Untangling the knot
Learning to let go of control and building trust in teams is a process that sometimes goes slowly. We don’t always want to make this a heavy subject; it can also be lighter. A fun energizer and exercise you can do physically is the “untangling the knot” exercise, also known as the “human knot”.
This game is best played with seven to nine people. The aim of the game is to teach a group to work together through self-organization. The game can illustrate the difference between self-organization and the command & control style. It can also be used as an energizer or ice-breaker to get to know each other.
- Position the group members in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. The leader or manager stands outside the circle. Everyone in the circle raises their right hand and reaches for the right hand of someone across the circle. Then everyone raises their left hand and reaches for the left hand of someone else in the circle.
- Give the group members the task of untangling the “human knot” by disentangling their bodies without letting go of each other’s hands. If the chain breaks, they must start over.
- Play two rounds. In the first round, the manager or leader tells who should do what to untangle the knot. In the second round, the team does it themselves.
- Reflect on the exercise. What is the difference between the first and second rounds? Were there leaders in this exercise, and how did you notice? Were there followers? Was there a plan? How was communication handled?
