{"id":16696,"date":"2025-09-08T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T16:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.destinationimagination.org\/?p=16696"},"modified":"2025-09-08T12:00:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T16:00:12","slug":"what-is-interference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.destinationimagination.org\/blog\/what-is-interference\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Manager Tips: Understanding Interference"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"16696\" class=\"elementor elementor-16696\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1f354fab elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1f354fab\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-58912615\" data-id=\"58912615\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b3b0f4a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4b3b0f4a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Every Destination Imagination season, kids step into a Challenge that feels bigger than anything they\u2019ve tackled before. They come up with bold ideas, try them out, argue a little, laugh a lot, and sometimes fall flat on their first attempt. But they always get back up and try again.<\/p><p>What makes this process so transformative isn\u2019t just the Challenge itself\u2014it\u2019s the rule that the work must be <strong>100% theirs<\/strong>. That\u2019s what we call DI\u2019s <em>Interference policy<\/em>. It ensures that every solution, every mistake, and every success belongs to the kids, giving them the confidence and skills that only come from doing it themselves.<\/p><h4><strong>Why Stepping Back Matters<\/strong><\/h4><p>As a Team Manager, it can be hard to sit back and watch your team take a path you know might not work. But those \u201cwrong turns\u201d are often where the deepest learning happens. Struggling through an idea teaches kids how to think critically, adapt when things go sideways, and collaborate even when they don\u2019t agree.<\/p><p>Your role isn\u2019t to fix the problem\u2014it\u2019s to help them reflect, regroup, and try again. When kids realize that they <em>can<\/em> solve hard problems on their own, that confidence sticks with them far beyond the DI season.<\/p><h4><strong>Ways You Can Support Without Interfering<\/strong><\/h4><p>Interference doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re hands-off. You have an important role to play as a guide and coach. Here are some ways you can help without crossing the line:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Teach skills<\/strong>: Show them how to safely use a tool, sew a seam, or code a program.<\/li><li><strong>Guide the process<\/strong>: Help them brainstorm, make an ideas list, or set up a project timeline.<\/li><li><strong>Encourage independence<\/strong>: Remind them to reread their Challenge, check <em>Rules of the Road<\/em>, or submit a Team Clarification if they\u2019re unsure.<\/li><li><strong>Ensure safety<\/strong>: Set clear boundaries for tools, materials, and safe practices.<\/li><li><strong>Ask open-ended questions<\/strong>: \u201cWhat else could you try?\u201d or \u201cHow might you solve that in a different way?\u201d<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Think of yourself as the support system\u2014not the solution maker.<\/p><h4><strong>What the Team Must Do Alone<\/strong><\/h4><p>Some things are always off-limits for adults. Only the team can:<\/p><ul><li>Choose their Challenge<\/li><li>Generate and decide on ideas<\/li><li>Conduct research<\/li><li>Build and design their solution<\/li><li>Manage their time and budget<\/li><li>Solve conflicts and make final decisions<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>If it\u2019s part of their solution, it has to come from them.<\/p><h4><strong>The Interference Triangle<\/strong><\/h4><p>The <strong>Interference Triangle<\/strong> is a quick way to remember where the boundaries are.<\/p><ul><li>At the base are two supports: Skills and Challenge &amp; Rules.<ul><li><em>Skills<\/em>: Kids bring existing abilities and learn new ones along the way. Team Managers can teach skills\u2014it\u2019s not Interference\u2014as long as the kids are the ones applying them to their solution.<\/li><li><em>Challenge &amp; Rules<\/em>: Everyone shares the same resources\u2014the Challenge, <em>Rules of the Road<\/em>, and Published Clarifications. Reading and understanding them together is encouraged.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>At the top is the <strong>team\u2019s solution<\/strong>. This belongs entirely to the kids. Only they can decide how to use their skills and interpret the rules to create their final solution.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-21472\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destinationimagination.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Interference-Triangle.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p><p>You\u2019ll also find this graphic in <em>Rules of the Road<\/em>, so you can always reference it as you guide your team.<\/p><p>Keep this visual in mind throughout the season as a quick check-in: <em>Am I teaching, guiding, or keeping them safe? Or am I stepping into their solution?<\/em><\/p><h4><strong>Hear from a Team Manager<\/strong><\/h4><p>Veteran DI Team Manager and teacher <strong>Lisa Mackey<\/strong> explains interference in her own words and shares practical tips for supporting students without crossing the line.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udcfa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=C1Ill3dbaRQ&amp;t=136s\">Watch Lisa\u2019s video here<\/a><\/p><div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><\/div><h4>\u00a0<\/h4><h4><strong>Keep Learning<\/strong><\/h4><p>Want more help navigating interference? Check out these resources:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Rules of the Road<\/strong> (available in the <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.destinationimagination.org\/resources.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DI Resource Area<\/a>)<\/li><li>The <strong>Understanding Interference<\/strong> course in DI\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.destinationimagination.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning Portal<\/a><\/li><li>Our <strong>Tips for DI Team Managers<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL7DkzRZJMFzUuQ1z2yeR16XQn4aUM72bH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube playlist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Remember:<\/strong> your team\u2019s solution is theirs and theirs only. Your greatest gift as a Team Manager is creating a space where they can discover what they\u2019re capable of.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every Destination Imagination season, kids step into a Challenge that feels bigger than anything they\u2019ve tackled before. They come up with bold ideas, try them out, argue a little, laugh a lot, and sometimes fall flat on their first attempt. But they always get back up and try again. What makes this process so transformative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":33967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,30,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-team-manager-tips","category-teams-team-managers"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Team Manager Tips: Understanding Interference - Destination Imagination<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whether you\u2019re brand new to Destination Imagination or have been involved for a few years, we want to talk about one of the most valuable components of our Challenge Experience\u2014our \u201cNo Interference\u201d policy. 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