Further information for Remote Teams*

Skills tested by this teambuilding game:
Remote Teams can be used to test a whole range of skills and behaviours, including teamwork and collaboration across teams, leadership, time management and problem solving skills.

Background:
RemoteTeams is the first teambuilding game that we've developed with large groups in mind as we developed it. Consequently, the exercise works with groups with 12 to 100+ participants (although we probably would choose an alternative game if our group had fewer than 20 in it).

Each team represents the people of a different planet and teams trade answers for wooden tiles that they can use to construct mosaics on their (or their allies) planets. Ideally you will have two or more groups of teams (alliances) – with between three and five teams in each alliance. (Teams within one group form an alliance that needs to work together to beat the other alliance(s)). Each team can contain between four and ten individuals, making this exercise ideally suited to large events including conferences.

The exercise is designed to test teamwork, both within teams and across teams, and should help to highlight some of the issues that arise when teams in various locations need to work together towards a common goal.

In addition to teamwork and collaboration, the exercise tests leadership, planning and time management. Elements of the exercise also test other skills including analytical and problem solving skills.

Time:
The exercise will take between 45 and 75 minutes to run, depending on the number in your group and the number of teams working together. In addition we recommend allowing at least another 45 minutes to discuss the learning points from the participants' experiences.

Requirements:
In addition to the ‘Answers Please’ sheets (provided), you will need a 44-piece ‘Team Tree’ jigsaw for each team to complete. These specially produced wooden jigsaws can be purchased from Trainers' Market.

If your budget won't stretch to the official jigsaws, these can be substituted for other jigsaws.

You’ll also need a way of identifying the astronauts from each team. You could use a baseball cap, or sash for this with one colour for each alliance.

Finally, if teams are competing against another alliance, it is a good idea to give the teams a way of identifying other teams in their own alliance. For example, you might give all the teams in one alliance a small green flag (or green piece of card) to place on their table and all those in another alliance a blue flag (or blue piece of card). (We've included some suggested name plates for the different planets in the downloadable items).