Description
Over the bridge is an accessible activity for both large and small groups. In a team context, “Over the bridge” is a metaphor for connection:
Going over the bridge = taking the step towards the other.
Crossing the bridge = reducing the distance between “us” and “them.”
Building a bridge = establishing a relationship between different perspectives or groups.
The goal of this activity is to experience how us-them thinking arises in groups and what influence this has on collaboration and mutual relationships. By consciously reflecting on this, participants discover what it takes to ‘go over the bridge’ to others. At the same time, we practice combination thinking, where the power of ‘and-and’ is central instead of the polarizing ‘or-or’. In this way, we learn not to see oppositions as conflicts, but as opportunities to connect perspectives. This process contributes to strengthening collaboration and building trust within the team.
Good to know
Location• Locatie van de partner in Antwerp, Brussels, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut, Liège, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant, West Flanders.
• Locatie naar keuze.
Location requirementsFor this activity, a lot of free space is needed at the location.
OtherPossible content deepening in an additional offer with further concrete parallels with a work context:
- Understanding how us-them thinking works, what the mechanisms are (e.g., group instinct, inside/outside, identification).
- Insight into our innate pitfalls: how polarization arises, how simplification and division can prevail.
- Inspiration and concrete tools to think differently: beyond “us against them,” to “us and them” or “us with them” with combinations and connections.
- A starting point for how to participate more constructively in public discussions, in the workplace, or in society as a whole: open, nuanced, alert to groups and boundaries, and aware of our innate pitfalls.
Transport costs:
