Red/Green Exercise

By SoulRio
Posted on April 19, 2005

The Red/Green Exercise is a terrific lead-in to the study on biblical conflict resolution that will come in the following weeks. It is an object lesson and discussion on competition and trust. The exercise is actually more of a learning experiment than a “game.” Although a game of sorts is involved, the object of the lesson is to point out the importance of trust in our lives. It is also designed to help people understand their natural tendency to compete and win, even when winning is not the goal. Often participants will revert to their natural tendency, which is drilled into us by society, to win at all costs. This tendency seems to sneak up on participants. It is quickly demonstrated that, even as Christians, people do not really trust each other. The less “setup” created by the Shepherd Leader the better.

Part I - The Simulation Exercise
1. The only props needed are: 18 – 3”x5” cards, two markers or pencils, and play money. Play money may be obtained from a board game. (The play money is not critical. It is possible to tally on a whiteboard or easel tablet that would show the current status of each group.)
2. As the facilitator, have all the participants separate into two groups. This may be done by numbering off 1,2,1,2, etc. or any other random fashion. (Avoid, at all cost, the words: “team”, “game”, “competition” or anything that might imply competition.) Remind the groups that they are participating in an “exercise” or “experiment”. The facilitator will want to be able to use the fact that the groups will compete even though they were steered away from the idea of competition. Each group will have nine opportunities to choose a color, either red or green.

The choices are worth the corresponding dollar amounts:
a. If both groups choose green, both groups receive $100.
b. If both groups choose red, both groups lose $100.
c. If one group chooses red and the other green, the group that chose red received $200 and the group that chose green loses $200.
Explain this as many times as is necessary until everyone understands.
3. Make certain to also announce the two following simple “requirements”:
a. Make as much money as possible.
b. Hurt no one.
c. Those who have previously participated in this exercise are to not indicate such to others. Have the two groups separate themselves as much as possible (to two different rooms if possible. It is important that the groups not know what the other group is saying or doing.)
4. Give each group nine 3 x 5 cards and the instruction sheet attached.
5. Each group is to select a leader (in any manner they wish). These people will bring their group’s decision to the facilitator (the leader) on one of the 3 x 5 cards for tallying. Written on the card should be either “red” or “green.” The groups will have 3 minutes maximum to make their decision. The facilitator will award money to the groups as per instruction (3) after each decision or each group can record their totals on their individual exercise sheet.
6. After the fourth decision cycle, the groups will have the opportunity to negotiate with the other group, should they choose to do so. Each group must choose one person from their group to be their negotiator. The two negotiators should be allowed to privately meet and discuss anything they like for a maximum of 3 minutes. The facilitator is not to give the negotiators any prompting. Should either team decide not to negotiate, proceed to the next decision. After negotiations are complete announce to each of the groups that the following decisions #5-#9 will be worth 3 times as much money. (Do not announce the change in value until after the negotiating has been completed and the negotiators have returned to their groups.)
7. Finish all nine rounds and then bring everyone back together to discuss what took place and who made (or lost) how much money.

Part II - The Discussion
The following are some questions intended to spur discussion of what happened in the exercise. It is not necessary to ask all of them. Use those that will foster the most discussion.
• What was your group’s strategy; that is, how did you decide what color to choose?
• Did your group fulfill both the game’s requirements? Why or Why not?
• When did trust in the other group break down?
• Why did (or didn’t) you want to negotiate with the other group?
• When did you decide to try and beat the other group?
• How did you treat the “minority” voice in the group (if there was one)?
• What negative human tendencies were represented by the outcome of this exercise?

Part III - Application
• Why did this exercise turn into a competition, when no mention of competition was indicated?
• Why was there a loss of trust? Most all of us are Christians, aren’t we?
• How did ego play a part in the exercise?
• What other natural tendencies in man were evidenced? Why do you think that was?
• What conditions in our world do these natural tendencies in us cause or cause to be worse?
• What can we learn from this exercise?
• How do our experiences with people manifest themselves in our inability to totally trust God?

• Read 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT), “13So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. 14Obey God because you are his children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn’t know any better then. 15But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God—who chose you to be his children—is holy. 16For he himself has said, ‘You must be holy because I am holy.’”
• Read 1 Peter 2:1-5 (NLT), “1So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don’t just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing. 2You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, 3now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. 4Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. 5And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are God’s holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ.”

• Read Romans chapters 3-5.

• Read Romans 4:13-25 (NLT), “13It is clear, then, that God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on obedience to God’s law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith. 14So if you claim that God’s promise is for those who obey God’s law and think they are ‘good enough’ in God’s sight, then you are saying that faith is useless. And in that case, the promise is also meaningless. 15But the law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) 16So that’s why faith is the key! God’s promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, ‘I have made you the father of many nations.’ This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn’t exist before. 18When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, ‘Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars’, even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible! 19And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children. 20Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised. 22And because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous. 23Now this wonderful truth—that God declared him to be righteous—wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. 24It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. 25He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.“

Red/Green Exercise
Money Log Sheet

Each group will have nine opportunities to choose a color, either red or green. The choices are worth the corresponding dollar amounts:
1. If both groups choose green, both groups receive $100.
2. If both groups choose red, both groups lose $100.
3. If one group chooses red and the other green, the group that chose red received $200 and the group that chose green loses $200.

There are only three simple requirements to fulfill:
1. Make as much money as possible.
2. Hurt no one.
3. Those who have previously participated in this exercise are to not indicate such to others.

Choose a group leader who will bring the choices to the “Exercise Leader.” You will be given 3 minutes to make each decision.

Round___Group 1 Choices________Group 1 Total--------Group 2 Choices________Group 2 Total
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

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