# Warp Speed A group establishes an unbroken throwing sequence with a soft ball, then collaborates to move the ball through that exact order in the fastest possible time. **Time:** 15 minutes. UWT suggested standard 15-minute schedule based on source steps. **People:** 6 to 20. Single circle or parallel circles of 6 to 10 participants ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Test and refine a group process by removing unnecessary constraints through rapid trial and reflection. **Use it when:** Use when a team needs a physical initiative on problem-solving, assumptions, or process improvement. **Skip it when:** Skip when the space is too confined for movement or when physical tossing creates accessibility barriers that cannot be adapted. ## Materials and tools - 1 soft tossable ball per group (such as a tennis ball or fleece ball) - 1 digital stopwatch or phone timer ## Before participants arrive 1. Clear an open floor space where participants can stand comfortably in a circle roughly 1 meter apart. 2. Have the ball and stopwatch ready. ## Say this to open We are going to establish a passing pattern across our circle. I will toss this ball to someone across from me. Call their name, toss it, and remember who threw it to you and who you throw it to. The last person will toss it back to me. Once we know our order, our goal will be to run that exact sequence as fast as humanly possible. ## How to run it ### 1. Establish the order (3 minutes) Participants form a standing circle. The starting person holds the ball, says another participant's name, and tosses the ball across the circle. That person catches it, picks an unvisited person, calls their name, and tosses. Continue until every person has caught and tossed the ball once, ending back with the starter. Run the sequence two times slowly until everyone remembers who gives them the ball and who receives it. ### 2. Introduce constraints and baseline (2 minutes) Announce the rules: 1) The ball must start and finish with the initial person. 2) The ball must contact every person in the exact established order. 3) Every person must be responsible for handling or passing the ball. Time one standard round while standing in the original circle to set a baseline time. ### 3. Collaborative trials (6 minutes) Give the team time to discuss, experiment, and change positions. Remind them they are not required to remain standing in their original circle or maintain a 1-meter distance, as long as the three rules are honored. Allow practice runs. Announce and time up to three official recorded attempts, calling out the final elapsed time after each. ### 4. Debrief and reflection (4 minutes) Gather the group to reflect on how their method evolved. Ask 1 or 2 focused questions from the debrief list and collect 3 to 4 quick responses from the room. ## Debrief questions - What unspoken assumptions did we hold during the first baseline attempt? - What idea or shift produced the largest drop in completion time? - How did the team decide which strategy to test next? **Finished output:** A recorded baseline time and an official fastest recorded sequence time achieved by the group. ## Remote This physical ball-passing exercise cannot run identically online because it relies on physical object handling and spatial repositioning. For remote teams, run a verbal sequencing drill instead: establish an arbitrary order of names, time how fast the group can unmute, say their designated word, and mute back in order, allowing them to reorganize communication channels between attempts. ## Hybrid Hybrid delivery is not recommended for this activity. Remote participants cannot physically handle the ball alongside in-person players without creating an unequal role. If required, assign remote members as official timekeepers, strategy documenters, or rule adjudicators. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may roll, slide, or hand the ball instead of tossing if catching creates difficulty. - Participants who prefer not to participate physically may serve as timekeepers or process observers without disclosure. ## If the session gets stuck **The group gets stuck trying to throw faster across the original circle instead of redesigning the layout.** Re-read the three explicit rules aloud and ask what the rules say about where people must stand. **A participant drops the ball during an official attempt.** Keep the timer running; the team may recover the ball, ensure it reaches the person whose turn it was, and continue to completion. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Playmeo collection, where it is attributed to Mark Collard. Retained core rules, step sequence, and 3 official attempts from Playmeo public documentation. Added explicit UWT timing breakdown, neutral opening script, access choices, and hybrid limitations. [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/warp-speed/) [Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/team-building-problem-solving-activities/warp-speed) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/creative-team-challenge-that-builds-problem-solving-warp-speed/