By Paula Steenstra

When to play the game?
The object of the game is to create a space for the players (as participants in an initiative) to discuss their expectations, experiences and desires about their own and other one’s skills, positions and resources in the group. Use this game when:
The participants in the group don’t know (about) each other
There is (a feeling that there is) always a lot of discussion but little or unsatisfying results
People feel uncomfortable with how things are going right now
The group needs a refreshment in their practices to increase their progress
There is a or there are overruling participant(s)

How does it work?
This game is all about metaphors with which you will identify. In the context of the initiative the players will imagine a storyline, for example the sailing of a boat. Players will need to select a character, a setting and an object of that story that they identify with, for example the captain, the crow’s nest and the deck mob. On the back of the card a quote and two positive and two negative effects of that card on the collaboration are described. After every player having explained his/her selected cards, the discussion will be opened. When the game is played for the goal of exploring roles the players can play the discussion options ‘go search for’ and ‘why not?’. When the game is played for the goal of reflection the players can play the discussion options ‘the effect’ and ‘a bit more/less like’. Finally the players have selected, explained and discussed about characters, positions and objects in the metaphor of that boat.
Though noting is more true than that, the players have been selecting, explaining and discussing about their own and each others roles in the collaboration within the initiative and their experiences, expectations and desires about them.