GAME #89: Get the Monkey Off Your Back
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Game Categories:
Opener Energizer Communication
Team-building Review Topical
❖ Purpose: To lighten review sessions.
❖ Time Required: 10 to 15 minutes.
❖ Size of Group: Unlimited.
❖ Materials Required: A toy monkey.
❖ The Exercise in Action: Participants are often reluctant to ask what they feel are ignorant questions for fear of appearing foolish in front of peers, says Carol Schumacher, a training officer at the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Phoenix. The truth is, she tells participants, if you are confused on a point, others probably share your confusion. So she saves time at the end of a session for a little “monkey business.” When the session is drawing to a close, Schumacher introduces her stuffed toy monkey—the kind with the long arms and Velcro hands. For fun, she can introduce it as Mr. Problem, Mr. Nasty Issue, or by any other name that indicates its symbolic role as the “monkey on your back.” She tells participants she will pass the monkey around. Participants with unanswered questions or who are confused about some aspect of a lesson are encouraged to wrap the monkey’s arms around their necks, describe the situation or problem to the rest of the class, and ask the class for assistance. Once a participant’s questions are answered, he takes the monkey off his back and passes it along. The exercise ends when everyone has been offered a turn. The method is high-energy, Schumacher says, and the ridiculousness of the approach helps people get past their inhibitions to ask questions.
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