The Shapes Game

Last Friday we played a game where working in pairs one student (product owner) had to write instructions on how to draw a picture, and the other (developer) had to draw the picture using only the instructions. We had several rounds, and it was both fun and a good learning experience.

In the first round, almost no one got it right. For the second round, the blinds didn't close properly so the devs saw the picture and we had to choose another one. Everyone wanted more time to write the instructions - and more time is something product owners almost never have.

One team calmly got the exercise correct twice in a row - when I commented, I learned the pair had been working together at the same company for years!

In our debrief, the entire class agreed that during Round 1 when talking was not allowed, the exercise was very difficult. How often do POs document the work to be done, then go away to do other Important Things, leaving the devs to guess at what was intended, and (inevitably) build the wrong thing? Round 2 was better, when comments and feedback were encouraged. Round 3 was even better, as people got familiar with each other.

Our debrief revealed some simple bu powerful insights about communication product work:

In spite of me having explained all these concepts in depth over the two weeks prior, I think it finally hit home during this brief and simple exercise.

Full disclosure - I borrowed and amended this little exercise from one of the places I worked, and I honestly can't remember where, or who created it. If it was YOU please let me know and you'll get full credit! I think it's been around for a while, but in case you haven't seen it yet, feel free to borrow it and use it with your teams to help them learn just how hard simple requirements/user story communication can be.

The Shapes Game slide deck