The Center for Creative Community

GUESS WHO ???? @

A Motivational Game

@ -- permission for use-with-acknowledgment 

1999 Note – Never published and not much ever done with it. Too bad: I think it is a neat, fun, instructive process with lots of potential. Among other things, it could fit well with the Window of Word (See packet on Work Enrichment).

Background
How well do we really know the people with whom we live or work, in households and neighborhoods, in offices, clubs, churches, or synagogues, on boards or committees, in schoolrooms and stores? Often, we know our associates less well than we think, especially when it comes to specific things which turn them on or off, which motivate or de-motivate them.

Yet, such knowledge is crucial in planning any successful voluntary effort: network, teamwork, volunteer work, sensitive and effective delegation of any work, etc.

The "Guess Who" game makes it easier for people to share specific motivational preferences of their own, and more fun for people to guess the motivational preferences of others. The game is a test of the degree to which we really know our associates, also a learning experience which increases that knowledge, and finally an incentive for increased sensitivity to where other people are coming from.

The Game Itself
The game is played with three kinds of motivational counters.

A Glad Give is a specific activity that, first and foremost you like to do, and enjoy. You are also pretty good at it (you don'’ have to be the world'’ champion) and think it might possible be of use to someone else, though don'’ worry too much about this.

A Quest or yearn-to-learn is something fairly specific you’d really like to learn more about, an area in which you’d like to learn and grow.

A No-No is a fairly specific activity or situation you definitely do not like, an aversion.

Usually, it’s best to let these all be from the Person’s life-at-large, at least at first. Later you might want to try a more restricted focus such as worklife.

Each person independently puts in 5-10 glad gives, 3-5 quests, and 3-5 no-no’s. A definite quota should be set for each of these three elements, and participants should not show other people what they are writing down. Each single glad give, quest, or no-no should be on a separate slip of paper or card, identified as GG, Q, or N-N, but unsigned, an otherwise devoid of clues to contributor’s identity (for example, printed rather than handwritten and on the same color paper as other entries, etc.)

All entries are thoroughly shuffled. Then a reader (who may not otherwise be a participant in the game) reads each entry nothing whether it is a glad give, a quest, or a no-no.

Participants then attempt to identify what person belongs to each particular glad give, quest, or no-no presented. In case more than one person belongs to a motivational element, either person is a correct guess.

People in the group can attempt to guess separately and individually, or the official guess can be a group majority or consensus, after discussion. Either way, part of the fun ins the ability to keep a poker face and innocent demeanor while your entry is being discussed. The reader or another person as recorder keeps track of correct and incorrect guesses; one option is not to reveal these until the very end of the game.

In every group there are likely to be glad givers who revel in the opportunity to compile statistics at the end of the game; for example, percent of correct guesses by type of motivational element (no-no, etc.) and/or by individuals. In any event, there is much of serious import to absorb and discuss after the fun of this game. How well do we really know the people with whom we live and work…? And if that’s not well enough, what do we propose to do about it? One suggestions is to keep on playing the game regularly until we get guess-right percentages of 90 or more.

Guess who would really be interested in talking more with you about all this?

Ivan Scheier

Return to the Main Table of Contents

Ivan Scheier
Stillpoint
607 Marr
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, 87901
Tel (505) 894-1340
Email: ivan@zianet.com

For comments and editing suggestions please contact Mary Lou McNatt mlmcnatt@indra.com