Small Disciplines Workshop

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Select collective work principles and commit to individual daily micro habits with a designated accountability partner.

Use it when: Use when a team needs shared operating norms, concrete mutual support habits, or renewed momentum after stalled projects.

Skip it when: Skip when the group resists military framing or when participants cannot participate safely in physical challenges and non-physical options are unwelcome.

Group arrangement: Whole room, pairs, and squads. For Step 3 (squads of 3 to 5): 4-5 is 1 squad; 6-7 is two squads of 3-4; 8-10 is two squads of 4-5; 11-12 is three squads of 3-4; 13 is two squads of 4 and one of 5; 14 is two squads of 5 and one of 4; 15 is three squads of 5; 16 is four squads of 4. For Step 4 (small groups): divide into trios; any remainder forms a quad (up to 4 members per group, running in parallel).

Timing: 120 minutes across nine steps, matching source duration.

Materials and tools

• 1 Arrival micro-task card per seat from supplied templates
• 1 Ten Lessons Overview handout per person
• 1 Small Disciplines Planner sheet per person
• 1 Team Support Card per person
• 1 Sheet of scratch paper per person
• 10 Flip chart sheets and markers
• 15 Sticky notes in two colors per person
• 1 Pen per person
• 1 Stopwatch or countdown timer visible to the room
• Blindfolds (optional, up to half the group count)
• Water bottles for participants

Before participants arrive

1. Print and cut the Arrival Micro-Task Cards; place one card randomly at each seat before arrivals.
2. Write one principle title at the top of each of 10 flip chart sheets and mount them around the room.
3. Clear an open movement area in the room for coordination challenges.
4. Print copies of Ten Lessons Overview, Small Disciplines Planner, and Team Support Card.

Say this to open

Please take your seat and check the card in front of you. Complete the simple instruction written on your card right now. Once finished, leave everything placed as described.

How to run it

1. Complete arrival task and frame momentum 10 minutes

   Speak the opening script. Once all are seated, ask who completed their card. Explain that starting with a tiny, completed action builds immediate momentum before friction hits. Invite two brief comments on starting a meeting with an already completed task.

2. Review the ten principles 15 minutes

   Distribute the Ten Lessons Overview. Summarize each principle in 45 seconds per principle (7.5 minutes total). Give individuals 3 minutes of silent reading to circle two or three lessons relevant to current work friction. Form pairs to compare selections for 4.5 minutes.

3. Coordinate in the squad challenge 20 minutes

   Divide into squads of 3 to 5 following the group format rules. Teams complete a sequence where one person holds a static plank or seated posture while teammates complete 10 star jumps or arm raises. Give 2 minutes to plan. Round ends when everyone completes both roles. Debrief in squads for 2 minutes, then take two full room shares.

4. Analyze unearned setbacks 15 minutes

   Explain unearned setbacks where preparation was solid but outside events forced a poor outcome. Give 3 minutes for silent writing. Form trios or quads. In all groups running in parallel, each member takes a 2-minute turn to share their experience (6 to 8 minutes total). Use remaining 4 minutes for two whole-room insights.

5. Vote and agree on team focus principles 15 minutes

   Distribute 3 sticky notes to each participant. Have people walk to the wall sheets and vote for the top 3 principles the team needs most right now. Tally the notes aloud. Write the top 4 or 5 principles on a blank flip chart titled Our Principles.

6. Navigate with partner guidance 15 minutes

   Pair participants. If someone prefers not to be touched or blindfolded, they close their eyes or trace a seated fingertip maze. One partner navigates an indoor walking route using voice commands only. Swap roles after 3 minutes. Take 2 minutes in pairs to discuss communicating clearly through background noise.

7. Define the persistence signal 10 minutes

   Present the concept of an explicit signal to call for backup before dropping a critical task. Give 2 minutes of silent reflection. Ask the group for a short phrase or hand signal meaning I need support right now. Have the whole room practice the chosen phrase together once.

8. Draft individual planners and pair check ins 15 minutes

   Distribute the Small Disciplines Planner. Give 6 minutes of silent work to pick one micro habit, one principle focus, one teammate support act, and one persistence boundary. Have participants share their micro habit with a partner and book a specific check in day and time next week. Run a quick whip around where each person states their habit in one sentence.

9. Commit to team principles and close 5 minutes

   Have a volunteer read Our Principles aloud from the master sheet. Decide on one practical team action for the coming week. Hand out Team Support Cards; participants write their name and persistence signal, then exchange cards with a peer. End in a circle where each person says: I will make my bed by doing [chosen micro habit].

Debrief questions

• Which principle selected by the group addresses your daily work friction most directly?
• What difference did verbal support make during the coordination and guidance steps?
• How will you handle your daily micro discipline if your routine breaks next week?

Finished output: A posted sheet of 4 or 5 team principles, completed individual Small Disciplines Planners with scheduled peer check-ins, and exchanged Team Support Cards.

Remote

Run in an online video platform with breakout rooms. Replace physical planking in Step 3 with a digital relay where one person holds an active audio hum or steady screen-share timer while teammates complete a shared checklist. For Step 6 partner guidance, prepare a 10x10 spreadsheet grid with columns A-J and rows 1-10; shade 8 cells black as obstacles, place START at A1 and TARGET at J10. The navigator closes their eyes while their partner verbally commands cursor moves one cell at a time. Replicate flip chart voting on a shared digital whiteboard.

Hybrid

Pair in-person attendees with each other for physical coordination, and place remote attendees together in virtual breakout rooms. Replicate the 10 flip chart sheets on an online whiteboard so in-person tallies and remote sticky notes combine in real time.

Access and participation choices

• Offer seated posture holds, arm raises, or wall sits as standard options alongside floor planks.
• Allow closed eyes or navigating a paper maze instead of blindfolds.
• Participants may keep personal setback details private and discuss only generic workflow adjustments.

If the session gets stuck

Participants treat the relay in Step 3 as an intense athletic race.

Remind squads that steady rhythm, clear handoffs, and safety are the goals, not pure speed.

People choose daily habits that are too large and fail quickly.

Ask participants to shrink the habit scope until it takes under two minutes to finish.

Terms used here

• Sugar Cookie: A training metaphor for an adverse outcome occurring despite proper execution, requiring composure rather than self-blame.
• Make Your Bed: A tiny, reliable micro task completed early in a shift to create instant momentum.