Selective Focus is a quick and fun energizer that demonstrates how easily people lose focus when distractions arise. It’s ideal for engaging large groups, but it works equally well with smaller teams.
- Ask all participants to stand up
- (or turn on their cameras for remote sessions).
- Give the instructions
- Say: “I will give a series of quick instructions. Follow only the ones that start with the word FOCUS.”
- Call out actions
- “FOCUS: raise your right hand”
- “Clap your hands” (don’t say “FOCUS” here)
- “FOCUS: touch your left shoulder”
- “Rotate your neck” (no “FOCUS”)
- “FOCUS: sit down”
- “Raise both hands” (no “FOCUS”)
Many participants will instinctively follow instructions without the “FOCUS” keyword, revealing how easy it is to act without paying full attention. Expect laughter and light moments as mistakes happen!
This energizer helps participants experience first-hand the challenge of maintaining focus amid distractions—an excellent metaphor for team priorities and focus. Typically I will say something like: “Did you notice how easy it was to act without focus? This is exactly what happens in our teams. Working with Team OKR is about defining what matters and filtering out the noise.”
Large group friendly: This activity works equally well for large audiences (such as conferences) and smaller teams.