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Double Double

Collaborating Across a System: Nobody succeeds until everyone succeeds

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Learning Objectives

As a result of participating in this activity, learners will:

  1. Collaborate to solve duplicate puzzles simultaneously.
  2. Demonstrate leadership and flexibility upon recognition of duplication.
  3. Utilize collaborative problem-solving skills with other teams to support their performance in a similar task.

Description

  1. Using duplicate children’s puzzles (approximately 4 people for each 24 piece puzzle, i.e. three identical puzzles for 12 people) hand out 2-3 pieces to each person as they walk in. Remaining pieces can be on the tables.
  2. People will have to solve the multiple identical puzzles simultaneously but may hold pieces to a few of the puzzles.
  3. People will have to determine in which puzzles their pieces have already been used and find remaining puzzles where their pieces are still needed.
  4. The activity is over when all puzzles are solved.

Recommendations

Larger groups and using duplicates of puzzles may frustrate participants, blocking learning.

Size

Small Group, Medium Group

Equipment

Minimal Equipment - Children's puzzles such that each participant has two to three pieces

Time

One Hour

Modifications

Lesson

Team Membership

Belonging to a team means requires noting where you have information (pieces) to share and then sharing it OR moving elsewhere to share your information or skills where they are needed.

Debrief Questions

  1. What went well?
  2. How did people interact and reach solutions given the identical activity was going on across tables?
  3. What strategies and processes were used to organize people and pieces? What could have been done differently?
  4. Given the duplication of the puzzles, were you able to easily move on once you realized your pieces had already been played? In what other forms of team interaction would you see similar changes and realignment of solutions?

Clinical Application

For many patients are multiple, different providers who can address illness.

  1. How does a team decided who should be the main provider to the patient?
  2. How do the other team members provide support?
  3. How is conflict resolved if one team member has strong feelings about a certain medication?

Bloom's Taxonomy

Analyze/Apply

TeamSTEPPS domain

Communication
Teamwork/Team Structure

IPEC Competency

CC 1, 4-6
TT 1, 2 & 8

Lesson

Mutual Support

When working within system-wide goals, some members of the team may have skills/ responsibilities (i.e. pieces) that overlap but ultimately all are necessary to succeed. In this exercise, until all teams have successfully completed the challenge, no team has succeeded. Teams are responsible for the success of the entire system.

Debrief Questions

  1. As you were holding pieces to multiple puzzles, how did it feel to be on multiple teams simultaneously?
  2. How did it feel to not be able to “contribute” to a team because someone else already had played your piece?
  3. How might that have been different if teams had been given puzzles that were different from one another?
  4. Describe your reaction if your pieces didn't fit anywhere?

Clinical Application

Consider that you are on a team that is first on the scene of a mass casualty disaster.

  1. How should the care team be organized?
  2. How can team members assist one another in caring for patients.
  3. How could power struggles impact patient care? What would be considered success in this situation?

Bloom's Taxonomy

Analyze/Apply

TeamSTEPPS domain

Leadership
Mutual Support

IPEC Competency

VE 9-10
RR 2 & 9
TT 1, 2 & 8

Lesson

Situation Monitoring

Members may belong to a system in which several teams are attempting to complete similar tasks but are dependent on the skills (pieces) of another team member in order to achieve their own goals.

Debrief Questions

In our culture, we tend be competitive with one another even when we are members of the same team.  Remember, however, team members win or lose as a unit.

  1. In systems where team members have similar knowledge and skills, how does the team decide who completes the task?
  2. How can team members with similar skills support one another instead of compete with one another?
  3. What strategies could leaders use when delegating tasks to team members who a) serve on multiple teams or b) have similar skills?

Clinical Application

Using our mass casualty example:

  1. What happens if we need more of a particular resource, such as chest tube kits, than we have? How do we distribute these resources fairly?
  2. How can team members communicate their need for assistance with patient care?
  3. How can team members monitor the disaster situation in order to protect one another and their patients?

Bloom's Taxonomy

Analyze/Apply

TeamSTEPPS domain

Situation Monitoring
Communication

IPEC Competency

CC 1, 4-6

Summary

Team members learn how their skills may overlap with other team members and must consider the feeling of being outside the system of which they are a part while attempting to provide support and/or assistance.

Contact

For more information about how to utilize games, low-fidelity simulation, and interactive learning to teach concepts of teamwork and collaboration, contact Better.Teams@rosalindfranklin.edu

Related Tags

accountability, choice, collaboration, common goal, communication, conflict, feedback, inexpensive, low barrier, low resource, mutual support, outcomes, puzzles, roles and responsibilities, situation monitoring, team membership, teams and teamwork, urgency