This document outlines an agile workshop exercise to teach pairing. It involves having participants work through various puzzles and games in pairs, taking turns as the "driver" who does the work and "navigator" who provides feedback. The goals are to understand pairing as an empathetic relationship rather than just work, and learn what it means to be fully present with your partner. Participants first play a game independently, then replay with a new partner to see how their behavior changes with the lessons learned.

1. Mini exercises for an
Agile workshop
MINI SERIES -
GAME-4 – UNDERSTANDING PAIRING

2. Paired up in altitude

3. Learning
outcomes
1. Pairing is an attitude - It is caring
and showing empathy.
2. Pairing is less of work and more
about understanding a
relationship.
3. Knowing what “being present
means”.
4. Recognizing quality at source.

4. Mini history:
During a Southwest flight, I picked up their magazine and immersed in a Sudoku puzzle.
After observing for sometime, the passenger seated next to me asked me about it. I
explained the game. Then he started identifying numbers. And I filled the puzzle
quicker that I would have done on my own. We completed all the puzzles and went back
to our own worlds.

5. Facilitating this game in a workshop
setting for beginners:
Sudoku
Crossword
Play on words
Play on numbers
Lego
Picture puzzles
How to play:
Participants are requested to select their partner.
1 Day = 15 minutes.
Each switch = 2 minutes. (About 7 switches are
possible)
Planning =1 minute.
Once pairs are formed and the game is selected, timer
is turned on.
One person assumes the role of a Driver, and the
other Navigator. They switch every two minutes (on
cue from facilitator).
During planning pairs only discuss, and do not begin
to work. After 1 minute timer, the developer begins
their work.
Navigator observes and provides feedback, but does
not do the actual work.
While in Driver mode, participants
can
“RESET and RESTART”
if they choose to!

6. End of game debrief:
Request for openness and honesty!
Facilitator to focus questions on how each individual “behaved” in either role.
Where there moments when they “would have rather done all the work on their own”
What was their
What was their patience level between each role.
Now request that they write down “notes to self” on behavior that needs to be practiced
when pairing and discuss with their partner.
Ask them to get ready for a game re-run.

7. Game re-run:
When the whole group played the same game, randomly assign new
partners, and play the game as per previous slide.
If the group had received different games, then find a new partner based
on the same game that they played earlier.
Play the game.
Do a debrief, and check what changes individuals made to their own
behavior, and what new behaviors they observed.
Spend time discussing re-run learnings.
Align with learning outcomes from slide #3
Read up:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pair_programming
Game with lego blocks:
https://agilekaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/geekdom-agile-
scrum-lego-simulation-for-mob-and-paired-programming/