Method guide · Arrange people and ideas
Personal object game
Trace an optional personal object's outline and hear only the owner's chosen meaning, with explicit control over retaining the shared paper.
- People
- 5–20
- Base procedure time
- 27 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Begin together; Build working relationships.
English guide
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How this method works
An opening method for tracing the outline of an object that may be shared and briefly telling only the meaning chosen by its owner. Participants choose a personal object, a plain shape card, or passing. The owner places the object or shape on a large sheet and traces only its outer edge, then their personal object is immediately returned. Choose outlines one at a time; the owner speaks for no more than one minute or passes. Others do not guess the object, ownership, or personal background, and do not photograph the paper. Return the shared paper to one person only if everyone explicitly agrees it may be kept and everyone names that one custodian. If even one person chooses not to keep it, or no custodian is decided, the facilitator immediately cuts it up. Do not use this where personal-object alternatives or passing cannot be allowed.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
Use the arrow keys, Home or End while these controls have focus. The complete phase schedule remains below, including without JavaScript.
- Choose a personal object, plain shape, or passing0–2 minutes from the start (2 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: One group around an outline surface.
Shared record
- The owner places the object and traces only its outline2–5 minutes from the start (3 minutes)
Action: Draw. Participation: One group around an outline surface.
Shared record
- Return the traced object to its owner5–6 minutes from the start (1 minute)
Action: Return. Participation: One group around an outline surface.
Shared record
- Choose one outline and let its owner speak for one minute6–26 minutes from the start (20 minutes)
Action: Tell. Participation: One group around an outline surface.
Shared record
- Apply each person's retention choice to the paper26–27 minutes from the start (1 minute)
Action: Close. Participation: One group around an outline surface.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 2 minutes, each person chooses a personal object they may share, a plain shape card, or passing.
- For 3 minutes, the owner places the object or shape card on the large sheet and draws only one outer outline.
- For 1 minute, immediately return traced personal objects to their owners and do not write names or object details on the paper.
- For 20 minutes, choose unshared outlines one at a time; owners tell only the meaning they want to share for at most one minute.
- For 1 minute, return the shared paper to one custodian only if everyone explicitly agrees to retain it and everyone names that person; otherwise the facilitator immediately cuts it up.
If something changes
If
At the choice stage, one or more participants do not put forward a personal object.
Then
Without asking why, let them choose a plain shape card or pass on making an outline.
If
When an outline is selected, its owner indicates passing.
Then
Do not guess the object or reason; leave the outline unnamed and move to the next.
If
During sharing, one or more guesses are made about ownership or personal background that the owner has not stated.
Then
Interrupt the guessing and return only to the owner's chosen meaning within one minute.
Preparation
Materials
- One whole-group large sheet for outlines
- 2 whole-group broad-tip pens
- One plain shape card per person as an alternative
- One pair of safety scissors for the facilitator, suitable for cutting the large sheet
Room and setup
- A writing surface everyone can gather around and a safe place for objects
Adjust for people and time
With 5–20 people, gather around one large sheet and share for at most one minute per person. Do not split 21 or more people into ad hoc groups on the day. Only if an existing unit of trust separately requests it, hold a separate session on another day. Do not integrate outlines, personal objects, or shared meanings with other sessions, and do not take photographs.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Allow a plain shape or passing without reasons. Trace only outlines, return objects immediately, omit names and details, and do not guess ownership or background or take photographs. Retain the shared paper only with everyone's explicit agreement and a jointly named single custodian; otherwise the facilitator cuts it up immediately. Do not combine material across sessions or form ad hoc groups for convenience.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Seeds for Change Facilitation Tools: Personal object game
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/tools
anti-copyright adaptation; changes made
- Conditions for applying anti-copyright
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/resources
anti-copyright
Diagram, print, and video language
Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.
English video-library navigation. Original Japanese audio, subtitles and transcripts remain labelled Japanese resources. Their translations are separate later work. No remote player is embedded here.
The manual English phase controls are a navigation aid, not a live facilitation timer. Interactive diagram motion remains pending.
Editorial provenance
Japanese source status and logs are provenance only. They do not mean this English text or interface was field-tested. Historical fixed-text acceptance and hold records remain specific to their recorded versions; displaying them neither asserts current acceptance nor resolves source-specific restrictions.