Team Building Exercise: Navigating the Traffic Jam Challenge (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: It's called the Traffic Jam, and it goes like this. The goal of this workout is that you, with your nose facing that way, are going to move and stand here, and you as a team are going to move and stand on that side. Four rules. The first rule is that you are only allowed to move forward. So once you're in a position, you're never allowed to step back. The second rule is that you're never allowed to bring in your colleague. So, for example, Marco is never allowed to pass Martin. The third rule is that you're not allowed to move with two people at the same time. And the fourth rule is that you're not allowed to stand in one position with two people.

Speaker 2: Do you want to look around?

Speaker 1: Let's just show you.

Speaker 2: We as a woman. First a woman. Then a man. First a woman. Then a man. First a woman.

Speaker 3: Then a man. Then a woman. We can't go on like this. Can you finish it like this?

Speaker 1: No, I don't want to.

Speaker 3: We can't go on like this. Go back. Go again.

Speaker 1: That doesn't work. That was option 1. Now option 2. Does anyone know what option 2 is?

Speaker 3: In fact, if you're going to finish it one by one, make sure that one person goes all the way back. And then the other. And then instead of...

Speaker 1: One by one. First a man there, and then a woman there. And then... Okay.

Speaker 2: We can try. I think we're all...

Speaker 1: Do you want to take a step this way? Me? Do you have to go around it? I think so.

Speaker 2: Do you have to go around it? Do you have to go around it? Yes.

Speaker 1: It's stuck. I think I'm doing a good job.

Speaker 2: I don't think so. No, it wasn't? No, it wasn't. Oh, okay. I thought it was done. Can I go around it? Yes. Can I go around it? Yes, you can go around it. Oh, I'm going to go behind. No, you can't. You can't. Can I go around it? Yes, you can go around it.

Speaker 3: Okay.

Speaker 2: Then you come in here and I'll go next to you.

Speaker 3: No, wait, wait. But now we have to go back.

Speaker 2: No, we have to go back. We have to go back. Listen to me. And now... Oh no, wait. Martin, can I go around it? Yes. Yes. No, you can't. No. Marco can... Marco can go around it now. Marco can't go back now.

Speaker 1: Do you want a tip? Yes. Okay. How many? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

Speaker 2: One.

Speaker 1: And the tip is?

Speaker 2: That's the tip. Is that the tip? That's the tip. That's the tip.

Speaker 1: That's the tip.

Speaker 2: Well, that helps. That helps. That's not too bad. You get an aha experience. Jan, you have to do the first step. We have to practice. We have to practice. Practice. You can only do one thing in the first step. Yes, you can only do one thing. You can only do one line. One more time. One more time. You can only do two steps. You can only do two steps. You can only do two things now. You can only do one thing now. We'll do all the variations later.

Speaker 1: You didn't have anything to do with it. No. Do you want the solution? Yes. Okay, listen. I said heel one to nine. So that's equal and unequal. So one is unequal, two is equal, and so on. So if one of you moves, it always goes either to an equal or unequal heel. So, for example, Martin steps from 4 to 5, so he steps to an... Uneven. Exactly. That means, and this is the solution, that you always have to step to an uneven. And you always have to step to an even. And then it works.

Speaker 2: So... Okay. Okay. Yay. Yes.