One of my favorite communication learning games is called the Focus Ring. I prepare a metal ring with 10 strings and place it on the floor with all the strings pulled out and equally spaced. Then I place a tennis ball on top of the ring. The task of the team is to lift the tennis ball off the floor without dropping it and place it on top of a water bottle in a known location, somewhere in the vicinity. If the tennis ball falls, the team has to start over. I make sure that the task is hard enough to be challenging, but still manageable. For example, it’s good for the team to have to navigate doorways and furniture. When I’m working with athletes, I make sure the path is super difficult, like going up stairs or navigating bleachers.

As the team is working through the issues, I’m observing how they communicate with each other. While there are lots of valuable lessons to be learned from this game about teamwork, leadership, conversation, feedback, and competition, one lesson in particular comes to mind for church leaders. The hardest part of the whole game is getting the ball off the floor. Every team I’ve worked with has had multiple tennis ball drops, requiring the team to start over. Naturally, different ideas pop up for the group to consider. One common idea is for the group to stand physically close in order to create a type of net around the tennis ball. 

Isn’t this an interesting instinct? The idea to gather close and protect the ball with a net feels like a safe and smart thing to do. This idea is logical on the surface, but it always fails. The strings are too long, people’s arms and height won’t allow the net to be secure, and even when people crisscross the strings, the tennis ball still falls. When people start down this road, I know the game is going to take a lot longer. In addition, people can get very attached to this idea because of the (flawed) safety logic. It’s as though they think, “If we can first secure the ball, then we can go.” Instead of trying something entirely different, the team often begins to tweak this safety-net idea. The persistence is quite admirable, but the flawed logic dooms the team. The physics just don’t work.

Spoiler alert: I’m about to tell you what works, but if you want your team to get the most out of this activity, let them struggle. Make them figure it out. They will, I promise. Here is the link to create the focus ring:
https://www.teachmeteamwork.com/teachmeteamwork/files/FocusRingHTM.pdf  (By the way, I use a mostly empty water bottle instead of a PVC pedestal for the end portion of the game.)

Here’s the secret: the fastest way for the team to get the tennis ball off the ground is to create tension. Hmmmmm. If the team members can create tension by pulling the strings roughly at the same time, the tennis ball will be held quite securely in the metal ring without falling. Some teams find this solution quickly; some take longer. While this solution might be counter-intuitive, the physics are sound. Once the tension is established, and the team understands that the tension must remain intact, then the team is on the move with the ball securely in the ring. The momentum is fun to watch here, as the team is feeling great.

Again, there are many lessons we can learn, specifically about the ways successful teams talk to each other during a challenge. My teams always point out that everyone is focused on the ball, leadership gets passed around as needed, and people are free to speak up without fear. For this audience, though, I’d like to focus on the two instincts: safety versus tension. While it feels safer to create a cocoon around the precious tennis ball, that method fails. What safety net do you feel the need to build right now? Or what safety net is in place that isn’t that safe? Is it around your leaders, your beliefs, your kids, your church, or maybe yourself? 

While we want to create safety, we honestly can’t—at least for the most part. Jesus certainly didn’t play it safe. His ministry was risky from day one; there is no getting around that. The same tension that keeps the tennis ball safe can serve us really well. Are our church leaders challenging each other enough? Or are we a bunch of really smart people who love Jesus but don’t lead well together? Do we allow tension to strengthen our beliefs, or do we block any serious questions? Do we equip our kids to deal with the world rather than isolating them? Are we dealing with the realities of our church’s future, or are we just hoping things will change? Am I willing to be challenged, as a church leader, minister, or member, or am I too defensive to grow from opportunities that arise? These are all safety-versus-tension questions.

My dad once told me, “We can’t isolate ourselves from the world; we have to equip ourselves to deal with the world.” This was his way of expressing the safety-versus-tension idea. I know I don’t have to tell you that there is so much world we must deal with right now. By creating tension, we create strength. Everyone must pull back, instead of gathering close and hovering over the ball. Tension is created when different methodologies, ideas, and even personalities are equally considered. While we might feel awkward when tension arises during decision-making, tension is very healthy, provided everyone can handle themselves respectfully.

Once a team gets close to the goal, successful teams slow down and begin to fine tune the tension. Successful teams are protective of the tension; they make sure it’s in place and they begin to seek out perspectives that will allow the tennis ball to be placed on the water bottle. There is more conversation, and people are listening intently. At this point, people are asking questions, seeking outside information, and welcoming all information that would help make a good decision on how to lower the tennis ball onto the water bottle. The smiles of accomplishment are truly a beautiful thing when a team succeeds.

I learned a long time ago that people learn far more by doing an activity like this rather than listening to me. If you decide to play the game, make sure you review the rules carefully so your team can get the most out of the experience. I’d love to know how it goes!