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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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A brilliant game to consolidate the learning of the day. Now I have used it I also think it could be used at any point. Tones and laughter from the group and loads of points to draw out and explore in terms of behaviors, communications etc.
The group didn't quite get the right answer but they did find a spot to meet at, well ish lol. I ran this course for an American sales audience who just loved it. Pronouncing the places was tricky but we got through it. If your going to use this activity multiple times you might want to ask the group not to draw on the maps as they can be pricey to keep purchasing and they are inclined to want to draw out the route. I grabbed a poly pocket for them to draw on with marker which helped and have laminated some sheets to use next time. Having the rooms close to each other is also helpful so you can observe the 2 dynamics at play as it was fascinating to see how the sperate groups took to the task, loads to unpack but you do need to float between them as I had multiple big personalities wanting to drive the outcomes so be at hand when needed. They loved it, and so did I, so much opportunity and learning and finish my day with them on a high with key take aways.
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Kirsty Marshall
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I have ran this activity twice now, both times were a great success!
I bought some backpacks and walkie talkies and made up a adventure pack for both teams.
To allow you to use the maps again, I also used some coloured sticky dots, which remove easily from the map once you are finished.
The activity provokes a lot of thought and fun! Making for some really inciteful conversations after the activity. The trainers notes are great and give you some really helpful questions and topics to really unpick some of the behaviours you are likely to see in the teams during the bike ride .
A top tip, I added some clues to cut outs and hid them in different parts of the bag, as well as the string etc, This gave the activity an almost escape room kind of feel.
Another brilliant resource from the trainers library!
Thank you so much
Danny and the team at HC-One
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Danny Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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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 60 minutes.
Aims: • To enable participants to be able to define coaching and its purpose. • To explain the key differences between coaching and mentoring. • To enable participants to describe a basic coaching model. • To identify the core skills required by effective coaches.
About
Time: This exercise will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To enable participants to be able to define coaching and its purpose. • To explain the key differences between coaching and mentoring. • To enable participants to describe a basic coaching model. • To identify the core skills required by effective coaches.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 24 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: • Plenty of space for participants to work in pairs for this module.
Notes: Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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This is a great introduction to coaching which I used for a group of 6 managers from different parts of the business recently. It opened their eyes to the differences between coaching and mentoring in particular. Whilst practicing during the two days we spent together, the GROW model helped the managers to get in to the right flow. Thanks team - yet another great tool!
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Lottie Skuthe-Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This module was a great introduction to coaching and the group of managers whom I was working with found it extremely valuable. The exercises challenged them all however they found them useful and interesting and extremely valuable to be able to practice new techniques in a controlled and safe environment. The GROW model is simple and effective and the managers all felt this is a model they could take back to the office and use effectively with their team members; after a little practice! Thank you Glasstap.
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Jayne Dark
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 75 minutes.
Aims: • To explore some of the challenges participants will face as a manager and how to approach them with the right balance of ethics and pragmatism.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To explore some of the challenges participants will face as a manager and how to approach them with the right balance of ethics and pragmatism.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of between 4 to 18 participants.
Useful For: Learners who are brand new managers (or very soon will be), particularly if they have been promoted from within the team.
You'll Need: • Playing pieces, one per team. • Small prize for the winning team. • 60 second timer or stopwatch. • Facilitator Traffic Lights. • At a Crossroads Conundrum Cards. • At a Crossroads Diversion Cards (3 per team). • At a Crossroads Game Board. • At a Crossroads Suggested Answers (for the facilitator).
Notes: This exercise is suitable for use with groups of up to 18 participants. It is run as a competitive game, which is a race to the finish and played in teams of two or three players. We do not recommend having teams with more than three participants. All the scenarios contained in the cards are based on actual experiences faced by managers in their first year of managing a team. It is a particularly useful exercise for people who have been promoted from within the team to become the manager and who are struggling to adapt to their new role with people who were once their peers.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I recently used this during a two day introduction to management course. The participants loved and it was a great resource to use that was fun but achieved important, relevant learning outcomes. This will be a resource that I will continue to use with the added advantage that the gameboard can be used with the performance management cards, when I run the next course for managers on coaching and mentoring.
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Sue Bartlett
rated this item with 5 stars.
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On Tuesday this week I used the At a Crossroads activity from Trainers Library with a group of 4 newly appointed managers.
What a great activity. We had full interaction and the conundrum cards really threw up some challenges that the participants could relate to. It was great to be in control of the traffic lights so that we could really discuss each challenge and hear the different perspectives on how each individual would potentially deal with that challenge.
We didn't get through all the cards, however the participants have asked for round 2 at our next workshop because they enjoyed the activity so much.
I am aware that you can download the road map and cards however I made the small investment and bought the resources from Trainers Library as I know this will be used time and time again.
Great resource, easy & fun to use and definitely encouraged much debate and thinking.
If you've not used it then try it.
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Pauline Weddell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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This exercise provides a lot of different scenarios for managers to consider how they would respond.
I have used a slightly adapted version of this exercise as a warm up for management development training. I have a series of workshops focussing on different aspects of management behaviours, with the same group of participants each time, and used this as a warm up exercise for workshop 2. Instead of using the board, I asked the teams to pick a card from the deck and read it out. Team A picks and reads then Teams B and C have 30 seconds to come up with a response. Team A picks their favourite response and awards that team a point. Then move on to Team B. I repeat this to cover 9 randomly picked cards. Each card read gives an opportunity for discussion around the best way to handle the situation.
As there are so many cards, I will probably repeat this as the warm up for workshops 3 and 4 too.
Another great resource from Trainers' Library!
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Lisa Lester
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 75 minutes.
Aims: • To explore some of the challenges participants will face as a trainer and encourage trainers to reflect on how they’d approach them.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To explore some of the challenges participants will face as a trainer and encourage trainers to reflect on how they’d approach them.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of between 4 to 18 participants.
Useful For: New trainers or those looking to build their skills and review challenges they might face or have faced.
You'll Need: • Playing pieces, one per team. • Small prize for the winning team. • 60 second timer or stopwatch. • Facilitator Traffic Lights. • At a Crossroads Conundrum Cards. • At a Crossroads Diversion Cards (3 per team). • At a Crossroads Game Board. • At a Crossroads Suggested Answers (for the facilitator).
Notes: This exercise is suitable for use with groups of up to 18 participants. It is run as a competitive game, which is a race to the finish and played in teams of two or three players. We do not recommend having teams with more than three participants. All the scenarios contained in the cards are based on actual experiences faced by trainers.
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: • To explore some of the challenges participants will face whilst managing the performance of individuals in their team.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To explore some of the challenges participants will face whilst managing the performance of individuals in their team.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of between 4 to 18 participants.
Useful For: Anyone who is responsible for the performance of others, or who soon will be.
You'll Need: • Playing pieces, one per team. • Small prize for the winning team. • 60 second timer or stopwatch. • Facilitator Traffic Lights. • Conundrum Cards. • Diversion Cards (3 per team). • Game Board. • Suggested Answers (for the facilitator).
Notes: This exercise is suitable for use with groups of up to 18 participants. It’s run as a competitive game and is a race to the finish. Played in teams of 2-3 players - we do not recommend having teams with more than 3 participants.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I recently used this activity as part of a development centre for aspiring leaders. It was really well received by the group. We had about 18 people split into 6 teams. The intention had been to run the activity for 45 minutes but the group enjoyed it so much it went on for over an hour and we still hadn't got close to a winner. The scenarios generated lots of debate. I would perhaps suggest starting with smaller groups at first as it is difficult to facilitate with such large group sizes
I used the board game pack that I purchased, and whilst this did provide a nice visual to accompany the activity, the conundrum cards would have worked perfectly well without the board game if used as discussion topics. An excellent activity that is guaranteed to get the group engaged (Just make sure your answer sheet matches your conundrum cards!)
At the end of the session the group asked for a further full days session dedicated to discussing these types of scenarios and for me that says it all about how good the activity is.
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Mike Taylor
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 25 minutes.
Aims: • To explain the key rules of brainstorming.
About
Time: The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 25 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To explain the key rules of brainstorming.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Junior staff or those unfamiliar with brainstorming as an idea generation technique.
You'll Need: • Flipchart paper and coloured marker pens for every team.
Notes: You may come across participants who question the use of the word brainstorming, and suggest it is offensive to people who suffer epilepsy. Our research indicates that the concern over the word brainstorming is something of an urban myth. Charities representing those who suffer from epilepsy say they have asked people suffering from epilepsy and concluded that the word brainstorming does not cause concern. Indeed, the word bears no relation to what actually happens to someone suffering epilepsy.
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 45 minutes.
Aims: • To consider the importance of momentum when innovating. • To look at what builds momentum behind a project or idea, and what saps energy from a project or idea.
About
Time: The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module. Aims: • To consider the importance of momentum when innovating. • To look at what builds momentum behind a project or idea, and what saps energy from a project or idea. Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of any size. Useful For: Managers.
You'll Need: For this exercise you'll need to be able to split your participants into 2 teams, each with a different room to work in. You'll also need to gather a set of 'building materials' for each team. Typically, we provide each team with the following: • 20 'pick-up' sticks. • 3 pairs of scissors. • 4 rulers. • 6 sheets of A3 card (or 12 sheets of A4 card). • A ball of string. • A roll of sticky tape. You can vary the materials you provide in any way you wish - the important thing is that each team must have exactly the same materials to work with (including the same number of pairs of scissors etc). You'll also need a toy car for each team (each should be the same size and weight). Choose a car that is 'Dinky' sized, rather than 'Matchbox' sized. (More mature UK readers will know what we mean!) For those of you who don't, we mean a car that is not too small - aim for something about six or seven inches long and weighing about 1lb (500 gram). We want this exercise to be challenging. Notes: For very large groups (20 or more participants) you’ll need more than 2 teams. Establish a number of small teams with 4 or 5 participants in them, and some very large teams with perhaps a dozen participants in them.
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This exercise works really well within the engineering sector. Engineers love having the chance to build something and even their colleagues in support functions are accustomed to working with colleagues to troubleshoot issues. Dividing the group into as many teams as possible, (even teams of 2 work well), creates a great sense of competition. Although it is a fun exercise, when working with senior teams, it does underline the challenges in maintaining momentum when introducing large or long term change.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I used this exercise with a group of junior managers in our business to help focus on their team work skills and learn more about their leadership style. I love the interactivity of this activity as it focused on the behaviours of the individual. The feedback session was very good, the team were able to be very honest and constructive which proved to be very effective.
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Jennifer Stevens
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I used this exercise with a group of 15 managers with the view to encouraging the group to think outside the box and also to bring some fun into how they interact with eachother. It proved to be very effective as it also challenges the teams to provide feedback on the appointed team leaders. We replaced the car with a golf ball. The fact that the bridge had to allow for a team member to pass underneath created a fun atmosphere but it was interesting to see the competitiveness between both teams
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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 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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We recently ran this as part of a team meeting and it's harder than it looks! As a team we are guilty of delivering quickly and this can lead to missed opportunities. This activity perfectly demonstrated this in a fun and engaging way and provoked a lot of discussion. I've only not left 5 stars because I personally think the time in underestimated due to the amount of insightful discussion so to anyone picking this up as an activity, be prepared to give it the time it needs.
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Katie Hastie
rated this item with 4 stars.
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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 60 minutes.
Aims: • To demonstrate the importance of determination in building resilience. • To identify what determination is and where it comes from. • To list some of the key factors that help make people more determined. • To identify ways to become more determined.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To demonstrate the importance of determination in building resilience. • To identify what determination is and where it comes from. • To list some of the key factors that help make people more determined. • To identify ways to become more determined.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of any size.
Useful For: Staff and managers 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 75 minutes.
Aims: • To encourage participants to consider planning and preparation as part of leadership. • To facilitate discussion around playing to the team's strength. • To consider factors that motivate staff to perform well. • To encourage staff to self assess, review and reflect on performance. • To encourage leaders to consider their communication skills. • To encourage leaders to consider the question of keeping people motivated. • To demonstrate leadership skills in a practical task.
About
Time: This exercise will take about 55 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 75 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To encourage participants to consider planning and preparation as part of leadership. • To facilitate discussion around playing to the team's strength. • To consider factors that motivate staff to perform well. • To encourage staff to self assess, review and reflect on performance. • To encourage leaders to consider their communication skills. • To encourage leaders to consider the question of keeping people motivated. • To demonstrate leadership skills in a practical task.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: First line managers and supervisors.
You'll Need: • Broadsheet newspapers (one per team). • Sticky tape (one per team). • A tennis ball.
Notes: In this exercise, participants will be working in teams of 4 or 5. Each team will need one broadsheet newspaper (for example, the Financial Times) and a roll of sticky tape. In addition, you will need a tennis ball (or similar) to test the strength of the teams’ structures.
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I ran this as an icebreaker for a couple of reasons, firstly I had 1 manager on screen from our India team - and secondly we have some managers who are very hands on and do a lot of the doing, leaving them little time to lead their team.
It worked brilliantly by appointing the remote manager as a Team Leader as he couldn't physically contribute to the activity and choosing another manager for the opposite team that has a development need around stepping away and letting her team work through cases.
I used 5 sheets of flip paper per team (didn't have newspapers) and this worked perfectly.
The de-brief worked brilliantly, especially with targeted questions to the team leaders and "their team"
Lots of laughter, but a great focus on time management and linked to service level agreements we have, quality assurance, motivation and leadership.
I'll definitely be running this one again.
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Helen McGowan
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I used this activity for a teambuilding exercise and it really defalted the team. I think it is important for the team to be in close proximity even in separate rooms. I think it works better for the teams to be in the same room in corners of the room. A lot of running around for the facilitator and a lot of newspaper is needed!
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Anjana Rajani
rated this item with 3 stars.
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I've used this activity twice: once as a leadership exercise and once for teambuilding (requiring only a slight change in emphasis on the debrief). Students want to get straight onto the bridge-building phase rather than spend time on planning their bridge. However, when debriefed, they comment that they understand the importance of planning, and recognise that it's something they perhaps need to do better in their day jobs. This often comes from the team who don't succeed with the task - they acknowledge that better planning (and also leadership) could have helped. Using it as a leadership activity, you can focus in the debrief on the role of the leader, on leadership styles/approaches, and what it might have felt like had they not had a leader. For teambuilding, you can still draw out issues about leadership (because someone in the group might have evolved as a natural leader, without having been appointed, and this is something you might want to comment on) as well as focusing on the positives of teamworking - so if you are running this activity with a team who are not working well together, you could praise them (without patronising) on how well they worked together to build their bridge. It can be adapted easily with or without appointing a leader, or observers. I ran it with much shorter time-frames than recommended - only 10 minutes for planning and 20 minutes to build the bridge, but it still worked - it just got participants working harder and faster. There's a real energy in the room as teams strived to build a better bridge than their competitors! (You can always make the point of course, that they were asked to build a strong bridge, not to beat their competitors, but inevitably the element of competition will appear!). Leave the bridges on show for the remainder of the training course/week - they're a talking point. I even had one team nominating someone to "body pop" underneath the bridge to music from their iPod - real flair, creativity, leadership and teamworking coming out.
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I used this exercise very successfully when training a group of new managers on communication styles and teamwork. The exercise was very simple to run and needed very few props - and those which it did need were inexpensive and readily available - perfect!. The groups had a lot of fun and it was really interesting to notice the creative thought process - I guess the exercise could also be used for problem solving situations. We used an observer for each group who was able to give great feedback on the group dynamics and interactions - picking up on key words and phrases used which were useful - and of course, those which were not so useful. The exercise demonstrated the key learning that I wanted to draw out - it was quick - and the group had a load of fun doing it. Can't get better than that really.
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Rosemary Taylor
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims: • To show the benefit of a mission statement when problem solving. • To demonstrate the importance of taking a step back and understanding our role in the relationships we have with others at work.
About
Time: The exercises in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To show the benefit of a mission statement when problem solving. • To demonstrate the importance of taking a step back and understanding our role in the relationships we have with others at work.
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: A useful module that looks at the importance of truly understanding the nature of the problem and the outcome desired. Useful for inclusion in any problem solving course, at the investigation stage of the problem solving process.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 45 minutes.
Aims: • To explore the process of creative problem solving. • To explain the role of idea generation and other creative thinking techniques.
About
Time: The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To explore the process of creative problem solving. • To explain the role of idea generation and other creative thinking techniques.
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 provides an introductory overview of a creative problem solving process. Trainers' Library contains many practical modules for developing the skills required for each stage, including modules that introduce techniques for generating, exploring and evaluating ideas.
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 60 minutes.
Aims: • To help participants understand how, and the extent to which, they involve others in the decision making process. • To help participants identify whether the decision making approaches currently used are the most effective. • To consider the pros and cons of using different approaches in different situations.
About
Time: This exercise 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 understand how, and the extent to which, they involve others in the decision making process. • To help participants identify whether the decision making approaches currently used are the most effective. • To consider the pros and cons of using different approaches in different situations.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Managers.
You'll Need: • Prepared post-its. • Blank post-its of a different colour. • Prepared flipcharts.
Notes: You will need to familiarise yourself with the handout for this module before running it. You will also need to prepare a sheet of flipchart paper and a set of 10 post-its for each participant (see trainer notes).
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I ran the Decision Making Approaches module, it was brilliant. I followed the course guide and handouts. There were plenty of discussions and as a facilitator you made my job easy. It was very interactive and allowed for great discussion. Although there was quite a bit of prep work before the class, it made the session run very smoothly. I also arranged seating in three table settings, each with five participants who did not know one another, which helped with the ice-breaker. I was able to tie this session back to our Situational Leadership course as well as Myers-Briggs when discussing style.
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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 30 minutes.
Aims: • To demonstrate how a decision matrix can be used, when trying to decide between various options. • To demonstrate the importance of weighting different criteria when making decisions.
About
Time: The exercises in this module can be completed within 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete the module.
Aims: • To demonstrate how a decision matrix can be used, when trying to decide between various options. • To demonstrate the importance of weighting different criteria when making decisions.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Staff up to junior managers.
You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes: This module introduces a simple scoring and weighting system to help the decision making process when choosing between several options. An alternative module that also uses this approach is Honeymoon Dilemma .
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I've been using this exercise for several sessions within the same organisation and it is interesting to see how different groups come up with their initial decision based on part 1 of the exercise and some change their decisions based on part 2. It always provokes debate and there are often lightbulb moments when people realise that their decisions can be made more robust with a rating/weighting system. As the exercise is centered around buying a house, it is something ALL delegates can relate to.
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Sally Jones
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Decision Making Matrix – We used this as an example of how to make decisions when solving problems and coming up with solutions. To begin with the group found the first part of the exercise easy and came up with the same answer, however when asked to score out of 100 they were confused at first but once they had got their head around it they found it a very useful tool.
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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 50 minutes.
Aims: • To show the importance of properly evaluating ideas and solutions. • To explain the need for a structured approach to evaluation. • To introduce one method for evaluating ideas and solutions. • To provide an opportunity for participants to practice evaluating ideas. • To encourage participants to recognise the need to tweak/adapt ideas and then re-evaluate them.
About
Time: The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 50 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To show the importance of properly evaluating ideas and solutions. • To explain the need for a structured approach to evaluation. • To introduce one method for evaluating ideas and solutions. • To provide an opportunity for participants to practice evaluating ideas. • To encourage participants to recognise the need to tweak/adapt ideas and then re-evaluate them.
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: You will need to ensure you have familiarised yourself with the 4-stage process explained in the handout, before running this module.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 60 minutes.
Aims: • To show participants how to break problems down. • To give participants an opportunity to practise using a Fishbone Chart.
About
Time: The exercises in this module will take about 45 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To show participants how to break problems down. • To give participants an opportunity to practise using a Fishbone Chart.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: • Post-it notes and flipchart paper.
Notes: We suggest that before attending this training module, you ask participants to identify a workplace problem that they need to address. If participants work together you can encourage them to identify an issue they can work on together in the training. You should pre-prepare a flipchart with the ‘bones’ of a Fishbone Chart for use in the first part of the module.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I love using this with teams and have used it most recently to brainstorm ideas for income generation. I sometimes split the bones into categories e.g. people, process, environment, resources, leadership, technology etc. for staff to think about different areas. Always get positive feedback when using this exercise.
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Roxanne Moran
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 45 minutes.
Aims: • To introduce ‘Forced Connections’ as a tool for generating unusual ideas by linking seemingly unrelated items. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique.
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 introduce ‘Forced Connections’ as a tool for generating unusual ideas by linking seemingly unrelated items. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: • A bag or other container containing a selection of small toys or other random objects. Try to make the selection as varied as possible. • The Activity Link and your PIN, and an internet connection to stream the video.
Notes: If you do not have an internet connection in your training room, we have included a handout containing a worked example of the technique covered by this module. There are a number of modules that introduce different idea generation techniques. As well as this one, have a look at Reframe, Idea Box and Reversal. We strongly recommend introducing several different idea generation techniques in any creative thinking or problem solving course/workshop.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I used this exercise in my First Line Management training as an alternative to De Bono’s Provocative Operation. Both work extremely well but it is useful to have an alternative when participants are going back to the office and talking about what they did on the course.
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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 30 minutes.
Aims: • To introduce one way to investigate problems. • To provide a structured approach for identifying the causes of a problem.
About
Time: The exercises in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To introduce one way to investigate problems. • To provide a structured approach for identifying the causes of a problem.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes: This module considers how problems are often expressed as symptoms and the importance of understanding what is causing those symptoms before taking action.
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 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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Recently used the Gossip training for a session on teamwork, communication and collaboration. Absolutely brilliant session. When you start by not briefing everyone on what to do, is a great opening. Watching people's reaction and watching how they begin to work out the task and then get a discussion going. I did this session with phone advisors, team managers, branch managers and the Global team as well. Each time it went down really well with loads of discussion and participation. We made an addition to the training also, if there was someone dominant in the session (or if someone read another person's card) then that person was removed for 3 minutes and then invited back in. This allowed people to get a reaction of what it was like to be removed from a task and then brought back in.
Overall a great session to deliver if you need to stress the importance of communication and sharing of information.
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John Millington
rated this item with 5 stars.
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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 30 minutes.
Aims: • To encourage participants to consider their attitude. • To encourage discussion around optimistic versus pessimistic outlooks. • To recognise the impact that attitude has on performance. • To enable participants to identify personal traits that might be holding them back. • To encourage leaders to consider how they might deal with negative attitudes in their team.
About
Time: The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To encourage participants to consider their attitude. • To encourage discussion around optimistic versus pessimistic outlooks. • To recognise the impact that attitude has on performance. • To enable participants to identify personal traits that might be holding them back. • To encourage leaders to consider how they might deal with negative attitudes in their team.
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 provides an excellent opportunity, when working with a wide range of participants, to consider how attitude can impact on performance. Topics where the inclusion of a module looking at optimism/pessimism might be beneficial include: • Managing change. • Problem solving and decision making. • Customer service. • Selling skills. • Leading a team. • Strategic leadership. • Communication skills. • Planning and scheduling.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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This is a very powerful activity the first part allows for self reflection on what the individuals preference tends to be - am I more half empty or half full? There are then a series of questions that give the group great discussion opportunities I have used this activity as part of managing change workshop and fits in really nicely in terms of what the individual can do to help themselves and how powerful their own attitude can be and how this might impact others and themselves.
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Anjana Rajani
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I ran 'Half Full' as a stand-alone module to encourage people to think about the relative draw-backs and benefits of different perspectives on the world. As directed, the delegates completed the questionnaire on their own and then read the handout. They then started to answer the questions on their own too. One delegate found this very difficult so we stopped writing and opened the whole thing up as a discussion. Very quickly all delegates were involved in talking through the merits of pessimism and optimism. We identified some key learning points - not to bring up barriers when others don't act as you'd want, that optimists should think about analysing risk and pessimists can look to improve their outlook. We also had a very intense and productive debate about the value of constructive feedback and how one goes about it. All in all, the exercise 'did what it said on the can' and I've been delighted with it.
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Tracy Croft
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 35 minutes.
Aims: • To demonstrate how a Decision Making Matrix can assist with solving problems.
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 demonstrate how a Decision Making Matrix can assist with solving problems.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of any size.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: • A clock or stopwatch.
Notes: For this exercise you need a copy of all five of the handouts for each team, but you only give out Handout 5 if the team requests it.
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Decision-making can be a challenging topic to find useful training materials for. This exercise is simple to understand and because many participants have strong personal views about what would make (or not make) a great honeymoon destination, and therefore fail to adhere to the disciplined thinking of the exercise, this serves to reinforce the learning points. Delegates have revealed to me that they have used the decision-making matrix after the training session in their work. The only irritating feature that has been commented on every time I have used this is the use of "Centums" rather than £s as the currency.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 4 stars.
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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 30 minutes.
Aims: • To help participants understand the role of feelings, logic, intuition and sensations in the decision making process. • To briefly consider participant's use of each of these elements in their own decision making.
About
Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 10 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete the module.
Aims: • To help participants understand the role of feelings, logic, intuition and sensations in the decision making process. • To briefly consider participant's use of each of these elements in their own decision making.
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 short module introduces a useful matrix, which is useful in raising awareness of factors that influence our decision making.
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This is a great activity gives lots of insight into how one makes decisions in a simple and effective way. Great for raising the individuals awareness and how they can bring more balance in to their decsion making and creates an understadnign of the different benefits of the different styles. This activity complinements understanding decisions quite well too.
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Anjana Rajani
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims: • To introduce 'Idea Box' as an idea generation technique. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique.
About
Time: The exercises 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 introduce 'Idea Box' as an idea generation technique. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique. Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants. Useful For: Staff at all levels. You'll Need: • Breakout rooms or separate work areas. Notes: There are several modules that introduce different idea generation techniques. As well as this one, have a look at Forced Connections, Reframe and Reversal. 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 60 minutes.
Aims: • To examine the steps towards successful implementation of change.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To examine the steps towards successful implementation of change.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes: This module is about the implementation of seemingly minor changes – a new process or procedure, a solution to a problem etc. It provides an overview of what needs to be considered before implementing any minor change.
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: • Identify key stakeholders when delivering a workplace project. • Ensure that key stakeholders have a positive influence on the outcome of a project.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 55 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.
Aims: • Identify key stakeholders when delivering a workplace project. • Ensure that key stakeholders have a positive influence on the outcome of a project.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of almost any size.
Useful For: Staff at all levels working to deliver workplace projects.
You'll Need: • Flipchart paper, pens and post it notes.
Notes: This exercise involves creating an Action Plan for influencing stakeholders on a real project. We recommend that you encourage your participants to identify the project they will use before they come to the training session.
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 30 minutes.
Aims: • To identify the key 'don't' when using counselling skills at work.
About
Time: The exercise in this module will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module. Aims: • To identify the key 'don't' when using counselling skills at work. Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size. Useful For: Managers. You'll Need: • Glue or double sided sticky tape.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 90 minutes.
Aims: • To demonstrate the importance of building a clear understanding of needs and feelings in negotiation, through effective questioning and listening. • To show the importance of separating people and personalities from the problems. • To show the value of a shared problem/creative solution finding approach to negotiation. • To provide an opportunity to practise negotiation, teamwork and problem solving skills.
About
Time: This game can be played in about 70 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion and evaluation, we recommend allowing 90 minutes.
Aims: • To demonstrate the importance of building a clear understanding of needs and feelings in negotiation, through effective questioning and listening. • To show the importance of separating people and personalities from the problems. • To show the value of a shared problem/creative solution finding approach to negotiation. • To provide an opportunity to practise negotiation, teamwork and problem solving skills.
Skills and Behaviours Tested: Negotiation skills, communication, leadership, teamwork and collaboration, and problem solving.
Group Size: This game involves participants working individually (or in pairs) representing one of 3 or, ideally 4 tribes. So each game requires a minimum of 3 participants and a maximum of 8. You can have several games running concurrently alongside each other.
Useful For: Staff at all levels who are involved in negotiating but managers in particular.
You'll Need: • An island map for each group of 3 or 4 tribes and ideally they should be A3 or larger and laminated. • A different brief for each tribe. • Chinagraph pencils (or similar) and wipes are recommended if your maps are laminated.
Notes: It’s best to run this exercise module without too much explanation. This exercise has many different potential solutions – the learning comes from the experience of trying to find one that all parties can agree to.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I train our new starters to become Recruitment Consultants. I decided to run a group interview evening, using a couple of the Trainers Library sessions. This one was perfect for identifying who got involved in the exercise, who was too eager to take over and those who sat back and let others lead. I used printouts of the map and it worked but I would definitely order the maps next time.
The game was fun and really helped us to identify who to recruit, so I will definitely use it again!
Caroline
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Caroline Kemp
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I love this exercise because after preparing the materials you can almost sit back, relax and watch the complete lack of negotiation skills most people have. I always emphasis at the start how important it is for each tribe to get what they need. Having done that you can guarantee lots of folded arms and shaking of heads. I always make sure that the negotiator is different for each round and that I have plenty of maps available to draw on. Occasionally the result is agreement but I've also had many occasion where I've ended up with a beautiful island all to myself. Give it a try, as the discussions after the exercise really do help explain the art of negotiation.
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Richard Linder
rated this item with 5 stars.
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What a flexible session this is. I have used it in sessions for Team building,
influencing, conflict management, assertive behaviour and planning.
The best result I have had with it is in a team building session. They discovered
how they treat each other and the impact it has in the team whilst learning
their own behaviour and bought into it how they treat other teams too. They were astounded at how easy it is to deal with other parts of the business to gain support and solve problems together instead of constantly hitting brick walls and not achieving their goals. They did this by taking the emotion and history out of the problems and getting everyone's needs out in the open before they tried to solve anything.
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Karon Campbell
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I joined a little over one month ago and recently used the team building exercise Island of Opportunity at a senior managers three day transformative conflict/mediation workshop. I chose this activity as an evening event on Day 2 because the exercise allowed for team building, some fun and laughter after two days of role-playing conflict scenarios, and it also contained key learnings for trainee mediators. Specifically the exercise- - was aligned with the general workshop content (negotiation, understanding of needs and collaboration to reach a solution Vs aggression and conflict provoking tactics). - allowed for team building as some participants did not know one another but worked in the same unit. - provided light relief after 2 full days of discussing conflict which produces low energy in the group. - can be used to discuss cultural aspects of teams/organisations and how they might deal with differences/disputes. I provided a bag of wigs and party hairpieces, beads and other materials for those who wanted to create their own ‘tribal’ attire. Each of the teams in the exercise (4) used the gear or made their own tribal dress. No coercion on my part to dress-up. The exercise worked very well and completed the day with a huge amount of fun. I left the debrief until the following morning (Day 3) when everyone was a little more focussed! Very versatile exercise with good learning points for teams and you can use it with or without the hairpieces.
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Previous Member
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I used Island of Opportunity for team negotiating on a Negotiating skills course recently. I had teams of two representing each of the tribes who arrive on the island and need to decide how to divide it according to their needs. I found it worked really well and better than a previous team negotiation I had used on this course. Island of Opportunity really helps the negotiators to think about what everyone’s needs are and to negotiate according to need in a problem-solving way, instead of taking up positions. Occasionally, they were in danger of taking positions but the brief provides enough information to enable them to think of ways to barter and that reinforces the idea that you may have something you can offer easily which will be valuable to the other side. It provided some good learning points for team coaching, as the new information being offered by other tribes in the negotiation prompted discussion between team members, and helped them to realise the need to present a united front. Everyone enjoyed it and I was able to give lots of good feedback about the constructive negotiating behaviours they had displayed.
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Valerie Fawcett
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I have recently used the Island of Opportunity Excercise as part of a training session incorporating Influencing and Persuasive Techniques. I used this excercise at the end of a day long session and it certainly help embedd their knowledge and it was an excellent way for them to hone the negotiation and persuasive techniques that were learned during the earlier training session. I am planning to incorporate into our Communications Course as our staff got a huge benefit. I look forward to running more sessions with this really fun and easy to adapt excercise.
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Previous Member
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Island of Opportunity has provided a really useful exercise within an assertiveness course. It allowed delegates to practice being more assertive through negotiations and pulled out some very interesting and useful learning points.
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Tracy Barlow
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I was in the middle of designing a 3-day sales training course when I ran out of inspiration for exercises on negotiation skills. I decided to check Trainers' Library and I came across "Island of Opportunity". I have now been using this exercise for about 10 months as part of the sales training induction for new outbound and inbound starters. Island of Opportunity opens up my 3-day sales course as it is a great icebreaker and it really gets people talking to each other. On the other hand, it also allows me to get to know all my delegates quite in depth; it is really easy to spot the quiet ones, bossy ones, argumentative ones, logical ones, etc. I really like the fact that delegates have a lot of fun with this exercise while learning the skills that they will need in order to sell and negotiate with both internal and external customers. The debriefing questions suggested at the end of the exercise are extremely effective at highlighting the key learning points of the activity. All in all this is one of the best exercises I have ever used and as a result I have also used it as part of Negotiation Skills training and Coaching Training for Team Leaders, as the Island is fantastic at ensuring that participants realise the importance of communication skills and understanding other people's point of view. Many thanks for a great activity!
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Previous Member
rated this item with 5 stars.
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The delegates found being part of a tribe was fun. The brief does state to start the activity with as little explanation as possible, I did explain the basics of the activity and found that some were confused by this; in future I will give them the information and leave them to work it out. This activity works better for people who do not know each other; there is more scope for aggressive negotiation, rather than group discussion.
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Previous Member
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 120 minutes.
Aims: • To help participants develop their negotiation skills and in particular their ability to establish their needs and wants, and those of the other party, prior to commencing negotiating.
About
Time: This game can be played in about 90 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion and evaluation, we recommend allowing 120 minutes.
Aims: • To help participants develop their negotiation skills and in particular their ability to establish their needs and wants, and those of the other party, prior to commencing negotiating.
Skills and Behaviours Tested: Communication skills, leadership, negotiation, teamwork and collaboration, and problem solving.
Group Size: This exercise involves participants working in four teams. You’ll need a minimum of 2 participants in each team and a maximum of 6.
Useful For: Managers, and particularly those at a more senior level.
You'll Need: • Access to the Internet, to use our online scoring tool, necessary to assess teams’ performances and a printer to provide participants a copy of the results. (Only you will need this, not your participants.) • Plenty of space. Ideally each of your four teams will have a separate breakout room to work in. • A calculator for each team. • Highlighters, pens and pencils for each team. • A small prize for the winning team. • A bell (optional).
Notes: The exercise can also be used at the end of a training event focused on negotiation, allowing participants to apply new knowledge and skills.
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I have to agree with a previous reviewer that this exercise is a great concept, however it falls down because it is over complex. I have had a high degree of success using Glasstap Case Studies and Exercises with a team of capable Directors and Senior Managers, however "Jess Blonde" confused them and they failed to grasp the key points, getting somewhat lost in the film world details. However, I feel that with a clearer brief and fewer parameters for success, this could work well with senior people.
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Paula Cook
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I have enjoyed using products from Glasstap to date, however I'm sad to say that this one, Jess Blonde, did not work well with my group of 9 reasonably experienced negotiators today. The main issue - it's way too complex, so people spent most of the time trying to work out how on earth the film market works, and no where near enough time trying the negotiation tactics I'd been teaching them. As a result, it also went way over time. I did it in 4 chunks instead of all in one go, and I'd estimate it tool at least 3 hrs all up. Would love to see it reworked as a more simple version.
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Rob Pyne
rated this item with 2 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 60 minutes.
Aims: • To consider the importance of understanding needs and feelings of others in negotiation. • To provide an opportunity for participants to practise overcoming differences.
About
Time: The exercises in this module will take about 40 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To consider the importance of understanding needs and feelings of others in negotiation. • To provide an opportunity for participants to practise overcoming differences.
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.
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Helpful exercise, but found the group debate/decision making process is better if people have longer to rank the jobs in the first place and are then asked to give some thoughts to why they ranked the jobs as they did. I have even experimented with doing the exercises the other way around and briefing one member of the group to have a ‘secret’ hidden agenda in one group. The debrief discussion afterwards then enabled me to ask questions about which group were more successful (usually the one where people were all being honest). All in all a neat little exercise that the majority of people could find an opinion about.
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Nicky McCrudden
rated this item with 3 stars.
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I used this activity in a workshop on negotiation with a cohort of about 10 people that I split into 2 groups. It worked really well in encouraging delegates to ask questions, listen to each other and try to understand each others' perspectives, rather than making assumptions or trying to 'force' their values/beliefs onto the rest of the group. It worked particularly well in highlighting the need to identify principles on which to agree. Both groups did this and came up with different principles which worked for their particular group. Also, the need to build rapport was emphasised. Once they had finished the negotiation and reflected on it as a group, they completed the self reflection form which really encouraged them to focus on their personal learning points and their next steps in terms of development. One thing I perceived was that I think the groups were expecting me to expect them to 'fail' in this activity. I think this comes from them having done a lot of training before in which some activities almost set them up to fail, to learn from their mistakes! Or possibly the way I set it up? This is something to consider for next time as this activity was geared for them to succeed and learn from their successes, as well as identify any possible improvements. Later in the session, delegates did a negotiation role play and applied what they had learnt here (as well as from the rest of the workshop) and I believe the Jobs! exercise helped them with their role plays in that it demonstrated that negotiation isn't necessarily about win/lose but about trying to reach a win/win outcome, through understanding each other. I will definitely use this again! Thanks.
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Rebecca Peat
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 45 minutes.
Aims: • To introduce managers to the subject of employee engagement. • To help managers begin to understand why employee engagement is central to being a successful manager.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 10 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To introduce participants to a simple 4-step process to follow when dealing with an unhappy customer.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels, especially those in a customer-facing role.
You'll Need: • Flipchart and pens.
Notes: This exercise works very well as a follow up to The Shoe Shop – A Customer Service Dilemma .
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 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 identify improvements that can be made. • To identify things that need to be taken into consideration when planning continuous improvement activities. • To plan one improvement that can be implemented in the workplace.
About
Time: The exercises in this module will take about 35 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 50 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To identify improvements that can be made. • To identify things that need to be taken into consideration when planning continuous improvement activities. • To plan one improvement that can be implemented in the workplace.
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.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library called Planning an Improvement .
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 50 minutes.
Aims: • To encourage participants to try creating innovative solutions from seemingly wacky ideas. • To illustrate how the craziest ideas can contain the germ of brilliance.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To encourage participants to try creating innovative solutions from seemingly wacky ideas. • To illustrate how the craziest ideas can contain the germ of brilliance.
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: During this exercise participants will be solving a problem. We have provided some suggested topics but, where appropriate, we recommend using a real issue that your participants need to address. For example, this exercise was used with a government’s Transport Department. The participants (from junior to senior members of staff) used this technique to identify how to tackle the congested roads in their biggest city.
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 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 30 minutes.
Aims: • To show how Pareto can be applied to problem solving. • To illustrate the importance of focusing problem solving activities on the right things.
About
Time: The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To show how Pareto can be applied to problem solving. • To illustrate the importance of focusing problem solving activities on the right things.
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.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 60 minutes.
Aims: • To explore common problems/conundrums associated with working in telesales or a call centre role and discuss ways of overcoming these. • To identify and share best practices and tips for making calls successful.
About
Time: This game can be played in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion and evaluation, we recommend allowing 60 minutes.
Aims: • To explore common problems/conundrums associated with working in telesales or a call centre role and discuss ways of overcoming these. • To identify and share best practices and tips for making calls successful.
Skills and Behaviours Tested: Telesales and telephone skills, customer service, communication skills, effective questioning, building rapport, creative thinking and problem solving.
Group Size: In this exercise participants can play individually, although we recommend they play in pairs/small teams.
Useful For: Staff who are involved in a telesales or customer facing call centre role.
You'll Need: • A counter for every team. • Dice. • A 'Pitfalls and Trampolines' game board and a set of Pitfalls cards and Trampoline cards for each game in play.
Notes: Pitfalls and Trampolines is a fun board game. It can be used at any point within a training event, but is perhaps most useful as a tool for reviewing key learning points and for sharing knowledge and ideas. Some of the cards may not be applicable to your participants so, before starting the exercise, review all of the Pitfalls and Trampoline cards and remove any that aren't relevant.
Endorsed by The National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers, NASBTT.
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 60 minutes.
Aims: • To identify the questions that need to be asked in advance of implementing any change. • To create a ‘bench’ of pre-defined questions to use when planning.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed within 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To identify the questions that need to be asked in advance of implementing any change. • To create a ‘bench’ of pre-defined questions to use when planning.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Team leaders and junior managers.
You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes: This module is about planning the implementation of seemingly minor changes – a new process or procedure, a solution to a problem etc.
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I recently used the Palnning for Change activity. It worked excellently. The participants found it an interesting and beneficial excercise.
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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 240 minutes.
Aims: • To introduce a structured process for problem solving. • To provide an opportunity for participants to apply this process to a real work-related problem.
About
Time: The exercises in this module will take about 180 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 240 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To introduce a structured process for problem solving. • To provide an opportunity for participants to apply this process to a real work-related problem.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels and managers in particular.
You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes: This module is intended to provide an overview of a problem solving process as well as provide a way of formalising and monitoring the completion of each stage. You might wish to use this as the foundation for a problem solving course and intersperse each step in the practical exercise with other modules that provide tools and techniques that can be used during the process. Alternatively, you might prefer to use this module as the basis of a detailed practical exercise after participants have learnt various techniques for use at each stage. For ideas on applicable tools and techniques, have a look at modules under the Creative Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making categories within Trainers' Library.
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Problem solving process is a great toolkit to use. I have used this many times. The layout of the general problem solving template works really well plus the trainers notes are very thorough. What is exceptioanlly good is that you can build /add on extra material as you see fit, i.e. comments such as see handout on Fishbone chart etc. It flows really well and essentially is a great ready to go toolkit/ lesson plan for trainers.
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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 50 minutes.
Aims: • To help participants understand the importance of prioritising the problems they face. • To allow participants to plan their next steps in addressing problems based on both their ability AND desire to solve them.
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 help participants understand the importance of prioritising the problems they face. • To allow participants to plan their next steps in addressing problems based on both their ability AND desire to solve them.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of almost any size.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: • The Problem Solving Quadrants grid pre-drawn on a flip chart. • Pens and post it notes.
Notes: It may help to facilitate the initial discussion if you have a workplace problem of your own to share. Whilst designed as a group training session, this technique also works well for 1:1 coaching.
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 60 minutes.
Aims: • To explain the difference between reproductive and productive thinking. • To explain the dangers of relying on reproductive thinking when solving problems. • To provide an opportunity for participants to practise productive thinking. • To get participants in the right mindset for productive idea generation.
About
Time: The exercises 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 explain the difference between reproductive and productive thinking. • To explain the dangers of relying on reproductive thinking when solving problems. • To provide an opportunity for participants to practise productive thinking. • To get participants in the right mindset for productive idea generation.
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.
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 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 45 minutes.
Aims: • To introduce 'Reframe' as an idea generation technique. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique.
About
Time: The exercises 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 introduce 'Reframe' as an idea generation technique. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique.
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: Refer to the handout for a worked example of the technique covered by this module. This is a very powerful tool but a bit more difficult to use effectively than Reversal. We suggest using reversal first if groups aren’t familiar with idea generation techniques. We strongly recommend introducing several different idea generation techniques in any creative thinking or problem solving course/workshop.
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 90 minutes.
Aims: • To give participants insight into the destructive nature of a blame culture. • To demonstrate the importance of empathy in conflict resolution. • To take participants on a journey from conflict to understanding and conflict resolution.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 90 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To give participants insight into the destructive nature of a blame culture. • To demonstrate the importance of empathy in conflict resolution. • To take participants on a journey from conflict to understanding and conflict resolution.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants. Ideally, you'll have at least 6 participants though so that you can create 3 teams of 2 or more.
Useful For: Anyone who needs to work with other teams and/or manages conflict or misunderstanding across teams.
You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes: This exercise was generously donated to Trainers’ Library by Andrew Kitton of AKF Training and was developed following attendance on our Trainers’ Masterclass, ‘Using Metaphor to Ignite Learning’.The activity in this exercise consists of three short team exercises that progress the teams from conflict to understanding and resolution.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library called Revolting Restaurant.
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This exercise is excellent. A proper experiential experience which takes a team out of their own environment, enabling individuals to think subjectively and rationally.
The team I worked with have had similar issues to the brief, which did cause a moment of hesitation on whether this would be be too close to the mark. As soon as I kicked off the exercise though, I need not have worried.
The team got immediately involved and initially were quite tribal about the 'new' teams they were in. As each stage of the activity played out they established a new way of thinking and communicating.
5 minutes after the session, as I'm walking passed, to hear
"I understand what you need and what I'm going to do for you is..." was absolute gold!
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Darren Smith
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Simple and clear activity that really illustrated the importance of shifting perspectives in conflict to listening and helping the other parties. Took a lot less than the 90 minutes suggested, more like 45-50 minutes in our case (group of 9 attendees).
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Jane Butler
rated this item with 5 stars.
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I just love this activity. It's perfect as an introduction to conflict resolution events. Groups really engage and get quite passionate about their area of the restaurant leading to some quite heated discussions. The 3 stage approach helps participants to quickly see the benefits of adopting a win-win approach and can easily relate to their own workplaces.
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Ann Pemberton
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims: • To introduce 'Reversal' as an idea generation technique. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique.
About
Time: The exercises 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 introduce 'Reversal' as an idea generation technique. • To provide participants with an opportunity to practise using the technique.
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: Refer to the handout for a worked example of the technique covered by this module. This tends to be one of the first idea generation techniques we introduce, as it is very easy to teach and participants tend to be very receptive to it. We strongly recommend that you follow it up with some more techniques for idea generation. Options include Forced Connections, Reframe and Idea Box.
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Reversal – I had not come across this problem solving technique before but decided to introduce it to the group as an additional problem solving technique. At first they were a bit confused but once I had explained the example we used the problems in the notes and were able to think of new solutions. It made them think about things in another way.
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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 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 60 minutes.
Aims: • To define conflict. • To identify the main phases of conflict. • To enable participants to describe the typical behaviours that are used when conflict is not constructively managed.
About
Time: The exercises in this module will take about 40 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.
Aims: • To define conflict. • To identify the main phases of conflict. • To enable participants to describe the typical behaviours that are used when conflict is not constructively managed.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 12 participants.
Useful For: Anyone who needs to manage conflict and interpersonal relationships.
You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided.
Notes: It is recommended that you keep the participant group size to twelve or fewer for this module.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I used this module in a workshop with a group of team leaders on dealing with difficult people. The exercise was good way of making the delegates think about conflict and how destructive it can be and help them to develop strategies in order to deal with it. The case study was a good of doing this.
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Shirley Palmer
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 70 minutes.
Aims: • To generate ideas for improving customer service, a process, department, business…any aspect of a business or organisation. • To encourage participants to think from different angles.
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 generate ideas for improving customer service, a process, department, business…any aspect of a business or organisation. • To encourage participants to think from different angles.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of almost any size.
Useful For: Anyone who wants to generate ideas for continuous improvement.
You'll Need: • A set of ‘Brainstorm Bench’ cards.
Notes: Although the brainstorm/discussion activity and discussion can be completed in 40 minutes, we strongly recommend adding the action planning activity outlined at the end of the module, which adds a further 30 minutes, unless this is incorporated elsewhere in your training. We’ve included some wacky questions in the set of Brainstorm Bench cards. These are in blue to make them easier to identify, so you can decide if you’d like to include them.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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I used this exercise at the end of a days workshop on Performance Management and the organisation, with a group of international delegates who were looking to modernise their performance management systems. I found it worked really well, particularly at the end of a fairly intense day, as it got them thinking more broadly about what they could put into action when they got back to work, rather than getting stuck on the first ideas that had come to mind. It also helped to see where the synergies between different departments were, which promoted a more cross team approach. Will definitely use again.
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Louise Holloway
rated this item with 5 stars.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 60 minutes.
Aims: • To see how creatively participants are able to address a simple challenge. • Understand the importance of ‘thinking outside the box’ to achieve even better results.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 45 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To see how creatively participants are able to address a simple challenge. • Understand the importance of ‘thinking outside the box’ to achieve even better results.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: • An empty box for each team. • Building materials such as pipe cleaners, newspaper, paper clips, lollypop sticks, string, glue dots, paper straws and dried spaghetti. • 1 golf ball or hard-boiled egg per team, with an additional 6 to use for testing the bridges. • A separate room for each team. (If that is not possible, we encourage you to look for ways for the teams to shield their activities from the other participants.) • Post-it notes. • Flipchart paper and pens. • Several small prizes for the winning teams (optional).
Notes: You will need to prepare a box for each team containing an identical selection of the building materials of your choice. Each team will also need at least one golf ball or egg.
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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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Previous Member
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.
Aims: • To help participants understand the nature of decisions in relation to problem solving.
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 help participants understand the nature of decisions in relation to problem solving. Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. Useful For: Staff at all levels. You'll Need: Nothing other than the materials provided. Notes: A simple flipchart exercise that encourages participants to think about the nature of decision making. This is a useful introductory module on the subject of decision making.
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Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 60 minutes.
Aims: • To reflect on the idea that the way we phrase problems can impact our ability to find creative solutions to them. • To demonstrate a way to change and broaden our perspective on problems to enable creative solution finding.
About
Time: The exercises 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 reflect on the idea that the way we phrase problems can impact our ability to find creative solutions to them. • To demonstrate a way to change and broaden our perspective on problems to enable creative solution finding.
Group Size: This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Staff at all levels.
You'll Need: • Breakout rooms or work areas separate to the main training room.
Notes: This module introduces a powerful tool that can help the creative problem-solving process. It is best introduced before idea generation techniques like Reversal, Forced Connections etc. (Previously called Magnifying the Problem, the module has been updated.)
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 90 minutes.
Aims: • To understand the importance of delegating authority appropriately to other colleagues. • To introduce the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum as a method of deciding what levels of authority to delegate.
About
Time: The exercise in this module can be completed in about 55 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 90 minutes for this module.
Aims: • To understand the importance of delegating authority appropriately to other colleagues. • To introduce the Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum as a method of deciding what levels of authority to delegate.
Group Size: This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.
Useful For: Those who have responsibility for other staff, or who will do very soon.
You'll Need: • One set of cards for every team of 2-3 participants. • Blu-tack.
Remote/Virtual Delivery: There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.
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A nice way to introduce a management styles model and consider the effectiveness of a particular case study.
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Lisa Lester
rated this item with 5 stars.
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