--- title: "Altitude" description: "Participants build paper airplanes and calibrate the intended level of detail for a meeting using an altitude chart. During subsequent discussion, anyone floats their plane as an agreed signal when the talk drifts too high into abstraction or too low into the weeds." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/altitude/" --- # Altitude Participants build paper airplanes and calibrate the intended level of detail for a meeting using an altitude chart. During subsequent discussion, anyone floats their plane as an agreed signal when the talk drifts too high into abstraction or too low into the weeds. **Time:** 10 minutes. Gamestorming lists 5 minutes; UWT suggests 10 minutes to allow adequate definition of the altitude levels and clear practice of the signal. **People:** 4 to 24. Whole group working together, with individual airplane construction. ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Establish a shared visual and physical signal to keep meeting discussions at an agreed level of abstraction or detail. **Use it when:** At the beginning of a meeting or workshop where discussion risks drifting into minute operational details or ungrounded strategic generalities. **Skip it when:** When a meeting has a strictly structured agenda with rigid time limits per topic, or when participants require quiet, low-stimulus environments where thrown or held objects cause distraction. ## Materials and tools - One sheet of standard letter or A4 scrap paper per participant - One flipchart or whiteboard - Two dry-erase or flipchart markers (different colors) - Sticky notes (optional, for remote or silent calibration) ## Before participants arrive 1. Draw a vertical axis on the flipchart or whiteboard. 2. Label the top 'Satellite' (high abstraction, strategic concepts), the middle 'Airplane' (program or project level), and the bottom 'Ground' (operational tasks, weeds). 3. Place paper sheets within reach of each seat. ## Say this to open Welcome. We need to stay at the right level of detail today so we achieve our goal without getting lost in the weeds or floating off into abstract theory. To help us self-correct without interrupting awkwardly, we will build paper airplanes and calibrate our target altitude. ## How to run it ### 1. Fold airplanes (3 minutes) Distribute a sheet of paper to each person. Ask everyone to fold a simple paper airplane. If someone does not know how or prefers not to fold, invite a neighbor to fold one for them, or let them roll the paper into a paper cylinder or wand. Test-fly briefly if space permits. ### 2. Define levels on the chart (3 minutes) Direct attention to the Altitude chart. Ask the group for quick examples of what 'Satellite', 'Airplane', and 'Ground' mean for today's agenda. For example, if the meeting is about annual team priorities, 'Ground' is choosing Jira ticket templates, 'Airplane' is selecting key quarterly deliverables, and 'Satellite' is corporate mission statements. Write one example beside each zone. ### 3. Agree on target altitude (2 minutes) Ask the room: 'Where does today's conversation need to sit?' Gain quick consensus by voice or show of hands. Draw a clear horizontal line or marker on the chart to mark the target zone. ### 4. Establish the signal rule (2 minutes) Explain the intervention mechanic: throughout the rest of the meeting, if anyone notices the conversation drifting well above or below the target mark, they gently raise or float their plane in the air. When two or more people see a plane aloft, the speaker pauses and the group resets to the target altitude. ## Debrief questions - How will we acknowledge the airplane signal during debate without making it feel personal? - What is our immediate next step when an airplane goes up to bring the conversation back into the target zone? **Finished output:** An agreed altitude chart displayed in the room and an active physical signaling protocol used for the remainder of the session. ## Remote Display an image or virtual whiteboard slide showing Satellite, Airplane, and Ground levels. Ask participants to bring a piece of paper on camera or use the airplane emoji in video chat. Define the three levels using sticky notes. During the meeting, typing the airplane emoji or raising a physical folded plane on camera signals that the discussion is off altitude. ## Hybrid Maintain the physical whiteboard for the in-person room with a camera pointed at it, and duplicate the chart on a shared digital board. In-person participants raise paper planes; remote participants click a raised-hand icon or post the airplane emoji in chat. The facilitator monitors both visual cues equally. ## Access and participation choices - Participants with motor or dexterity limitations can ask a peer to fold their plane, hold up a flat sheet, or use a pre-folded card. - Throwing planes across the room is optional; simply holding the plane aloft is the primary signal to prevent sensory overwhelm or safety concerns. - Anyone may choose not to use the signal themselves while still respecting signals raised by others. ## If the session gets stuck **Participants throw planes aggressively across the room, creating distraction or injury risks.** Remind everyone that holding the plane above their head or making a gentle gliding gesture directly above their desk is the official signal. **One participant uses the airplane constantly to shut down topics they personally dislike.** Clarify that the plane only signals altitude (strategic vs tactical), not disagreement with the idea. Ask the group if they agree the topic is outside the designated band. ## Terms used here - Altitude: The level of detail or abstraction in a conversation, ranging from high-level strategy to low-level operational mechanics. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Gamestorming; the source attributes the game to Dave Gray. Retained Dave Gray's core mechanic of using folded paper planes to signal conversational drift away from an agreed altitude level on a three-tier chart (satellite, airplane, ground). UWT expanded the timing from 5 to 10 minutes to support concrete definition of the levels, added structured hybrid and remote protocols, and clarified safe signaling alternatives to avoid aggressive throwing. [Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/games/altitude/) [Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/games/altitude) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/altitude/