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Exercises/Relationship Mapping/Create Obstacles
Relationship Mapping

Create Obstacles

Create Obstacles is a relationship mapping exercise that helps participants build useful connections and understand how people, roles, or ideas relate.

5 to 15 minutesTIME
Small group (4-8)GROUP SIZE
ActiveENERGY
In person, RemoteSETTING
High cognitive loadCOGNITIVE LOAD
Strengthens Network Design This relationship mapping exercise strengthens Network Design, one of the eight Gathering Effectiveness pillars.

How to run it

  1. The person in the front mimes various terrain changes like jumping over things, going under things, ducking, climbing ladders, falling into holes, etc.
  2. A facilitated group exercise centered on Create Obstacles.
  3. CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.
Live facilitator

Run this exercise live

The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.

Prompts to use +

A facilitated group exercise centered on Create Obstacles.

CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.

Run this with your AI assistant +

Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Create Obstacles. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: A facilitated group exercise centered on Create Obstacles.; CollaborationCollaboratively create agendas in real-time.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.

Origin unverified

  • Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Improv Encyclopedia; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (2 sources observed, including Improv Encyclopedia, SessionLab.)
  • What that does and does not claim: we track where an exercise has been seen in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, how popular it is, or that it works. See methodology and trust boundary.
  • Corrections welcome: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, tell us.

Pairs well with