardboil our egg."

I only begin trust when the group is ready. Are they skilled at cooperation? Are there no putdowns? Does the group treat each other equally? Are conflicts handled openly and with respect for all concerned?  These and many more questions need to be asked before beginning the trust sequence. I frontload heavily with the group and remind them of the fragile nature of trust. We talk about the different kinds of trust and how trust takes risk. I usually end the discussion by stating it will be difficult if not impossible to go any further unless we work on trust. What follows is a sequence that seems to work for me.


I only begin trust when the group is ready. Are they skilled at cooperation? Are there no putdowns? Does the group treat each other equally? Are conflicts handled openly and with respect for all concerned?  These and many more questions need to be asked before beginning the trust sequence. I frontload heavily with the group and remind them of the fragile nature of trust. We talk about the different kinds of trust and how trust takes risk. I usually end the discussion by stating it will be difficult if not impossible to go any further unless we work on trust. What follows is a sequence that seems to work for me.

BLINDFOLD RUBBER CHICKEN TAG
PROPS NEEDED:
 One rubber chicken, boundary markers, and enough blindfolds for every participant

This is essentially a tag game with a few notable differences:
PROCEDURE
1) One partner is blindfolded. The other is sighted. The sighted partner gives verbal directions but cannot touch their partner unless there is a safety concern.
2) Fast walking only for obvious safety concerns………..
3) The person holding the chicken is "it". Their task is to tag the another blindfolded person
4) Have clear physical boundaries. If a person steps out of the boundaries, that person is "it".
5) After a reasonable period of time, switch partners.

Questions
1) What sort of directions were helpful?
2) Can fun be a part of trust? Is trust a serious thing?
3) Did we stay safe during this activity?
MIRRORING
Pair off in a creative way. Partners face each other. One partner begins making any sort of movements and gestures. The other partner mimics every move. This usually generates some laughs. After a short period, switch. The purpose of this activity is to pay complete attention to another person. It is an invaluable skill for spotting and safety awareness.