A classic activity scripted in my presentation style:

The Web
sample presentation

Welcome to The Web of Transition - where every window is an opportunity...
This is an exercise designed to help you identify the opportunities that you may take advantage of as you transition from a
'normal' staff to a Highly Effective Team. The web that is before you represents the transitions. Every hole in the web
is a window of opportunity that you may take advantage of. Each window may only be used one time! The only
exception is that your facilitator may allow one window to be used twice for every team member over the actual number
of holes in the web. For example, if the web has twelve holes and there are fourteen team members, the facilitator may
choose two holes to be used twice (14 people minus 12 windows equals 2 done twice). These holes must be chosen
and told to the facilitator before you begin. In order to take advantage of the window of opportunity, a person must
label that window with a commitment to the team and its members and then pass through the window without ringing
the bell(s). The group may choose from one to three bells to be on the web. The more bells the facilitator attaches (not
the team), the more difficult it is to accomplish. If the bell(s) rings as a team mate passes through, then that teammate
must walk around the web to pass through their window again and one other person must come back who has already
made it and pass through their window again as well. Ringing the bell is a consequence for the entire team. Once you
have passed through your window of opportunity, you may not go back to the other side to help - you are through
unless you return as a consequence! If someone must be lifted by the team to go through their window, please use
proper lifting techniques: lift with the legs and not with the back, support the persons entire body including the head,
and place their feet first on the ground and stand them up straight before anyone lets go of the person that was just
passed through. Be careful not to flip the person over onto their face like a spatula flipping a pancake. Each member
of the team may lift up to six people total. This is lifting, not guiding. If you support someone's weight then you have
lifted them. The six lifts may be used on one side or split between both sides of the web. For example, I may lift James
from this side and pass through to the other side myself. On that side I may lift Sally, Joe, Jose, Gabby, and Beth. If Joe
touches and has to pass through again, he is still one of my four persons so I can lift him again. If someone can not lift
for physical reasons, they may give two of their lifts to one other person. No one may lift more than eight people. Your
team members must keep track of their number of lifts! There is no going under, around or over the web - only by going
through the windows of opportunity may someone successfully make the transition. Intentionally manipulating the web
or the bells is unethical. That means holding the bells or stretching the web or holding the web would be equivalent to
falsifying information in file to make it look as if you were doing a better job than you have done. You must complete
this task in its entirety (planning and passing through) 75 minutes from now. There will be no time to re-try or get extra
time, this is your deadline. This is the one chance you have and no extensions are allowed!!!!

physical description
The Web is either stretchable or breakable cord or tape passed between poles or trees or it is built on a portable frame made
of PVC pipe or wood. The pattern varies, but traditionally has three connective points to the supports on each side and
is strung to allow for various sized holes to be present. Some webs are horizontal (often taped between two tables), but
most are vertical.

safety
1. The minimum number of spotters is the whole team. Allow no one to 'check out' or take a smoke break during this activity!
Anyone who is not actively lifting should be underneath the person being lifted one to two inches as a spotter.
2. The minimum number of participants needed to attempt this activity is two. Do not use any holes that require lifting, but
make the holes small so that some serious patience and guidance is necessary for it to be accomplishable. If you wish
to have holes high enough to require lifting, have at least six people on the team who can physically lift without health
restrictions.
3. The maximum safe working load on this element is ? pounds. Use stretching or breakable material to tie your web so that
anyone who is dropped in the middle of a pass is not 'hung' by the web. Have extra material available to repair the web
is you use a break-away web, such as a masking tape or survey tape web.
4. Avoid tying the web in a doorway. It is really hard to spot both sides effectively. If in a gym, tape one from the bottom of
the basketball backboard to a tumble mat below.
5. Have a facilitator on each side of the web to assist in spotting. I find it easiest to hold the participant's hand as they come
through to my side of the web. That way I hold them up in case of the 'spatula effect' or if they lose their balance due
to disorientation from being lifted once they have their feet on the ground.
6. Do your five E's and present a challenge appropriate to your team's skills (see Variations).

instructor
Must constantly be ready to catch the participants as they are lifted and pass through the web. There must be atl least two
instructors/facilitators to cover both sides of the web. I recommend hold the participant's hand so they may use the
instructor to pull themselves upright. Don't let go until they have their balance once set down feet first.

participant
Agree to be safe in lifting (use the legs, not the back) and to pass everyone face-up (to prevent fondling, but don't say that or
it will become a fear of the team members). Agree not to let go of anyone until they are safely put down feet first. Agree to honor 'Challenge by Choice". This is the directive that states that everyone may chose their level of participation
and must find a way to still take a role in the team if not physically participating.

variations
1. If some holes are too small for anyone to pass through, do not count them when you decide how many holes are usable.
2. Usable holes are often marked to help the facilitators keep track of which holes are available still and to make sure that
enough holes have been accounted for. Try using trash bag twisties or tape and remove once the hole has been
used.
3. If someone opts out of passing through a hole, still encourage them to make a commitment to the team and document it for
taking back to the workplace/home/lodge/etc.
4. The lifts rule prevents domination by a few large, often male, participants and as a safety measure, spreads out the
workload.
5. Have the team document their commitments on a flipchart that has a drawing of the web on it. Everyone can write their
commitment in the hole that they passed through. Make sure they put their name on it!
6. Substitute the bell(s) with a fake spider that causes someone to go back if it falls off as they were passing through.
7. Use this activity to bring two teams back together at the end of the day by having them start on opposite sides of the web
and having to transition to the other team's side. Set up properly, it can seem competitive at first, which produces a
nice learning opportunity as people scramble to claim the easiest holes for their side. If you had to break the initial team
into more than two groups for the day, have multiple webs come out from a central point like bicycle spokes (if viewed
from above). Have each team start in a different piece of this pie and all move through the web to their right if facing
the common center point. This is really fun.
8. If you have a small group that is highly functional, do not allow the web to be touched at all, no bells, no spider. I have
seen a group of eight facilitators take two hours to complete a web this way so be cautious of your time constraints.
Making it easier for the team in mid-activity draws negative responses usually.
9. Bells that dangle from a string or are hung facing upward do not ring as easily.
10. Have the team members announce their commitment before they may pass through the window of opportunity or have
them announce it to the team in the closing ceremonies.
11. Start with extra holes and take one hole away every seven to ten minutes to symbolize competition coming in.
12. Allow about 2 minutes per participant to complete this activity. You may also include a ten minute planning time up front.
Too little time causes the team to rush and creates an unsafe environment.

consequences
* if the bell rings the person(s) passing through at that time must go back and try again
* if the bell rings the person passing through must go back and take one other team member with them
* if the team members will have difficulty beyond the norm, have two persons who have already made it go back if the bell
rings, but not the person who was passing through when the bell rang.