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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 50 minutes.
Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about how and what they communicate to customers, using a slightly unusual perspective.
• To encourage participants to think about the language they use when communicating with customers.
• To show that all communication tells the customer something about the organisation, and that sometimes that’s not the intended message.
• To demonstrate how brand is affected by every piece of communication leaving the organisation.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 25 minutes to complete (but can be shortened if necessary). In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 50 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about how and what they communicate to customers, using a slightly unusual perspective.
• To encourage participants to think about the language they use when communicating with customers.
• To show that all communication tells the customer something about the organisation, and that sometimes that’s not the intended message.
• To demonstrate how brand is affected by every piece of communication leaving the organisation. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size (working in small teams of ideally fewer than 6 people). Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
• A set of ‘Sign of the Times’ cards with enough for at least two cards for each team. (If you’re working with a very large group you may need more than one set.)You might like to add your own signs to the exercise, perhaps including some from the organisation itself.
• Plenty of sheets of flipchart paper.
• Coloured marker pens.
• Blu-tak.
Notes:
This is a powerful exercise that really gets participants to think about the way organisations communicate. It is a useful addition to any customer service training but it is of particular use with groups that are responsible for brand and the way the organisation portrays itself to the outside world. This could be managers within the marketing department, branch managers, recruitment managers etc. It is suitable for all types of organisation, including public and charitable bodies. Please Note:
The Sign of the Times Cards are a particularly large file (10mb) and may take a few minutes to download.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I recently used this exercise as part of an online workshop on recruitment for SME owners who were looking to take on new employees. I used it to highlight how the messages that companies put out to the public can influence what people think of them, and used that to move into talking about how their job ads reflected on the business. Linking marketing a product, or consumer branding to how they marketed a vacancy seemed to resonate very well, so will definitely use it again.
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Louise Holloway
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I recently used A Sign of the Times activity for a newly formed recruitment team. I used it as a short interactive activity to get the team to see how confusing some messages can be, or how images don't always match with the words displayed.
It was great for generating discussion and debate and acted as an ice-breaker as well as it pulled everyone into the conversation.
I would use this again as I have now laminated the pictures so that I don't have to print off each time I run it.
We actually spent about 30 mins on this and the team had the cards displayed on the walls for the remainder of the week.
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Pauline Weddell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 75 minutes.
Aims:
• To help participants develop their communication skills and in particular their listening skills, their ability to share information effectively and their ability to explore problems objectively.
• To illustrate the importance of teamwork and develop the skills needed to work effectively with other teams – particularly where teams are small and geographically diverse.
• To understand that effective teamwork involves identifying and capitalising on all of the unique skills and talents of individuals within the team.
About
Time:
This game can be played in about 45 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion and evaluation, we recommend allowing 75 minutes.
Aims:
• To help participants develop their communication skills and in particular their listening skills, their ability to share information effectively and their ability to explore problems objectively.
• To illustrate the importance of teamwork and develop the skills needed to work effectively with other teams – particularly where teams are small and geographically diverse.
• To understand that effective teamwork involves identifying and capitalising on all of the unique skills and talents of individuals within the team.
Skills and Behaviours Tested:
Communication skills, teamwork, collaboration, information sharing, information gathering, listening, questioning, attention to detail and problem solving.
Group Size:
A minimum of 2 participants are required for this exercise.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• At least two rooms or separate work areas, ideally one for each team.
• A mobile phone for each team (they can use one of their own, if willing).
• One OS Landranger map 125 and one OS Landranger map 124 for every two teams participating (available from the Ordnance Survey website).
• A brief for each team (Brief 1 for Team 1 and Brief 2 for Team 2).
• A length of string (at least 1 metre long) for each team.
Notes:
Each team will work with 1 other team (the partner team) in a separate location, who they should be able to contact by phone. (If there are only 2 participants involved, each team will consist of 1 person!) If it’s a nice day, the exercise can be very successfully run outside. Position teams as far apart from each other as you can.
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I have used this several times for team building and it is excellent. With the added benefit of passing on some map reading skills. It is so good for developing listening, checking understanding and communcation.
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Clare Bell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This is so practical and enjoyable. I have used quite a lot during some of my experiential learning programmes. It's a great way to set up an outdoor activity especially if you want the team to do any orienteering or clue finding. Really brings home key learning about communication.
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Clare Bell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Phew - this is a very clever but tough challenge!
I tested this out with my own team and very glad I did, before using it with other groups. I didn't have time for a full debrief but learning points for me are:
- Ask questions in advance to check level of existing map reading knowledge. In hindsight I would have provided a few tips at the start.
- 45 minutes wasn't long enough, I would extend it to 1 hour.
- 4 people per team is definitely the maximum, simply due to being able to fit around the map! 2 or 3 may work better.
- Finding the start points was tricky, although one team used initiative - Google maps :-), so I gave the grid references fairly early on. I would probably give the grid references from the outset next time.
- Agree with a previous review about providing post it notes and sticky dots and reminding staff not to write on the maps.
Definitely tested patience and perseverance as well as communication skills!
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Alison Bucknall
rated this item with 4 stars.
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What a success! I ran this exercise with a team of people from across an engineering company. I had hoped that the fact that there are two teams communicating in separate rooms using a mobile phone for contact would replicate the real world situation of field based service engineers calling in to the office with queries. The feedback was that it felt real. Using two versions of the same map worked well and the fact that the place names were Welsh added to the confusion in communication. I would add in as a reminder on the Trainer Notes that the maps will be reused and i would add a pack of stickers or post it notes to your kit for this exercise.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I ran this activity with a very dysfunctional and underdeveloped team. The design is very clever and does a great job in provoking extreme emotions and reactions. The learning that came out of the de-brief was very valuable and we had a few light bulb moments of self-awareness. I set up the full experience and gave the teams a ruc sac with water bottle, sandwiches, biscuits, the map, a pencil, string and an anorak which went down well. It's useful to give the teams coloured dot stickers to stick on the map so they're not tempted to write on the map - so you can re-use. Thanks Glasstap for another brilliantly designed game - I would thoroughly recommend this.
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Lorna Logan
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I have used Welsh Holiday with a wide range of groups and learners. I have used the exercise to enhance communication skills and also as a team building event tacked onto some work related exercises. Most delegates find the exercise a real challenge and surprisingly those with some experience of the 'great outdoors' rarely fare any better than those who claim an affinity with couch potatoes! My most memorable delegate was a person who claimed that the exercise would be 'a piece of cake' as they ran trips with the venture scouts every weekend - oddly, as it turned out, they failed to notice the sea on their map, and were unable to steer their 'family' to the meeting point!
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I have used this exercise to great effect when training Coaching Programmes for middle to senior managers. Often, in business, there is a challenge when we need to coach someone to get to an outcome when they see things very differently from us – they hold a “different map of the world” – or in the case of this exercise, a different map of Wales. Through questioning, each team has to establish what the other can see – before they can decide the best route to their outcome. The outcome is clear – the constraints etc are not – and they are not shared. It is important as a coach that we learn to respect the coachee’s “map” and then lead them from there to an agreed outcome while helping them around the constraints that they can see along the way – this exercise is perfect for this. Comments like “of course you must be able to see it” , and “there’s nothing to stop you doing that” are common – we are imposing our map onto our coachee – often a problem in business. Delegates love the exercise as it draws out all the learning and key skills of coaching at the attitudinal level. I would highly recommend using it.
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Rosemary Taylor
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims:
• To build an understanding of where apostrophes are required and where they are not.
• To build an understanding of where to place the apostrophe when the possessive noun is a plural.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.
Aims:
• To build an understanding of where apostrophes are required and where they are not.
• To build an understanding of where to place the apostrophe when the possessive noun is a plural.
Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This module is suitable for staff at all levels. Misuse of apostrophes is one of the most common errors in business writing. This module makes apostrophe use clear and simple to understand.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 25 minutes.
Aims:
• To understand the importance of listening skills.
• To illustrate the dangers of making assumptions.
• To provoke discussion about prejudices and stereotypes.
About
Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 25 minutes for completion.
Aims:
• To understand the importance of listening skills.
• To illustrate the dangers of making assumptions.
• To provoke discussion about prejudices and stereotypes.
Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size. This module is also suitable for remote/virtual delivery – see separate note.
You'll Need:
• Pens and paper for every participant.
• The audio recording of the story, which can be streamed from Trainers’ Library if you prefer not to read it aloud yourself.
Notes:
If reading the story to participants, we suggest that you rehearse reading the story aloud a few times prior to delivery. This module has been endorsed by Show Racism the Red Card. For more information about the great work this charity is doing to educate against racism, visit www.theredcard.org.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I have used this resource a number of times over the years. It was particularly well received when delivered to a group of our lawyers and decision makers. Demonstrating the importance of listening and not making assumptions to improve decision making.
It's one of my favourite exercises to deliver!
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Marie Mostaeddi
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I love this exercise and have used it a lot over the years working with all levels in a wide variety of organisations. It's amazing to see how quickly people go to the assumption stage and the discussions are so powerful in highlighting what we need to focus on in our every day - at work AND at home!
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Lottie Skuthe-Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Witches of Glum is one of my most used resources across the whole of Trainers' Library. I use this in many different situations. Listening skills is always good to use this and get everyone up on their feet in a training session and moving about the room as they decide the answers.
It is great for challenging assumptions that people make and works well when using in Equality and Diversity workshops to really get into challenging assumptions in a non confrontational way.
An excellent exercise that is well written and works in many different situations.
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Ric Hayden
rated this item with 5 stars.
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A really versatile exercise that is quick, easy and fun. I have used it in communication courses, management programmes and Diversity sessions. It is a good alternative to the Goldilocks exercise. Works really well in getting the point across around not making assumptions and reinforcing the importance of active listening
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Mike Taylor
rated this item with 5 stars.
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One of my favourite Trainers' Library exercises that never fails to get people thinking, usually in Diversity training. The powerful exercise brings to life how easy it is to make stereotypes and then generates powerful discussion around how this happens in the workplace and the impact it has.
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Emma Wynne
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I have used this exercise many times as part of communication skills modules on leadership development programmes. Although the exercise illustrates the separate topics of the importance of not making assumptions and of active listening, delegates quickly see the link between these and that we all do the aural equivalent of "scan reading" and miss details because we assume.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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As well as using this exercise to illustrate assumptions and stereotypes, I use it in my 'Minute Taking with Confidence' course. I read the story and encourage delegates to take notes (perhaps after a session on speed writing). I then quiz them - and many STILL make assumptions even though they've taken notes (eg the King is old). I then get them to analyse what should be included in the Minutes using ABCD eg what's vitally important (the Absolutes), what are the Basics or the Background to the story, what adds Colour to your minutes to bring the story to life - and what can be left out (the Dumps - eg Christina, the wheelchair etc)
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Sally Jones
rated this item with 5 stars.
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What I particularly like about this exercise is that it can be adapted to use in a variety of different sessions. I have already used it as an exercise on assumptions in a module on equality and diversity and I will also be using it in my helpline skills training on effective listening.
The exercise is a fun way to get across an important message, and the recording that is included with the downloads allows the trainer to rest their voice for a short time, which is a bonus for both trainer and trainees in most cases!
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Previous Member
rated this item with 4 stars.
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I love this activity it really increases delegates self-awareness on their listening skills and how easily they can make assumptions.
Before I run this activity I get the delegates to score their current listening skills out of 10, and then once they complete the activity then re look at their score to check this is a fair assessment.
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Jennifer Stevens
rated this item with 4 stars.
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I was planning some team-building activities to incorporate into our Business Skills series. I’ve since trialled your Witches of Glum on a group of B1-C1 level participants (Italian professionals, from the same company). The response was great, stimulated lots of discussion about stereotyping and gave way for a fantastic reflection session. All in English - as our business English courses and workshops always are.
One of the interesting 'take-aways' was that the fear of not understanding every word (the B1s) was greatly reduced as they were told they were going to hear a story. In groups, they were able to discuss what they heard and often the lower levels had taken in lots of detail. The problem with stereotyping also arose - which led into discussion about issues with stereo-typing internal and external clients.
As a trainer, I really enjoyed behind able to pick something up and run with it. It was a great time-saver. I could also work on what the activity could offer much more.
I would probably give the activity a 4.5. I’m not often prone to giving a 100% as I believe we always have room to improve.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 4 stars.
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We tend to train somewhat cynical engineers who really take a lot of engaging in order to deliver any Soft Skills. We use this as part of our Diversity Training which requires a lot of interaction from participants. This activity is great to disarm all participates from a “we know it already” stance to actually join in and actively participating. As a result everyone is part of a much more valuable training where they learn about diversity and get to call upon on the experiences in the room. A great start to a session! Thanks.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I use this a lot and it is easy to adapt to sessions on appraisals, feedback, objectivity, diversity and especially good where staff/managers are expected to record summary notes from conversations with customers/staff
One option is to get people to do it in pairs as thing brings in the likelihood that one of the pair had the right answer but was talked out of it despite having 'evidence' written down. (influencing)
It is also quite useful, once they have heard the story, to read all 15 statements as a summary and to ask if it sounds like a fair reflection of the story - most agree it is - then by reviewing each statement, participants see that all but two sentences were accurate.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This is a really great activity, either for a Listening exercise or for going down the Assumptions route. Use it for both Health and Safety training and also on the PTLLS course I run. Excellent!!!
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Terrific. Can be shortened or lengthened as you need. I’ve used it as recommended to explore assumptions in equality settings, but also really well as an icebreaker for an interview skills workshop. Once I’d revealed how badly people listened, we went on to discuss the way some people assume they know what the question is about and don’t listen carefully enough to understand what the interviewer wants. I really liked the audio file, the story was familiar but different enough to be interesting and it made a change than listening to the trainers voice.
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Nicky McCrudden
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Both these modules (Assumptions – The Witches of Glum and Goldilocks – a Listening Exercise) are excellent for demonstrating the need for ‘active’ listening skills and how easy it is to make assumptions and ‘hear’ what you think was said. These modules worked extremely well and prompted lots of interest from the participants and also some key learning points were easily identified. It then required some simple facilitation skills to identify ways to become better listeners and again to highlight some easy steps that everyone could take to improve their skills.
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Previous Member
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We use the witches of glum as a useful exercise in the induction programme. As our company is a financial retail business we deal with all types customers from all walks of life. We teach new starters that they should not make assumptions on a customer’s appearance. Just because they look scruffy doesn’t mean that they may be poor. By reading out the story it is clear that people make assumptions to what the answers should be rather than actually listening to the facts. I then have a discussion with the group asking them why they made the assumptions and it really makes them think about it.
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Previous Member
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Successful eyeopener about the danger of making assumptions. One participant remarked afterwards: "I have just realised what a dreadful listener I am", which was a great learning point for all. However, some of the statements are ambiguous and biased towards eliciting an incorrect "true" answer. For example: "The king was an old man who could no longer walk." Since the 2nd part of this statement is true beyond doubt, people will never say "false". I solved this by reducing the statements to only one fact. Some examples: "The king could no longer walk".
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Previous Member
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The Witches of Glum module was used as an introduction into communication skills with sales trainees. The delegates appreciated the story and questions and quickly learnt through the course about the assumptions they had made and as a result, were easily able to relate this to how they communicate with customers and colleagues. This was an effective module near the beginning of the course; the delegates had an increased awareness of natural assumptions and listening skills which effectively introduced further modules within the course.
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Previous Member
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This week I ran a seminar for members of the local branch of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in Shropshire. The topic for the presentation was “Diversity for Dummies”. This was my first venture into this type of presentation of this topic as I have only recently begun to train in the topic with the Ford Motor Company. As an alternative to risking ‘Death by Powerpoint’ I decided to use “The witches of Glum” as a medium for getting across how easily we drop into making assumptions and the potential impact making those assumptions. I used the exercise exactly as provided and was delighted with the way that those present took to it and enjoyed the different way of making a valuable learning lesson. Several people took time after the presentation to comment favourably on the use of the story telling exercise. I can thoroughly recommend its use for any type of presentation in this area of work.
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Paul Brennan
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The Witches of Glum exercise has been used within our customer service course. It has allowed us to use a fun exercise to identify the pitfalls of assumptions and stereotypical situations. The delegates have found this to be amusing as it is a clear break away from the business theme of other exercises. The trainers notes are very well laid out and it is what all exercises should be, simple and yet effective.
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Previous Member
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I have recently used this exercise to introduce a session on cultural differences as the organisation was transferring its HR shared service to another country. The training itself was quite challenging as it was perceived to be a big change to how our managers currently operate however, I used the exercise to introduce the final part of the day. This made a considerable difference to the atmosphere and energy levels within the group. They began to understand the assumptions we make about other cultures and they became receptive to altering their communication style to ensure their interaction was effective.
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Clare Wilkes
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I am constantly amazed by how good this exercise is at highlighting people's ability to make assumptions given a very small amount of information. I've used this in a number of different sessions where it was important to highlight the amazing ability people have to fill in the gaps of the story with their ideas and remembered bits of old fairy tales. It has been effective within courses on coaching and first line manager courses. I have read the questions out from the materials and this worked just as well as writing them all out on the flip chart. This activity is so popular that staff often ask to do it again at other events.
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Helen Walker
rated this item with 5 stars.
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We are running a series of sessions on HR Skills for Managers , the first of which deals with Managing Diversity Are You a Fair Manager? Having identified what diversity is the trainer asks the delegates to sit back, listen to a story and expect to answer some questions about the subject afterwards. The story is, of course, Assumptions The Witches of Glum. This is a great little exercise that really demonstrates to the delegates how readily assumptions are made and how guilty of it they are. At least 50% of the delegates get less that 50% of the statements right each time we run the session perfectly illustrating the learning point. Give it a go, youll love the results!
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Tracy Croft
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 75 minutes.
Aims:
• Test analytical skills and encourage clear thinking.
• Test participants’ attention to detail, individually or collectively, and to test levels of accuracy under pressure.
• Allow participants to work together to solve a specific problem.
About
Time:
This game can be played in about 45 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion and evaluation, we recommend allowing 75 minutes.
Aims:
• Test analytical skills and encourage clear thinking.
• Test participants’ attention to detail, individually or collectively, and to test levels of accuracy under pressure.
• Allow participants to work together to solve a specific problem.
Skills and Behaviours Tested:
Analytical skills, attention to detail, problem solving, teamwork.
Group Size:
We recommend placing participants into teams of 2–4 for this exercise. However, strictly speaking there is no minimum number of participants – this exercise can even be used to test individual skills.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• At least one Farm Map for each team; if teams have more than three people in them, you might prefer to provide teams with two copies of the map.
• One copy of the Team Brief for each team.
Notes:
In this exercise participants are presented with a lot of information and success will depend on their ability to approach the problem in a structured, methodical way and work effectively under pressure. This exercise can also be used to examine the role of leaders within teams. If you wish to use the exercise in this way, you might want to pre-assign the role of leader to someone from each team.
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This exercise is categorised as "testing analytical thinking", however I would suggest that "thinking logically" would be an accurate description. I have used it with several teams and have found that it works with staff at first and line management level who operate within a fast moving environment,(such as manufacturing), where decisions are often made at speed, but may not stand up to close scrutiny in the longer term. Team members learnt quickly the relevance of thinking clearly in the exercise and how this related to their jobs.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 4 stars.
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Bringing the cows home was excellent for these managers whom need to be goal directed, attend to detail and accuracy, and individuals who need to apply their logical reasoning ability. It also immediately brings out the team work and co-operation between participants. Bringing the cows home was very challenging and they had to communicate constantly in order to get to their answers. These participants were very specific in their work and were very sure that the routes they identified were precise and accurate. They were wrong and double checked! (Checking up on why they had less routes than the answer sheet indicated took a bit long, but they even got a method in order to check why their answers differed from the training program's).
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Previous Member
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Loved 'Bringing the Cows Home'. It was a delight for staff who had no idea what was coming and a great opportunity to get them working in their new teams. The game was involved without being too daunting and the range of problem solving techniques all came to the fore. Great fun, educational and terrific for team building and attention to detail. Interestingly nearly every group didn't read the brief properly!
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Previous Member
rated this item with 4 stars.
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I use this exercise regularly to start off a module on Problem Solving for first-line managers. It has proven to be a very effective lead into further discussions on the problem solving process. Most delegates find themselves jumping straight into the exercise without first analysing the problem or discussing alternative strategies for solving it. I have to say that very few are successful in getting close to the right answer in the time allowed, but they usually have fun trying and always draw out some excellent learning points that we refer back to as we progress on through the module.
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Previous Member
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 35 minutes.
Aims:
• To recognise the impact of imposed change on people.
• To remind participants how easy it is for progress to be lost and for things to slip back to the way they were before.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 35 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To recognise the impact of imposed change on people.
• To remind participants how easy it is for progress to be lost and for things to slip back to the way they were before.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of almost any size.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
You may want to read the article ‘When Change Really Hurts’ by Sheila Williams, which is available in Trainers’ Library. This provides background information about the change curve, which you may want to reference in your discussion.
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This is an excellent exercise which allows participants to quickly identify their feelings towards change, how these are impacted by the limited information / unrealistic expectations and to then link these feelings towards a wider discussion about Change Management. It's a quick fun exercise, very easy to run and debrief on it's on as an intro to Change Management, or can be used to introduce a longer module. The times I've used it, it's always had a great result with delegates and raised the energy in the room as well.
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Debbie McNamara
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Excellent activity. I have used this many times in different team building events for different reasons. With one team I used this activity to explain why employees become disengaged when changes happen in the workplace. However, it was a valuable lesson for the manager to also realise how staff feel when more and more changes are put upon them.
In a different team, this activity was also used in a fun way with no underlying message. It was undertaken with enthusiasm and enjoyment, and most attendees had their own epiphany in understanding that they are capable of so much more, even when they think they have exhausted the challenge.
All-in-all it is one of those activities I fall back on time after time.
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Tracy Windross
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 90 minutes.
Aims:
• To test participants’ attention to detail, individually, or collectively.
• To test participants’ levels of accuracy under pressure.
• To show how tasks can be broken down into achievable goals, and how teams can use short term goals to improve performance.
• To test participants’ abilities to work together effectively.
• To examine the impact of change on comfort zones and confidence.
About
Time:
This game can be played in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion and evaluation, we recommend allowing 90 minutes.
Aims:
• To test participants’ attention to detail, individually, or collectively.
• To test participants’ levels of accuracy under pressure.
• To show how tasks can be broken down into achievable goals, and how teams can use short term goals to improve performance.
• To test participants’ abilities to work together effectively.
• To examine the impact of change on comfort zones and confidence.
Skills and Behaviours Tested:
Accuracy and attention to detail, teamwork, goal setting, managing change and leadership.
Group Size:
There is no minimum number of participants – this exercise can even be used to test individual skills.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• One set of Filing Frenzy and instruction cards for each individual or team (see notes).
• A stopwatch or watch.
• A whistle or bell (optional).
Notes:
This exercise is normally run as a series of short 10-minute activities (with discussion at various points). These activities can be run back to back, but are perhaps more effective when used as an intermittent energiser during a training day/course and used to illustrate or highlight learning points covered in detail elsewhere in the training programme. You will need one set of Filing Frenzy cards for each individual or team. (We recommend a set of 180 cards for each individual or team, i.e., 10 copies of the ‘Filing Frenzy Cards’ document if running the exercises on the following pages.) However, for a simple ‘accuracy test’ you could use fewer cards. For example:
• Individuals – 36 cards (2 copies of the ‘Filing Frenzy Cards’ document).
• Teams of 2-3 – 90 cards (5 copies of the ‘Filing Frenzy Cards’ document).
• Teams of 4-6 – 126 cards (7 copies of the ‘Filing Frenzy Cards’ document).
Note of Caution:
This exercise may not be suitable for participants who are colour blind or visually impaired. However, in most cases anyone who falls into this category can still be involved. Ask them to observe/listen to the teams during the exercise, identifying effective and less effective behaviours in order to provide constructive feedback afterwards.
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I use Filing Frenzy again and again. Lots of different applications of this game, team building, coaching skills, setting objectives. It really is an excellent activity.
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Clare Bell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Excellent Team Building Activity. Fun and many learnings
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Anthony Cige
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I used this for an admin team away day. We only had a small group (4) and there was a real mix in terms of experience and ability. Some of the group struggled with it but they got there in the end. I would use it again but probably with a bigger group.
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Mike Taylor
rated this item with 3 stars.
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I used this on a small team away day (4 people) as part of a team build. I was worried that the learning points would not come out due to the small numbers and unsure as to how many cards to use for each pair (I found the instructions on the number of cards to use a little confusing). I ended up using 4 sets of card per pair which seemed the right amount. We did the first 3 tasks/rounds with feedback between each one on how they approached the task and it really worked well to highlight planning, team working, quality checking, attention to detail and working together in general. We did the rounds one after the other which was quite a lot and more than enough to highlight key points. They enjoyed it but had had enough after 3 rounds as it can be quite intense! I will definitely use this again - I can see it being really useful for bigger teams to explore ways of working together. Recommended, despite the time it took to make laminated cards!
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Rebecca Peat
rated this item with 4 stars.
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I used the Filing Frenzy on a Change Management course for first line managers. It was a brilliant icebreaker as it got the participants involved from the start whilst also illustrating the key messages about change and how we react to it. It was amazing to see how something simple can still have an impact on people when you change the instructions slightly. For some people the change was minimal and they changed their approach but for some (particular those who had won the previous rounds and had got their process down to a fine heart) felt quite disappointed by the change.
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Clare Wilkes
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.
Aims:
• To test participants' planning and communication skills.
• To demonstrate the importance of listening and using summary and clarification to check understanding.
• To consider what makes communication effective and the dangers of getting it wrong.
• To energise a group of participants.
About
Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.
Aims:
• To test participants' planning and communication skills.
• To demonstrate the importance of listening and using summary and clarification to check understanding.
• To consider what makes communication effective and the dangers of getting it wrong.
• To energise a group of participants.
Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• Whistles (one for each team).
• A stopwatch.
• Skittles and hoops (or similar-see note).
• Prizes.
We don't often develop exercises specifically for the outdoors, but this is a simple exercise that can be used by anyone with access to a park, lawn or yard. A great energiser for sunny days and one which really does contain some important lessons about communication and the importance of checking understanding.This exercise does require some preparation as you'll need to devise a 'course' for your participants to follow. Preparation will take about 5 minutes once you have the items you'll need. The course maps show three different routes through the same course, which means you won't have to change the course itself if playing more than one round. We suggest using hula-hoops for your 'pens'. If not, you can mark the 'pens' out using other things like rope or giant pick-up sticks. Skittles, cones or balls can be used to mark out the rest of the course.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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Fantastic Activity for teambuilding, communication and leadership! I would use it over and over again. Simple to set up, and you can get creative with the equipment I used squeeky toys so when people had blind folds they would step on them which added even more humour to this activity. I would highly recommend this to any trainer that is teambuilding and has some space for the pens. I was a littly reluctant to use it at first as I had never used it before and have no sense of direction myself - once zoe explained the footprints and the direction of the footprints the penny dropped and away I went!
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Anjana Rajani
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I had to run a Team Building event with the members of the Inbound Sales Teams; a couple of the Team Leaders were new to the company and the associates had recently been asked to make a few outbound calls at quieter periods, which they were not happy about. As a result they blamed the Team Leaders for not standing up for them. The situation had deteriorated a bit and it was time to bring the department together. I got my inspiration from Trainer's Library and I selected Glasstap Sheep Trials as an exercise. The results were amazing! The participants were a bit weary at the beginning and they were not talking too much amongst each other. By the time the first group started the exercise all participants were discussing the other group's performance amongst themselves and asking their team leader to communicate with them in a different way or using the same techniques if those were working. When the exercise finished I was very pleased to notice the complete transformation of the dynamics and communication of the department. There was laughter all round and they were all very keen to participate during the debrief. The questions suggested by Glasstap were fantastic at getting the message across and the relationship in the department improved dramatically as a direct result of the team building day. What a fantastic activity to run! Thank you Glasstap!!!!
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 45 minutes.
Aims:
• To encourage participants to communicate effectively in order to gather all the information available.
• To encourage participants to think about how they communicate.
• To encourage participants to work co-operatively to solve a shared problem.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to communicate effectively in order to gather all the information available.
• To encourage participants to think about how they communicate.
• To encourage participants to work co-operatively to solve a shared problem.
Group Size:
The optimum number of participants for this exercise is 8, however it can be used with fewer. If you have more than 15 in your group, split them into teams. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided. Notes:
This communication exercise is based on a logic puzzle. You will need a minimum of 8 participants, which is the optimum number for the exercise. However, we have included additional Gossip Cards that enable the exercise to be used in groups of up to 15. (If you have more than 15 in your group, split the group into teams of 8 or more and get each team to complete the exercise separately.) Please note that where there are more than 8 participants in a team some of the ‘gossip’ will be duplicated.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I love this exercise! I have used it on several occasions and there always seems to be some new learning that can be drawn out. I use it mainly for problem-solving facilitation as a wrap-up exercise. I have used it face to face and remotely, using a Jamboard so the delegates can collaborate virtually. For the remote version I have created a number of cards to match the number of delegates, making sure I include all the facts. The tricky thing is you don't always know exactly how many delegates you'll get on the day! In the face to face version I just hand out more cards per person.
It's great for illustrating listening, team work, understanding a task, data visualisation - the list goes on!
I would highly recommend this exercise.
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Lisa Lester
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I've used Gossip on numerous occasion when I want teams to understand how important it is to ensure every piece of information is used to get the right result. It also helps individuals to understand how different people take in information in different ways, for example some people only come to life in this exercise when they are allowed to see the information written down in a visual format. Great exercise, easy to use but it's vital that the debrief is carried out effectively.
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Richard Linder
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This is an excellent exercise and probably my favourite of all the Trainers Library ones. I have used it for a number of years as the opening exercise on various management programmes where the focus of the day has been effective communication. It is fascinating observing the group as they try to decipher the task. I have yet to have a group that have not enjoyed the exercise. It can seem a bit awkward for the first 5 minutes with some groups but persevere as they always start to open up. I recommend you make plenty of notes of the behaviours you observe throughout. The debrief at the end is as much fun as the exercise itself. There are so many important points you can cover off at the end. It is really thought provoking and with a well facilitated discussion at the end you can create a real buzz in the training room. I have groups that were talking about this exercise months after they did it. It really hits the mark. I would highly recommend this
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Mike Taylor
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This is a brilliant exercise. I used it when we brought together 2 teams from different locations for training. It really got them working together and highlighted the benefits of working together for the good of the organisation rather than in isolation. It also demonstrated transferrable skills. I'll be using this again and again.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I've used Gossip! on several occasions now and it always delivers the learning experience I'm aiming for. Delegates move from perplexed to organised to motivated as they explore how to complete the exercise and demonstrate the range of behaviours needed for a really good debrief around team communications skills. I also like the flexibility it offers to add more than the standard 8 participants so, if I get a no-show or have higher delegate numbers, it doesn't matter.
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Jo Wilding
rated this item with 5 stars.
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What a fantastically versatile exercise Gossip is. I have used this on numerous occasions and it never fails to deliver! Whether you want to use it for team or communication skills it works brilliantly. Thanks for another superb exercise. Andy, Motiv8 Development Ltd
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Andy Pickin
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I used the activity Gossip as part of a communications course. I had a group of eight so it worked out just right. I did have to give them a couple of hints to get them on the right path to start with but they succeeded in coming up with right solution. This is a great activity to put across the importance of good communication especially questioning and listening skills and not making assumptions. I will be using this activity again.
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Previous Member
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I have recently used the above exercise on two different communication skills programmes. The first programme had 12 delegates so I had 4 observers which worked really well as they got an opportunity to practise feedback skills which we had covered in the previous session. The remaining eight delegates were each given the pre prepared laminated cards and given the basis instructions. It was interesting to see that once they had read the cards they then asked me what they were supposed to do now! Calmly I repeated the basic instructions! After a couple of minutes they all started to discuss what was on their cards and established the tasks they were required to complete. There were many issues with how they went about the task, and it was clear that although we had discussed, practised and agreed many aspects of effective communication, including things like questioning, listening and preparation, this all went out of the window in this exercise! The best things about this exercise are the many learning points and varied situations where this can be used. The delegates all found it interesting either as a participant or as an observer. This is definitely one that will be in my tool bag for many different situations!
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Carolyn Pickin
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I facilitate multi-disciplinary teams of healthcare professionals working in cancer care. Benefits of this sort of working are that each discipline contributes to decisions about treatment options for patients. Not all teams either listen or value other members' opinions. Tried out Gossip with a large team of 16 split into 2 groups. Worked fabulously well and showed them how problems cannot be addressed properly unless everyone in the team has a voice and that they record things logically and systematically. Thank you.
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Previous Member
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 120 minutes.
Aims:
• To build an understanding of the key steps in strategic planning.
• To encourage participants to analyse financial and other data using a SWOT analysis.
• To encourage participants to think about where they are now, before moving on in the next module to consider where they want to be.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 75 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 120 minutes for this module if working with 10-12 participants. It is strongly recommended that, for maximum impact and best overall use of time, this module is run in conjunction with the other modules from the Hotel Doldrums series.
Aims:
• To build an understanding of the key steps in strategic planning.
• To encourage participants to analyse financial and other data using a SWOT analysis.
• To encourage participants to think about where they are now, before moving on in the next module to consider where they want to be.
Group Size:
An ideal group size for this module is 12, with participants working in 3 teams of 4. If you have more than 15 participants in your group, you may want to consider ‘doubling up’ on some of the briefs with more than one team using the same scenario. This doesn’t detract from the learning; in fact it can be interesting to see how different teams approach the same problem and task.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels including individuals, groups and teams that need to use strategic planning and analysis skills in the workplace.
You'll Need:
Each team will need a hotel data pack (provided) and a syndicate room or area.
Notes:
Hotel Doldrums is a series of modules that are designed to be run in sequence. Together they form a complete 1.5 day workshop, which can be run as a single workshop, or as three independent sessions, each lasting between 2 and 4 hours. We’ve also suggested other modules you could add to the programme, if you have more time available. Hotel Doldrums can also be run as a teambuilding game, where teams are left to compete with less facilitator involvement during the exercise, but a thorough review at the end. This takes about 3.5 hours to run. If you prefer to use the teambuilding version of Hotel Doldrums, please download the trainer’s notes from the teambuilding games section of Trainers’ Library. This series of modules is set in the context of the hotel industry but requires no specialist knowledge of it. The modules, when used together, also draw out skills relating to business planning, problem solving, influencing, team working and making presentations.
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I used this activity as part of a 2- day Business Skills module with a group of participants completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Scheme. I followed up with Part 2 and 3 and made a fabulous event. I added in a 'financial terms' quiz and some input on STEEPLE and SWOT before getting them to complete the activity.
It was really great to have the pack all produced and saved me so much time. The group completed the activities well and great learning about the importance of planning and not diving straight into the detail.
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Ann Pemberton
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I used this with a team of Directors and Heads of Department as part of 2 Strategy days to encourage the team to think strategically as a team rather than functionally. I split the exercise over a day and a half and the timings worked well. I would recommend that if you are working with a group of people that you know well, that you chose the members of each team wisely. Although the financial information is not too complex, it is beneficial to have someone with an accountancy or commercial background in each team. If working with teams of consisting of just accountants, I would suspect that you could shorten the time taken. It has face credibility as a training exercise at senior levels.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Strategy Workshop framed around Hotel Doldrums
I used this series with a group of middle/senior managers from a variety of SME's - it was an open programme - and it worked very well. We used it across about 5hrs in total and it worked well - they worked through breaks and lunch to ensure that we got everything done - and they still really enjoyed the process. We left out the banker evaluations (as per the previous review) and it still worked well. This decision was made purely because of time constraints.
The data is not too much for them to take in and start working with and, as the trainer, I could quickly see who was "getting it" and who might be struggling more.
The key learnings the group shared from the exercise were:
Dont rush into determining your strategy - take time to collate the right data
Ask others - involvement breeds buy-in
Be creative in your strategy development - sometimes it has to be something radical to change direction
Conversley to the above point - sometimes, slight adjustment will bring rewards!
Agreeing a vision is tough - and if you are not part of the process, its easy to see how the statement can become "meaningless words on a page"
Its amazing how quickly you can get into something - they seemed fully engaged on running a hotel by the end of it.
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Rosemary Taylor
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This project management series was of unbelievable value, as it really got them working and participating. I believe that most participants are under the impression that they will attend a workshop/training and that they will only be listening. The SWOT analysis has so much detail that it is
almost impossible to miss details of your strategic planning process. The managers all recognized that the three difference hotels were different is specific ways, but the ideas that came out of it were
amazing. With the last hotel doldrum the participant needs to do a presentation - and among all the other learning points, one participant noticed that he need to work on his "presentation skills" and how to carry a message over to important people. Another great attribute is the financial details that are attached to the downloads. This provides the participant with a feeling of credibility and believability of the exercise they are busy with.
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Previous Member
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I have now run Hotel Doldrums twice as a 1 day team build exercise. Marketing Team
This team is quite large (24 in total) and is spread throughout the country. Their opportunity to spend time together as a team is limited. Also, the team manager knew some elements of the team very well and others hardly at all having ‘inherited’ them following a company take over. A big part of this team build day was to get to know each other on a personal as well as a business basis. I ran the exercise after going through some personality profiling. It was really powerful to see how people responded in their preferred behavioural style and perhaps even more so how their fellow team members recognised the behaviours!! Not surprisingly there was an abundance of creativity going around, when the analytical people tried to intervene there were some ‘clashes’ although always controlled, usually ending up in peels of laughter. It did, however, demonstrate the need to listen to all team members and give everyone the chance to contribute. A good learning for the stronger personalities in the group. Time management was an issue and gave the team manager an insight as to why and how deadlines sometimes slip. She left the session with a strategy for managing this within the team more effectively in the future.p The meetings with the Bank Manager weren’t particularly successful. I’m not sure whether this was the way I positioned this aspect of the training or not. The overall feedback was that the meetings contributed very little and took away valuable time. A number of leaders emerged. Some based on personalities and others on expertise again demonstrating the advantages of having a good mix within the team. The need for a 3 month plan did give focus to think about the future. The team are often required to be reactive, rapid change being a trait in our industry. Having to plan in a structured way for the future was a useful learning and demonstrated how much control you get when you are able to do this. The final presentations were very light on financial information which was recognised as something of a problem given that they were for the bank manager!! Known your audience eh? There was much emphasis on how they would ‘pretty-up’ the respective hotels, what fun things they could offer and how they would improve the experience to encourage the return of guests. Not so much thought around what would happen if people didn’t return!! Glass half full perhaps? The most valuable things taken from the exercise were: Recognising and be able to utilise the strengths within the team.
The importance of planning Thinking inside the box as well as outside it!
Raising awareness of financial implications around the roles of the team members.
Working as a team. Strategic Sales Team
I ran the exercise again 4 weeks later with a smaller team of strategic sales people. This team have huge transformation in front of them due to changes in our business so it was good to give them a subject they were totally unfamiliar with. The team had slightly less time which proved a challenge and a learning point for me here is that a smaller team doesn’t necessarily mean less time. There was definitely a more financial focused approach and less creativity. As with the previous group the presentations ran over time neither groups having practised. They would argue they didn’t have time….I would argue they should have made time!!! Creativity was limited in this session and it highlighted the need to involve other areas and expertise within the business for the new challenges ahead. This team had a brand new manager who was eager to demonstrate his style. He joined in the exercise which proved really valuable and his team could see he would not ask them to do anything he wouldn’t or couldn’t do himself. We did not include the bank manager role this time and in all honesty I don’t think the exercise lost anything as a result. Again the need for a 3 month plan was very powerful and I would say that this was the most valuable aspect for both sessions. All in all, this is an excellent exercise with an incredible amount of learning from it. It has been a huge success and I will/would use it again and again.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 3 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 180 minutes.
Aims:
• To give participants the opportunity to identify and explore options and appraise these.
• For participants to create a 3-5 year outline strategic plan based on the fictional case study they’ve been given.
About
This module follows on from Hotel Doldrums, part 1, and is not designed to be used as a stand-alone module.
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 135 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 180 minutes for this module if working with 10-12 participants.
Aims:
• To give participants the opportunity to identify and explore options and appraise these.
• For participants to create a 3-5 year outline strategic plan based on the fictional case study they’ve been given.
Group Size:
An ideal group size for this module is 12, with participants working in 3 teams of 4. If you have more than 15 participants in your group, you may want to consider ‘doubling up’ on some of the briefs with more than one team using the same scenario. This doesn’t detract from the learning; in fact it can be interesting to see how different teams approach the same problem and task.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels including individuals, groups and teams that need to use strategic planning and analysis skills in the workplace.
You'll Need:
Each team will a hotel data pack (provided) and a syndicate room or area.
Notes:
Hotel Doldrums is a series of modules that are designed to be run in sequence. Together they form a complete 1.5 day workshop, which can be run as a single workshop, or as three independent sessions, each lasting between 2 and 4 hours. We’ve also suggested other modules you could add to the programme, if you have more time available. The modules, when used together, also draw out skills relating to business planning, problem solving, influencing, team working and making presentations.
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I used this in conjunction with Part 1 and 3 as a two day Business Skills session for participants completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. A great team activity to encourage some strategic thinking and planning. The structure of the session makes it easy to follow and I added in some of the creative thinking tools and decision making tools from other Glasstap activities so everything came together really well. Having the materials all prepared is so easy and saved me so much time in my course preparation.
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Ann Pemberton
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This project management series was of unbelievable value, as it really got them working and participating. I believe that most participants are under the impression that they will attend a workshop/training and that they will only be listening. The SWOT analysis has so much detail that it is
almost impossible to miss details of your strategic planning process. The managers all recognized that the three difference hotels were different is specific ways, but the ideas that came out of it were
amazing. With the last hotel doldrum the participant needs to do a presentation - and among all the other learning points, one participant noticed that he need to work on his "presentation skills" and how to carry a message over to important people. Another great attribute is the financial details that are attached to the downloads. This provides the participant with a feeling of credibility and believability of the exercise they are busy with.
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Previous Member
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I have now run Hotel Doldrums twice as a 1 day team build exercise. Marketing Team
This team is quite large (24 in total) and is spread throughout the country. Their opportunity to spend time together as a team is limited. Also, the team manager knew some elements of the team very well and others hardly at all having ‘inherited’ them following a company take over. A big part of this team build day was to get to know each other on a personal as well as a business basis. I ran the exercise after going through some personality profiling. It was really powerful to see how people responded in their preferred behavioural style and perhaps even more so how their fellow team members recognised the behaviours!! Not surprisingly there was an abundance of creativity going around, when the analytical people tried to intervene there were some ‘clashes’ although always controlled, usually ending up in peels of laughter. It did, however, demonstrate the need to listen to all team members and give everyone the chance to contribute. A good learning for the stronger personalities in the group. Time management was an issue and gave the team manager an insight as to why and how deadlines sometimes slip. She left the session with a strategy for managing this within the team more effectively in the future.p The meetings with the Bank Manager weren’t particularly successful. I’m not sure whether this was the way I positioned this aspect of the training or not. The overall feedback was that the meetings contributed very little and took away valuable time. A number of leaders emerged. Some based on personalities and others on expertise again demonstrating the advantages of having a good mix within the team. The need for a 3 month plan did give focus to think about the future. The team are often required to be reactive, rapid change being a trait in our industry. Having to plan in a structured way for the future was a useful learning and demonstrated how much control you get when you are able to do this. The final presentations were very light on financial information which was recognised as something of a problem given that they were for the bank manager!! Known your audience eh? There was much emphasis on how they would ‘pretty-up’ the respective hotels, what fun things they could offer and how they would improve the experience to encourage the return of guests. Not so much thought around what would happen if people didn’t return!! Glass half full perhaps? The most valuable things taken from the exercise were: Recognising and be able to utilise the strengths within the team.
The importance of planning Thinking inside the box as well as outside it!
Raising awareness of financial implications around the roles of the team members.
Working as a team. Strategic Sales Team
I ran the exercise again 4 weeks later with a smaller team of strategic sales people. This team have huge transformation in front of them due to changes in our business so it was good to give them a subject they were totally unfamiliar with. The team had slightly less time which proved a challenge and a learning point for me here is that a smaller team doesn’t necessarily mean less time. There was definitely a more financial focused approach and less creativity. As with the previous group the presentations ran over time neither groups having practised. They would argue they didn’t have time….I would argue they should have made time!!! Creativity was limited in this session and it highlighted the need to involve other areas and expertise within the business for the new challenges ahead. This team had a brand new manager who was eager to demonstrate his style. He joined in the exercise which proved really valuable and his team could see he would not ask them to do anything he wouldn’t or couldn’t do himself. We did not include the bank manager role this time and in all honesty I don’t think the exercise lost anything as a result. Again the need for a 3 month plan was very powerful and I would say that this was the most valuable aspect for both sessions. All in all, this is an excellent exercise with an incredible amount of learning from it. It has been a huge success and I will/would use it again and again.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 3 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 240 minutes.
Aims:
• To encourage participants to develop a strategy from the options generated in previous sessions.
• To encourage participants to prepare and give a persuasive presentation outlining their strategy and the work they have done.
• To reflect on the learning from the Hotel Doldrums series of modules.
About
This module follows on from Hotel Doldrums, parts 1 and 2, and is not designed to be used as a stand-alone module.
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 140 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 240 minutes for this module if working with 10-12 participants.
Aims:
• To encourage participants to develop a strategy from the options generated in previous sessions.
• To encourage participants to prepare and give a persuasive presentation outlining their strategy and the work they have done.
• To reflect on the learning from the Hotel Doldrums series of modules.
Group Size:
An ideal group size for this module is 12, with participants working in 3 teams of 4. If you have more than 15 participants in your group, you may want to consider ‘doubling up’ on some of the briefs with more than one team using the same scenario. This doesn’t detract from the learning; in fact it can be interesting to see how different teams approach the same problem and task.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels including individuals, groups and teams that need to use strategic planning and analysis skills in the workplace.
You'll Need:
Each team will a hotel data pack (provided) and a syndicate room or area.
Notes:
Hotel Doldrums is a series of modules that are designed to be run in sequence. Together they form a complete 1.5 day workshop, which can be run as a single workshop, or as three independent sessions, each lasting between 2 and 4 hours. We’ve also suggested other modules you could add to the programme, if you have more time available. The modules, when used together, also draw out skills relating to business planning, problem solving, influencing, team working and making presentations.
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I used this activities as part of a 2 day Business Skills Programme for participants on a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Scheme. Having completed part 1 and 2, this was a great way to end the session. Some great learning and an opportunity for them also to present and identify further development needs.
I kept it quite high level throughout so we didn't get too bogged down in the financials, focussing more on how they developed their ideas and presented them in a way that was helpful for their learning, so our bank managers adopted a more holistic approach and giving feedback based on some sound business ideas but also passion and energy!
A great activity and the materials saved me hours if not days in preparation time. The debrief questions were also helpful throughout to ensure we got lots of learning and practical application to take back to work.
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Ann Pemberton
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I facilitated this, along with Parts 1 and 2 at a recent leadership workshop for business owners. It was fantastic and they all really loved it. I ran all three parts in one day, so condensed it quite a bit (we had previously spent time on analysing a business and how to develop a strategy, so it was mostly a 'putting it all together' day). Due to their personalities and entrepreneurial nature, they wanted to jump straight to part 3, which provided a valuable lesson in itself! They all found it so useful and easy to relate it to their own businesses too.
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Jennifer Lindsay-Finan
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This project management series was of unbelievable value, as it really got them working and participating. I believe that most participants are under the impression that they will attend a workshop/training and that they will only be listening. The SWOT analysis has so much detail that it is
almost impossible to miss details of your strategic planning process. The managers all recognized that the three difference hotels were different is specific ways, but the ideas that came out of it were
amazing. With the last hotel doldrum the participant needs to do a presentation - and among all the other learning points, one participant noticed that he need to work on his "presentation skills" and how to carry a message over to important people. Another great attribute is the financial details that are attached to the downloads. This provides the participant with a feeling of credibility and believability of the exercise they are busy with.
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Previous Member
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I have now run Hotel Doldrums twice as a 1 day team build exercise. Marketing Team
This team is quite large (24 in total) and is spread throughout the country. Their opportunity to spend time together as a team is limited. Also, the team manager knew some elements of the team very well and others hardly at all having ‘inherited’ them following a company take over. A big part of this team build day was to get to know each other on a personal as well as a business basis. I ran the exercise after going through some personality profiling. It was really powerful to see how people responded in their preferred behavioural style and perhaps even more so how their fellow team members recognised the behaviours!! Not surprisingly there was an abundance of creativity going around, when the analytical people tried to intervene there were some ‘clashes’ although always controlled, usually ending up in peels of laughter. It did, however, demonstrate the need to listen to all team members and give everyone the chance to contribute. A good learning for the stronger personalities in the group. Time management was an issue and gave the team manager an insight as to why and how deadlines sometimes slip. She left the session with a strategy for managing this within the team more effectively in the future.p The meetings with the Bank Manager weren’t particularly successful. I’m not sure whether this was the way I positioned this aspect of the training or not. The overall feedback was that the meetings contributed very little and took away valuable time. A number of leaders emerged. Some based on personalities and others on expertise again demonstrating the advantages of having a good mix within the team. The need for a 3 month plan did give focus to think about the future. The team are often required to be reactive, rapid change being a trait in our industry. Having to plan in a structured way for the future was a useful learning and demonstrated how much control you get when you are able to do this. The final presentations were very light on financial information which was recognised as something of a problem given that they were for the bank manager!! Known your audience eh? There was much emphasis on how they would ‘pretty-up’ the respective hotels, what fun things they could offer and how they would improve the experience to encourage the return of guests. Not so much thought around what would happen if people didn’t return!! Glass half full perhaps? The most valuable things taken from the exercise were: Recognising and be able to utilise the strengths within the team.
The importance of planning Thinking inside the box as well as outside it!
Raising awareness of financial implications around the roles of the team members.
Working as a team. Strategic Sales Team
I ran the exercise again 4 weeks later with a smaller team of strategic sales people. This team have huge transformation in front of them due to changes in our business so it was good to give them a subject they were totally unfamiliar with. The team had slightly less time which proved a challenge and a learning point for me here is that a smaller team doesn’t necessarily mean less time. There was definitely a more financial focused approach and less creativity. As with the previous group the presentations ran over time neither groups having practised. They would argue they didn’t have time….I would argue they should have made time!!! Creativity was limited in this session and it highlighted the need to involve other areas and expertise within the business for the new challenges ahead. This team had a brand new manager who was eager to demonstrate his style. He joined in the exercise which proved really valuable and his team could see he would not ask them to do anything he wouldn’t or couldn’t do himself. We did not include the bank manager role this time and in all honesty I don’t think the exercise lost anything as a result. Again the need for a 3 month plan was very powerful and I would say that this was the most valuable aspect for both sessions. All in all, this is an excellent exercise with an incredible amount of learning from it. It has been a huge success and I will/would use it again and again.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 3 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.
Aims:
• To demonstrate a link between self-belief and results.
• To encourage participants to consider the impact positivity has on their own performance and the performance of others.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To demonstrate a link between self-belief and results.
• To encourage participants to consider the impact positivity has on their own performance and the performance of others.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• A syndicate room, or separate area in which Team 1 can work.
• A pack of 54 ‘Filing Frenzy’ cards for each team.
• A stopwatch/timer.
• You might like to use a bell or whistle to announce the start/end of the exercise.
Notes:
This exercise may not be suitable for participants who are colour blind or visually impaired. However, in most cases anyone who falls into this category can still be involved. Ask them to observe/listen to the teams during the exercise, identifying effective and less effective behaviours in order to provide constructive feedback afterwards.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims:
• To demonstrate how memory can be improved just by using it differently.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.
Aims:
• To demonstrate how memory can be improved just by using it differently.
Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This fun activity can be used either as an icebreaker or as a module on a longer ‘Concentration and Memory’ course. It can also be used in Train the Trainer training or any training where you want people to think about how they can make their message more memorable. The exercise is intended to encourage participants to experiment with the method using their own examples and with time to practice, should also reassure participants that no one needs to struggle with a poor memory – improvements can be fast and tangible. It’s a great tool too for encouraging participants to think about how they retain and recall new information and how they’ll store information you’re going to give them in the rest of the training.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 75 minutes.
Aims:• Understand the difference between leadership and management and the importance of both.
• To identify ways that participants can lead and manage their most important team members.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 45 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module. Aims:• Understand the difference between leadership and management and the importance of both.
• To identify ways that participants can lead and manage their most important team members. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 25 participants. Useful For:
Participants with current (or imminent) managerial responsibility. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This exercise is a great way to open up a workshop about leadership. It removes the need for the more traditional participant introductions and enables you to observe the participants in action and explore their priorities and attitudes to managing people. You can run this exercise with a range of team sizes, with between 4 and 8 players in each team. Please select the correct Clue Card pack based on the number in the team. Choose the team sizes that work for you. For example, with a group of 15, the exercise can be run with 3 teams of 5 or 2 teams, one of 7 and the other 8.
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I used this in a Leadership workshop and it was helpful to get people to think about what a leader needs to do when taking action with the team and its development. All of the teams came up with different priorities which sparked off considerable discussion about what areas to prioritize especially if you are a new manager. You really need to help at the start with communication as some groups were not sure what to do and you may need to lead them to sharing their clues. It was a good exercise in communication and collaboration. Make sure you have enough time for any groups that may not complete the grid as quick.
As part of the preparation we did adapt the tool by including some of the titles in the box e.g. the 12 month goals and feedback and I am glad we did as quite a few participants had never used this style grid before and they still ended up getting bogged down in completing the grid - even with this additional help. It is important that they get time to discuss their first actions rather than just completing the grid.
The exercise highlights the importance of focusing on the positives within a team rather than spending time on the negatives.
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Stephanie Fry
rated this item with 4 stars.
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I ran this exercise as an icebreaker for the launch workshop of a new Management Development Program. It worked well to get the participants working together, although there was a period of time at the start where no one seemed to know what they had to do, which was slightly uncomfortable as the participants didn't all know each other. I dealt with this by saying "someone in the team knows what to do".
The different approaches taken by the two team was interesting. One team tackled it exactly as I would - filling out all the categories and then cross-referencing the information to complete the grid. The other team were focused on going through each name and trying to complete the whole information one person at a time. I was sure this wouldn't work, but somehow it did! I think they must have made the connections by reading out the info several times. It was useful to bring out a learning point about letting people tackle problems in their own way, and that my way is not always the only way! I did drop in some helpful comments, e.g. steering them away from guessing at answers and telling them that all the facts they needed were provided.
On the less positive side, the "feedback" items and goals are not super clear and took a bit of working out.
A good exercise to lead into a discussion of managing vs leading though and I will definitely be using it again.
One other small point - if the size of the cards could be made the same on all the sheets that would make me happy!
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Lisa Lester
rated this item with 5 stars.
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We used this module to set the tone for a leadership programme targeted at new leaders.
The group did not know one another so it served well as an ice-breaker. But more importantly it set the tone for our discussion around the differences between leading and managing. Previously we started this programme without this exercise and there was a lot of confusion around the differing roles of managers and leaders.
The materials are set out really well, though I would recommend plenty of spares as participants tended to request additional grids as they made errors.
Also, I think be clear about what you are trying to achieve. If your priority is completion of the activity then the time limit is great. If you would like more focus around the actual debate of “who your priorities are” then I would suggest the facilitator assists more and more so that they have around 10-15mins for discussion at completion of the grid, however each group is different.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 4 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 45 minutes.
Aims:
• To assist job applicants in understanding what the employer is looking for when advertising a job.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To assist job applicants in understanding what the employer is looking for when advertising a job.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This is the second module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. Alternatively it can be run as a stand-alone exercise.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 50 minutes.
Aims:
• To provide good practice advice in completing applications for employment.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To provide good practice advice in completing applications for employment.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This is the third module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. We recommend at least running the second module of this series (Job Application 2 – Understanding Job Adverts) prior to this one.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 70 minutes.
Aims:
• To help job applicants write a compelling CV.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 70 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To help job applicants write a compelling CV.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants
Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This is the fourth module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. It may also be used as a short, stand-alone session. We’ve provided two alternative briefs for Exercise 1, one for more senior, experienced groups and one for less experienced candidates.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims:
• To explore the challenge when solving a problem where a number of people are involved, particularly when those people may have other obligations that mean they can’t give your problem their complete attention.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 25 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To explore the challenge when solving a problem where a number of people are involved, particularly when those people may have other obligations that mean they can’t give your problem their complete attention.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of almost any size. Where you have more than 12 participants, you should consider splitting your group and running two versions of the exercise separately in tandem.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• A stopwatch.
Notes:
This exercise requires a minimum of 6 participants. Where you have more than 12 participants, you should consider splitting your group and running two versions of the exercise separately in tandem. It is important that all of the cards are distributed and that every participant has a card but some participants can receive more cards than others – in fact it’s better if they do.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 50 minutes.
Aims:
• To understand the importance of setting clear performance objectives for team members.
• To understand what makes an objective SMART.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 35 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To understand the importance of setting clear performance objectives for team members.
• To understand what makes an objective SMART.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• 2 clipboards with pens for the assessors.
• 2 copies of the Assessor’s Brief, each sealed in a separate envelope.
• A copy of the handout for every participant.
• A stopwatch.
Notes:
For managers, we strongly recommend following this module with Using SMART Objectives, which will give participants an opportunity to create SMART objectives for specific members of their team.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library called Objectives - Introducing SMART.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 50 minutes.
Aims:
• To provide a basic understanding of continuous improvement as a process and management tool.
• To place continuous improvement in context through a participatory exercise.
About
Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 50 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To provide a basic understanding of continuous improvement as a process and management tool.
• To place continuous improvement in context through a participatory exercise. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
• Old newspapers and sticky tape - see notes. Notes:
You will need a large pile of old newspapers and some reels of sticky tape for this exercise. You will also need to have made one "standard design" camel from folding or scrunching newspaper and using sticky tape. This camel should have discernible legs, a head and a hump; but does not have to be a work of art! The participants need to be able to roughly copy it (note - the exercise is about improving upon the original). Finally you need to make a baton from newspaper, which will be used to bat the camel along in the camel races. You will also require space to set up a track - this can usually be achieved by safely moving tables and chairs to the sides of the room. You may wish to have a supply of small prizes available for the camel race winners.
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I have used this activity a couple of times to embed change management/continuous improvement and management principles. it has always been well received and staff have thoroughly enjoyed it. it allows staff to learn principles whilst having fun.
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Donna Rodgers
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I have use this activity a couple of times. Once I used with 40 people. We had 8 camels racing in 2 heats and then a grand final. As well as being fun and creative it made the point of continuous improvement. Also I adapted it to use on a team building event at a racecourse. One hump or two became one carrot or two. I had delegates race their horses passed the finish post at Plumpton Race Course.
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Previous Member
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 155 minutes.
Aims:
• To provide participants with a simple but effective five stage method for planning a project or complex task.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 100 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 155 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To provide participants with a simple but effective five stage method for planning a project or complex task.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 24 participants. Ideally, you'll have an even number of participants so they can work in pairs.
Useful For:
Anyone who needs to set up and/or commission and/or manage projects.
You'll Need:
• Post-it notes.
Notes:
There is nothing particularly complex or difficult about project planning; it simply requires a logical approach. If you are new to the topic, we suggest you take time to read and digest the pre-module reading. You might find it helpful to work through each of the stages yourself, using a project of your own - perhaps planning a course. Although you will have asked participants to bring the pre-module reading with them, in practice some will forget. It’s a good idea to have spare copies ready in case this happens. It’s a good idea to print more copies of the handouts than there are participants because these may be needed if someone has a particularly complex project to plan. We have suggested that you ask participants to work in pairs. However, this module could easily be adapted and used by a complete project team to plan one project. It is helpful if each pair has a table of their own where they can carry out the practical exercises. If you have a large group you will probably need a breakout room.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 80 minutes.
Aims:
• To minimise the likelihood of crises and project failure through a simple risk analysis and contingency planning process.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 70 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 80 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To minimise the likelihood of crises and project failure through a simple risk analysis and contingency planning process.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 24 participants. Ideally, you'll have an even number of participants so they can work in pairs.
Useful For:
Anyone who needs to set up and/or commission and/or manage projects.
You'll Need:
• Post-it notes.
Notes:
This is the second module in the Project Planning series, covering Risk Analysis and Contingency Planning. The first module, Project Planning – Part 1, must be run before this one. If you are running this module on a different date from the first module it would be sensible to remind participants to bring their completed project plan from the previous session to this one.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 50 minutes.
Aims:
• To test participant’s attention to detail and accuracy skills.
• To identify the kinds of mistakes that are commonly made when writing or checking documents, and how to avoid them.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 25 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To test participant’s attention to detail and accuracy skills.
• To identify the kinds of mistakes that are commonly made when writing or checking documents, and how to avoid them.
Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For:
Staff at all levels.
You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 80 minutes.
Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about the nature of risk.
• To encourage participants to think about risk in relation to project management.
• To provide participants with an understanding of basic risk management strategies.
About
Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 80 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about the nature of risk.
• To encourage participants to think about risk in relation to project management.
• To provide participants with an understanding of basic risk management strategies. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Team leaders and junior management. You'll Need:
• A large supply of sticky labels that participants can write on. (Ideally these should be in a variety of colours).
• Plenty of coloured pens.
• A prize for the ‘best’ Snakes and Ladders board would be a nice touch. Notes:
This module can be used as a follow on from The Wedding Planner, and The Runaway Bride to create a half-day training programme.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of summary and clarification in effective communication.
• To test participants' ability to listen effectively, check understanding and summarise key points back to the person delivering information to them.
• To briefly consider some of the barriers to effective listening and techniques for minimising these.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.
Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of summary and clarification in effective communication.
• To test participants' ability to listen effectively, check understanding and summarise key points back to the person delivering information to them.
• To briefly consider some of the barriers to effective listening and techniques for minimising these.
Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.
Useful For:
Staff up to supervisory level.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This exercise can be used as an effective icebreaker to training where listening skills are covered or are particularly important.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library - Special Offers - Attention to Detail.
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I used this on my trainers. It put them in their delegates shoes. They really struggled to listen to all the information when it was being read out. They found it hard to remember all of the important information until they were allowed to write it down and ask questions.
This taught them valuable lessons on learning styles and how to engage with thir delegates more to ensure effective learning.
The main lesson was that they need to test for understanding at more regular intervals when delivering training.
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Karon Campbell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I use this activity to test their listening skills and practice using checking questions to determine whether they have understood the offer correctly. As the offers are very complicated the delegates tend to ask many questions and write notes but always seem to get the offer correct. Again another valuable exercise.
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Previous Member
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Special Offer was used as a listening exercise with a retail based group, which made the content of the exercise very relevant to them. It not only showed them the importance of clarifying listening and summarising information but the varying levels of success opened the delegates to the thought of individual differences and preferences in communication styles. Telling the delegates they were not able to make notes whilst they were listening added an interesting twist to the exercise.
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Previous Member
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 20 minutes.
Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of summary and clarification in effective communication.
About
Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of summary and clarification in effective communication. Group Sizes:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size. Useful For:
Staff at all levels. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
Summary and clarification are important in all forms of communication and this module is relevant to courses covering topics as diverse as interviewing (particularly behaviour based selection interviewing), counselling skills, negotiation skills, performance management, customer service etc. This exercise can be used as a short and snappy icebreaker to communication skills training.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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Used this quite effectively as an icebreaker for an interview skills workshop. Quick, neat and did the job about making assumptions in people’s meanings and how to help get the best out of interviewees. I could also see a use in customer service, resolving customer
complaints!
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Nicky McCrudden
rated this item with 3 stars.
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This exercise was very clear in it’s purpose and all the learners fell into all the pitfalls! The passage about Aunty Rita’s shopping requirements was very simple and while reading it I could think of different questions I’d need to ask Aunty Rita for clarification. The difference is very much when the learners heard it. They forgot about asking questions and made some assumptions instead. They did come up with a few questions for clarification, but when reviewing the passage found that there were lots more that they should have asked. This exercise was almost the opposite of the previous one – questions to probe, challenge & explore, in that if you have a candidate that likes to talk, it’s more about getting short clear answers from them to clarify their answers. All the learners felt that most of their candidates that they’d interviewed in the past were more likely to be in the second group, but occasionally for some roles they’d experienced the short answers too. They also felt that they needed more practice in asking these sorts of questions, as they felt they were more prone to getting into a discussion with the candidate, rather than clarify & summarise. Another excellent exercise. Thanks.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 100 minutes.
Aims:
• To identify the purpose of effective short-listing in recruitment and selection.
• To identify key principles for short-listing.
• To identify potential difficulties with short-listing and ways of overcoming these.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise short-listing; ensuring a fair and accurate assessment of evidence.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 50-60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 90-100 minutes for this module.
Aims:
• To identify the purpose of effective short-listing in recruitment and selection.
• To identify key principles for short-listing.
• To identify potential difficulties with short-listing and ways of overcoming these.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise short-listing; ensuring a fair and accurate assessment of evidence.
Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For:
Recruiting managers.
You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes:
This is a case study exercise that follows on from 'Perfect Fit'. It can be run using in-house policy and recruitment processes to re-enforce the learning. The exercise can also be run as a stand-alone session. To run this exercise, you will need a room that’s big enough for participants to work comfortably in groups, or a couple of ‘break-out’ rooms. The module looks at best practice for short-listing. In it candidates look at documentation produced during the recruitment process, including the person specification, application form and short-listing forms. The modules will be useful to anyone involved in the recruitment process, including senior managers.
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We used this alongside Perfect Fit in a course for first line managers. It is really nice the way it continues on the story of Charlie. It highlighted some interesting biases in the group (we'd done unconscious bias earlier), who made different assumptions about different candidates (if they've worked in the NHS they will/ won't be used to working under pressure).
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Jane Butler
rated this item with 4 stars.
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We use the Take Your Pick exercise on the recruitment and selection course. It provides them with an opportunity to short list CV’s and discuss which candidate would be most suitable for a position without having to look at real CV’s or make up fake ones. It provides them with an opportunity to decide who they would short list and whether they would interview any of them. I then use the CV’s and ask them to come up with interview questions. We then do a role play with one delegate taking the role of the candidate and the other the interviewer still using the CV’s.
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I used the Take your pick CV short listing exercise today on the recruitment and selection training. I only had a small group so we completed the exercise in 30mins rather than the suggested timings. However, they were able to pick the most appropriate candidate and had a good discussion around whether they would take them to interview or advise Charlie to get some more CV’s. We then used the candidate in a mock interview exercise. I liked the exercise because it made them compare CV’s against the selection criteria which they may not have chance to do unless they are recruiting. It made them think about what to look for on the CV’s such as gaps in recruitment, relevant experience, whether they have had promotions etc. Which in turn led to what questions would you ask in an interview then? Who would you bring in to interview if any or would you ask for my CV’s? It gave them chance to do some role play and practice with realistic CV’s.
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This activity was used for middle managers who had little or no experience of short listing candidates and it was used in conjunction with "Attitude or Skills? – What to look for when recruiting". The course content was good, it was easy to use and covered various aspects of short listing, which could be looked into; participants had to think 'outside the box', participants could relate the questions/exercise back to their own experiences. It was a good basis for questioning, it enabled participants to realise that they need to forward plan for short listing, discover what’s required when you short list candidates and why it’s essential you have good job descriptions and person specifications.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 180 minutes.
Aims:
• To encourage participants to consider different approaches to improving poor performance, and the relative merits of those different approaches.
• To encourage participants to think about appropriate timescales over which they might expect to improve performance and standards.
• To consider the implications of not taking action to improve poor performance.
About
Time:
This exercise will take about 80 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 180 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To encourage participants to consider different approaches to improving poor performance, and the relative merits of those different approaches.
• To encourage participants to think about appropriate timescales over which they might expect to improve performance and standards.
• To consider the implications of not taking action to improve poor performance. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For:
Managers, or those who soon will be. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
There are two different versions of the team brief for this exercise. For junior managers we recommend using version 1, which contains a list of actions that the managers could consider when dealing with the issues of poor performance. For more experienced managers, we recommend using version 2, which does not provide any clues about the type of action they could take and encourages them to come up with their own solutions. This module is ideally suited for inclusion in training around managing change. You can reduce the amount of time needed for this module by approximately 30 minutes by not requesting a formal presentation and simply asking each team instead to talk through its proposed actions. Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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Used this in a Leadership Development programme, following on from the Hungry Chick Inn Exercise. Modified it slightly so that rather than brainstorming performance solutions, we looked at performance conversations. Different members of the HR team took on the roles of the Chef, Receptionist and Head of Cleaning, and groups of 3 took turns in coaching each of them. Went down really well, and was great for practice and feedback.
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Jane Butler
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I felt moved to write a review on this exercise after running it yet again, very successfully yesterday. A full day of training on performance management can be challenging for those who are new to line management or are lacking in confidence in dealing with under performance; however as a post-lunch exercise this gives everyone the chance to test out their views safely in small groups, as well as getting everyone back into the subject in a practical and engaging way. I have used the exercise both by giving out and by not giving out the possible solutions at the beginning. My experience is that even the most junior managers come up with a number of actions unprompted and so I would generally not give the the extra information. However I would recommend this if you are short of time, as the discussions are much shorter and the exercise could be completed in around 30 -40 minutes.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I ran this exercise as part of a performance management course. It's a good exercise to use after the lunch break as it gives the learners a practical situation outside their comfort zone (unless you work in hospitality) to be able to apply the theory and discussions from the morning session surrounding the performance management cycle. It's also a good way to identify any further issues that may need revisiting or require further clarity before the end of the day.
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Nick Lennon-Barrett
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This activity has been used as part of a Change Management course to clarify their learning. The activity makes them think about the problems at the Hungry Chick and what changes they would make. As there are employees involved it makes them think about how their decision would be made and how they would communicate any changes to their employee’s. I ran this with three different groups but they all came up with similar solutions to the issues.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 105 minutes.
Aims:
• To help participants identify what is wrong with a real example of a 'customer service' email.
• To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customers.
• To recognise the impact that poor grammar and punctuation has on a writer's credibility.
• To rewrite the email, delivering the key messages in an appropriate, effective manner.
About
Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 60 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 105 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To help participants identify what is wrong with a real example of a 'customer service' email.
• To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customers.
• To recognise the impact that poor grammar and punctuation has on a writer's credibility.
• To rewrite the email, delivering the key messages in an appropriate, effective manner. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Supervisors and above. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
This module is particularly valuable because it is based upon a genuine email which was distributed to an internet hosting company's customers. It contains important lessons about culture, customer service, and writing skills. It can also be used to prompt discussion about the damaging effects of poor communication. For the purposes of this exercise we've shortened the original email by removing a few of the more technical paragraphs.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I used this activity as part of a Customer Services Training programme which incorporated letter writing and email writing skills. The email from Archie's certainly had the desired effect on the participants (every single time!). It worked really well because they simply couldn't believe that an organisation would send out such inept and inappropriate communication to its 'valued' customers. It gave plenty of debate and discussion! Many people struggled to identify all the problems with it (is that a sign of the times regarding education?) In the session, I also compared it with poor examples of written communication sent from our business, to demonstrate that it happens at our business too and that its not just the problem of other companies. It was certainly a bit of an eye opener for the participants.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 60 minutes.
Aims:
• To help participants identify what is wrong with a (real example) of a 'customer service' letter.
• To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customers.
• To recognise how one badly constructed letter can lose a customer.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module. Aims:
• To help participants identify what is wrong with a (real example) of a 'customer service' letter.
• To encourage participants to think about the key messages the company intended to deliver to its customers.
• To recognise how one badly constructed letter can lose a customer. Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For:
Staff at all levels, and especially people working in finance and/or customer services. You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes:
This module is suitable for staff at all levels; especially those involved in financial and/or customer services. The example shows a letter that is confusing and pretentious, both in its layout and in its content. The writer of this letter should be aiming to regain – even increase – business from this customer. In the letter's current format it is highly unlikely that this will be achieved. This exercise would also be useful to develop a conversation in an organisation about its standard letters, which are often carelessly written and should be regularly examined and revised.
Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I used this activity in Report Writing Training; particularly to assist with grammar, spelling and punctuation. Delegates commented that it was useful to them for ensuring correct English when writing reports; however I think this would be great for those who are sending out communications of this nature. I liked the fact that a real letter was used as an example and one wasn’t made up for the activity because it makes it more realistic.
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