Shoe Tie

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Examine how unstated assumptions and inexact language cause miscommunication during procedural tasks.

Use it when: Use during training on handoffs, standard operating procedures, customer support, or delegation where precise verbal instructions matter.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have motor impairments affecting hand dexterity unless alternative everyday props are arranged in advance.

Group arrangement: Pairs working simultaneously, with one triad if the group size is odd.

Timing: UWT suggested 15-minute plan based on the short paired exercise described in Teampedia.

Materials and tools

• 1 laced shoe or zip/button garment per pair (participants can use their own shoes or jackets)
• 1 room display or whiteboard for debrief notes

Before participants arrive

1. Verify that each pair has access to at least one shoe with laces or a front-opening jacket or sweater.
2. If anyone prefers not to handle footwear, provide garments or clean spare shoelaces.

Say this to open

We often assume everyday instructions are simple until someone takes our words literally. Find a partner. Decide who will be Person A and who will be Person B. Person A will give spoken directions to complete a simple task, like tying a shoelace. Person B must follow those directions exactly as spoken, without guessing or filling in missing steps.

How to run it

1. Pair setup and role assignment 3 minutes

   Form pairs. In each pair, decide who acts as the Instructor and who acts as the Performer for Round 1. Place the chosen object (laced shoe or jacket) directly in front of the Performer. If there is an odd participant, form one group of three where two people act as co-instructors.

2. Round 1 instruction and literal execution 5 minutes

   The Instructor gives verbal directions step by step. The Performer follows only the literal words spoken. If the Instructor says 'make a loop,' the Performer can say 'I do not know how big' or make an unusable loop. The Instructor may not touch the item or demonstrate with their hands. Stop when the knot is tied or when time is called.

3. Role swap for Round 2 4 minutes

   Partners switch roles immediately. Person B now instructs Person A to untie and retie the shoe, or to put on and button the jacket. Apply any communication adjustments learned from the first round. Stop after 4 minutes.

4. Whole-room debrief 3 minutes

   Call the room back together. Ask two participants who instructed and two who performed to share what tripped them up. Record recurring patterns on the room display.

Debrief questions

• Where did the instruction assume shared background knowledge that was not actually stated?
• What happened when the performer executed your words literally rather than your intended meaning?
• What phrasing technique made steps easier to follow during the second round?

Finished output: Two completed practice rounds per pair revealing the gaps between intended instructions and literal execution.

Remote

Run in 2-person breakout rooms over video. Both partners keep cameras on. Each participant brings a laced shoe or jacket to their desk. In Round 1, Person A instructs while Person B performs on camera. In Round 2, swap roles. Return to the main room for debrief.

Hybrid

Pair in-person participants together and remote participants together in individual breakout rooms. Avoid cross-location pairs so camera viewing angles and audio latency do not distort the literal execution mechanic.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may use a clean jacket, zip hoodie, or loose ribbon instead of personal footwear.
• Anyone who prefers not to instruct or perform may serve as an observer-recorder taking notes on ambiguous phrases.

If the session gets stuck

The performer deliberately sabotages the task in ways that disrupt the exercise.

Remind the group that the performer's job is literal compliance, not hostile obstruction. They should execute the plain meaning of the instruction as stated.

The instructor starts gesturing or demonstrating with their own hands.

Ask instructors to clasp their hands behind their back or sit on their hands to rely strictly on spoken clarity.

Terms used here

• Literal execution: Carrying out exact spoken directions without inferring missing details or guessing intended meaning.