--- title: "The Grid" description: "Participants map personal or work conditions into four quadrants based on what they have, what they want, what they lack, and what they want to avoid, then plan concrete steps for each area." last_updated: "2026-09-07" canonical: "https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/pfp-june-2001/" --- # The Grid Participants map personal or work conditions into four quadrants based on what they have, what they want, what they lack, and what they want to avoid, then plan concrete steps for each area. **Time:** 35 minutes. Source specifies 30 to 45 minutes; structured here as a concise 35-minute run sheet. **People:** 1 to 24. Solo reflection with optional, facilitator-led whole-room debrief ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** To audit current conditions across desires and realities and identify specific actions for maintenance, acquisition, prevention, and mitigation. **Use it when:** Use during individual goal setting, workshop wrap-ups, or professional reflection when people need structured time to assess their current situation without forced disclosure. **Skip it when:** Skip during fast-paced collaborative group work or when the group objective requires collective consensus on a single shared deliverable. ## Materials and tools - One blank sheet of paper per person - One pen or pencil per person - Printed copies of the Thought Triggers and Action Prompts handout (or slide display) ## Before participants arrive 1. Distribute paper and writing instruments to all seats. 2. Prepare the Thought Triggers and Action Prompts reference sheet or digital display. ## Say this to open Take a sheet of paper and fold it in half, then in half again, to create four equal quadrants. We will use this grid to take stock of our work and personal situations. This is entirely private; you will not be asked to read or submit your sheet. ## How to run it ### 1. Set up and fill initial quadrants (10 minutes) Instruct participants to number their four quadrants 1 to 4. Explain the four sections: Quadrant 1 holds things you want and currently have; Quadrant 2 holds things you want but currently lack; Quadrant 3 holds things you do not want and currently lack; Quadrant 4 holds unpleasant things you do not want but currently have. Provide one neutral example: having a reliable laptop belongs in Quadrant 1, while having persistent software bugs belongs in Quadrant 4. Direct participants to write continuously until time is called. ### 2. Expand entries using thought triggers (5 minutes) Display or distribute the Thought Triggers prompt list. Ask participants to scan categories such as tools, relationships, skills, physical environment, and daily responsibilities. Have them write additional items into the appropriate quadrants based on these prompts. ### 3. Review patterns and comparisons (5 minutes) Guide participants to reflect silently on their grid distribution. Ask them to notice which quadrants have the most items, whether their focus leans heavily toward what they lack or what they have, and which entries appeared immediately versus those dragged out slowly. No one speaks aloud. ### 4. Draft quadrant actions (10 minutes) Present the action strategies for each quadrant. For Quadrant 1, pick an item to maintain or appreciate. For Quadrant 2, choose an item and identify one realistic step to pursue it. For Quadrant 3, identify a preventative safeguard. For Quadrant 4, write a step to remove, reduce, or accept the item. Participants record these actions quietly on their paper. ### 5. Facilitate group reflection (5 minutes) Conduct a brief whole-room debrief on the process itself. Invite two or three volunteers to answer process-oriented questions. Remind everyone that specific quadrant entries remain completely confidential. ## Debrief questions - Did you find it easier to identify what you already have or what you are missing? - Which quadrant suggested the most urgent action item for your current work? - How does seeing all four quadrants together change how you balance maintenance against new goals? **Finished output:** A privately completed four-quadrant assessment grid with personal action commitments. ## Remote Send the grid layout in advance or show a blank slide. Participants draw the four quadrants on a personal notebook or private document. Display the Thought Triggers and Action Prompts on shared screens. Conduct the debrief via text chat or hand-raise queue focusing solely on the reflective process. ## Hybrid In-person and remote participants both write on private paper or personal devices. The facilitator projects trigger and prompt slides so both audiences see identical instructions. Debrief contributions alternate evenly between virtual chat and room hands. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may type into a digital table or spreadsheet instead of hand-folding paper. - All entries are strictly confidential; participants may pass on verbal reflection questions without explanation. ## If the session gets stuck **Participants get stuck trying to identify items for Quadrant 3 (do not want, do not have).** Clarify that Quadrant 3 includes risks, common pitfalls, or burdens that others in similar positions face which you currently avoid and want to keep away. **Someone worries their quadrant answers will be inspected by peers or management.** Explicitly restate that papers will not be collected or shown. Tell participants they can take their sheet with them or shred it immediately afterward. ## Terms used here - Quadrant 3: The section dedicated to things you do not want and do not have, representing risks or unwanted burdens to prevent. ## Participant material: Thought Triggers and Action Prompts THOUGHT TRIGGERS (Scan to identify missing items): - Tools, equipment, software, workspace - Skills, competencies, professional reputation - Relationships, managers, peers, clients - Habits, health, stress levels, attitudes - Projects, responsibilities, schedule control ACTION PROMPTS BY QUADRANT: - Quadrant 1 (Want & Have): What maintenance is needed so you do not take this for granted? - Quadrant 2 (Want & Lack): What is one practical step or sacrifice required to pursue this? - Quadrant 3 (Do Not Want & Lack): What simple boundary or preventive check keeps this away? - Quadrant 4 (Do Not Want & Have): What can you remove, mitigate with tools, or choose to accept? ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Play for Performance, June 2001 issue, published by Workshops by Thiagi, Inc., featuring the activity 'THE GRID'. Retained the four-quadrant introspection mechanic, the prompt categories, and quadrant-specific action strategies described in THE GRID from Play for Performance (June 2001). UWT structured the activity into timed facilitator steps, framed the debrief around process to preserve psychological safety, and formatted the trigger lists and action prompts into a participant handout. [The Thiagi Group](https://thiagi.net/archive/www/pfp/Generic/june2001.html) [The Thiagi Group](http://thiagi.net/archive/www/pfp/Generic/june2001.html) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/pfp-june-2001/