Navigating the waters¶
Mapping the waters¶
Purpose: Surface what people see as the currents, rocks, and whirlpools in their shared environment — obstacles, pressures, and hidden dependencies.
Method:
Use a large sheet of paper, whiteboard, or virtual board.
Participants draw or symbolise elements of their environment: currents (flows of work), rocks (risks or bottlenecks), whirlpools (repeating problems).
Colour-code for impact, frequency, or urgency.
Discuss as a group and connect overlapping currents or conflicting rocks.
Outcome: A visual map that highlights blind spots, friction points, and opportunities for intervention. Helps teams see the full “sea” they’re navigating.
Tip: Encourage creativity — icons, emojis, or metaphors help people express abstract pressures.
Crossing the river¶
Purpose: Practice decision-making and collaboration when resources are limited and risks are high.
Method:
Divide participants into small crews.
Present a “river crossing” scenario: only certain steps or resources allow safe passage (time limits, scarce supplies, or conflicting priorities).
Participants must plan and execute the crossing while negotiating conflicts.
Debrief: discuss trade-offs, risk perception, leadership emergence, and communication patterns.
Outcome: Participants experience the tension of constrained decisions, strengthen collaboration, and learn to surface assumptions.
Tip: Introduce “storms” mid-crossing (e.g., a sudden obstacle or new rule) to simulate real-world volatility.
Storm signals¶
Purpose: Learn to spot weak signals of trouble before they escalate into crises.
Method:
Each participant shares an early-warning story or anomaly they observed in their work or environment.
Facilitator categorises signals by type, source, or severity.
Group brainstorms potential responses and ways to monitor similar signals in the future.
Outcome: Increased situational awareness, better communication about risks, and a shared framework for identifying early warnings.
Tip: Include examples from past storms or incidents to ground abstract signals in concrete experience.
Anchor points¶
Purpose: Identify stabilising forces that keep the group steady during turbulent times. Method:
Participants recall moments when the team successfully navigated difficulty.
Storytelling circle: each shares their perspective.
Facilitator distils recurring themes into “anchors” — principles, routines, or people the team can rely on.
Outcome: Recognising and reinforcing stabilising factors boosts confidence, morale, and resilience during change or uncertainty.
Tip: Encourage participants to capture anchors visually (drawings, symbols, or sticky notes) for easy reference later.
Harbour master exercise¶
Purpose: Test how the group reacts under simulated stress, conflicting information, and communication breakdowns. Method:
Facilitator introduces a scenario with incomplete or contradictory information.
Add time pressure or multiple simultaneous demands (“storms” hitting the harbour).
Observe how participants coordinate, prioritise, and communicate.
Debrief: highlight patterns of trust, coordination, overload, and improvisation.
Outcome: Teams learn stress-handling patterns, identify bottlenecks, and strengthen adaptive responses.
Tip: Use role rotation to allow everyone to experience different positions of responsibility.
Currents and countercurrents¶
Purpose: Explore hidden forces shaping behaviour — policies, culture, or unspoken rules that push or pull the group. Method:
Participants write down forces that propel the group forward and forces that hold it back.
Share anonymously or openly, then cluster similar forces.
Facilitate discussion: why do these forces exist, and how can they be leveraged or mitigated?
Outcome: Reveals systemic influences on behaviour, surfaces hidden conflicts, and identifies potential levers for change.
Tip: Consider combining with Mapping the Waters so currents identified can be tied to real “rocks” or “whirlpools” in the environment.