Remember and Do Build

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Examine how teams transfer information and coordinate action under short observation and communication windows.

Use it when: Use during communication or project handoff workshops to explore information loss and relay accuracy.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have acute spatial or visual processing fatigue, or when building materials cannot be provided equally.

Group arrangement: Teams of 3 to 5 people

Timing: 15 minutes total; aligns with the 5 to 15 minute range in Relationship Makers Handbook

Materials and tools

• One pre-built reference sculpture made of 12 to 15 interlocking plastic building blocks of varying colors and shapes
• One identical set of loose building blocks per team
• One piece of fabric or a cardboard box to hide the reference model between viewing rounds
• A central table placed an equal distance from all team tables
• One visible digital countdown timer

Before participants arrive

1. Assemble the reference sculpture using 12 to 15 distinct building blocks.
2. Sort matching sets of loose blocks into separate bags, one bag per team.
3. Place the reference sculpture on the central table and cover it with the cloth or box so it is fully hidden.
4. Set up team tables equidistant from the central display.

Say this to open

Behind this cover is a completed block sculpture. Each team has an identical set of loose pieces. Your goal is to construct an exact replica. You cannot touch the original or bring cameras, paper, or loose blocks up to look at it. Each round, one scout from each team gets ten seconds to view the model. That scout then has twenty-five seconds to verbally instruct the team. Then the next scout takes a turn. Let us begin round one.

How to run it

1. Form teams and set roles 2 minutes

   Split the room into teams of 3 to 5. Distribute one set of loose blocks to each team. Have teams decide an order of scouts so every member knows their rotation turn. Remind teams that scouts may only speak; they may not touch the blocks while acting as scout.

2. Run viewing and building cycles 8 minutes

   Run repetitive cycles. For each cycle: announce 'Scouts forward,' uncover the reference model for exactly 10 seconds, then re-cover it. Give teams 25 seconds of building and verbal relay time. Repeat the cycle 4 to 6 times so every team member has at least one turn as the viewing scout. Stop after 8 minutes or when a team calls out that their replica is complete.

3. Reveal and compare sculptures 2 minutes

   Uncover the reference sculpture permanently. Invite all teams to bring their finished models to the central table to place them side by side with the original. Compare orientation, color matching, and structural stability.

4. Debrief observation and relay 3 minutes

   Gather the full room. Facilitate a short debrief using the provided questions, taking two or three observations from the room.

Debrief questions

• What descriptive language was most useful when explaining position and orientation?
• Where did information break down between seeing the model and building the replica?
• How did your team adjust strategy as different people took turns observing?

Finished output: A physical replica of the reference model built by each team, compared against the original.

Remote

Online play requires a different toolset. The facilitator builds a 3D digital model using a shared virtual whiteboard or slides containing colored geometric shapes, kept in a hidden frame. One designated scout per breakout group visits the facilitator's screen or private link for 10 seconds, then returns to their group breakout to instruct teammates who manipulate digital shapes on their group canvas. Run 4 to 6 rounds matching the in-person timing.

Hybrid

Run in separate parallel tracks. In-person members form physical teams with physical blocks. Remote members form an online team using the shared digital canvas. The facilitator shows the physical model to in-person scouts while briefly sharing their camera or a private screen link with the remote scout for 10 seconds.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may choose not to act as scout and instead serve as builder or timekeeper.
• Color-blind safe blocks or blocks with distinct geometric shapes and textures can be used to ensure reliance is not solely on color identification.
• Any participant may pass on physical handling and choose purely verbal direction.

If the session gets stuck

A scout touches the original model or attempts to take photos with a phone.

State before round one that observation is eyes-only, and no phones, pens, or loose blocks are permitted at the observation table.

One scout physically takes over the team's building instead of giving verbal instructions.

Enforce the rule that the current scout must keep their hands behind their back or in their pockets during their 25-second relay.

Terms used here

• Scout: The team member designated for a single round to observe the hidden model and report back.