Phones and Faxes

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Test and refine collective coordination by adjusting communication and launch patterns across repeated rounds.

Use it when: Use during a team retreat or workshop when a physical group needs an energizing exercise on iterative improvement, feedback, and role coordination.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have limited mobility, cannot throw or catch safely, or when working in a cramped space with hard surfaces or breakable objects.

Group arrangement: Whole group in a single circle with 2 to 3 central catchers

Timing: 15 minutes based on Playmeo 15-20 minute recommendation, structured into intro, baseline round, strategy round, final round, and debrief.

Materials and tools

• 1 to 2 soft tossable items per person (fleece balls, beanbags, or rolled clean socks)
• 1 flipchart or whiteboard with dry-erase marker for score tallying

Before participants arrive

1. Clear a central floor space at least 5 meters across with no tripping hazards.
2. Place all tossable objects in an accessible basket or distribute 1 to 2 items to each chair.
3. Write 'Round 1', 'Round 2', and 'Round 3' on the tally board.

Say this to open

Gather in a circle facing inward. We need two or three volunteers to stand in the center, back to back. Everyone on the circle will hold one soft object. When I call 'Launch,' everyone will toss their object toward the center. The center catchers will try to catch as many items in the air as possible before they hit the ground. Dropped items cannot be scooped up. Our team score is the total number of clean catches in that round. Then we will adapt our strategy and try to improve.

How to run it

1. Setup and baseline throw 3 minutes

   Form a circle. Select 2 or 3 central catchers who stand back to back. Hand 1 soft item to each circle member. Explain the rule: objects must be tossed in an arc toward the middle on the facilitator cue. Catchers cannot turn to face each other; they face outward. Call the launch signal. Catchers secure as many as they can. Tally the number of caught items on the board.

2. Strategy pause and round two 4 minutes

   Give the entire group 90 seconds to discuss how to increase the catch count without breaking safety rules. Examples of adjustments include staggered launches, calling names before tossing, or matching throw height to catcher reach. Reset the items. Run round two using the new team strategy. Record the new total catches on the board.

3. Role rotation and final round 4 minutes

   Invite a new set of 2 or 3 volunteers into the center. Central players from earlier rounds return to the outer circle. Run a third round applying the best combination of pacing and calling. Count catches and log the final tally alongside earlier scores.

4. Reflection and debrief 4 minutes

   Gather the group. Review the scores across rounds. Facilitate a brief discussion using the debrief questions, taking 3 to 4 quick spoken observations from different roles (catchers and throwers).

Debrief questions

• What specific change in communication or timing produced the biggest improvement in catches?
• How did the experience differ between standing in the center receiving input versus standing on the perimeter sending it?
• Where does our regular team work experience a similar pattern of sending too much information at once?

Finished output: A recorded score progression showing catches across three rounds, demonstrating the impact of agreed pacing and communication.

Remote

This physical toss-and-catch game cannot run online without changing its physical mechanics into an entirely different exercise. For a remote team exploring incoming load and coordination, run an explicit alternative such as Word Chain Pacing: the group must send sequentially chained words in chat within a 60-second window, pausing between rounds to establish caller sequences and reduce simultaneous collisions.

Hybrid

Hybrid delivery is not recommended because remote attendees cannot participate in physical throwing or catching. If running in a hybrid meeting, pair remote colleagues together on a dedicated video feed to act as real-time analysts and coaches, analyzing video replays of each launch round and recommending timing adjustments to the physical room.

Access and participation choices

• Participants who prefer not to catch or make overhead throws can serve as official scorekeepers, launch callers, or field retrieval assistants.
• Soft lightweight items like fleece balls or foam shapes ensure zero impact risk.
• Anyone may step out of active throwing or catching at any time without explanation.

If the session gets stuck

Throwers throw all items simultaneously at high speed, creating a chaotic barrage that cannot be caught.

Remind throwers during the strategy pause that the goal is the collective catch score, not individual disposal speed. Prompt them to agree on staggered releases or vocal cues.

Catchers collide with each other while reaching for the same falling item.

Reinforce that catchers remain strictly back to back, each covering their own forward 120-degree visual cone rather than spinning across zones.

Terms used here

• Tossable item: A lightweight, soft object safe for indoor throwing, such as a fleece ball, hacky sack, or beanbag.