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Remote Teams Icebreakers and Energisers

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Remote working is becoming continuously more commonplace and there are many advantages for both employer and employee. However, those working remotely can often feel isolated and less motivated so the importance of recognising the challenges of working remotely and establishing clear guidelines is essential learning for participants.

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An Eggs-acting Challenge - Creating a Winning Strategy

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 40 minutes.

Aims:
• To provide participants with a challenge that tests participants’ abilities to work together to solve a problem.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To provide participants with a challenge that tests participants’ abilities to work together to solve a problem.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels, especially those working together in teams (or who soon will be).

You'll Need:
• Plenty of clear space for the activity and a way of marking the start and finish line of the racetrack.

And for each team:
• Two postal tubes (stoppers removed).
• Two golf balls.
• Six eggs.
• A flipchart pen.

Notes:
This training activity can get messy, so it is best run outside in an open space.

You should also check if any participants have an allergy to eggs. If so, they can assist you in observing.

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Calamitous Conference Call - Successful Online Meetings

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.

Aims:
• To explore the kind of behaviours that are needed to be an effective contributor to online meetings or conference calls.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore the kind of behaviours that are needed to be an effective contributor to online meetings or conference calls.

Group Size:
Can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Anyone.

You'll Need:
• Flipchart, pens and sticky notes for all participants.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

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Chocolate! - Teamwork or Competition?

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.

Aims:
• To allow participants to get to know each other in a fun manner.
• To encourage groups of participants to work as a team.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To allow participants to get to know each other in a fun manner.
• To encourage groups of participants to work as a team.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 24.

You'll Need:
• 3 plastic boxes, each containing 7 large pieces of chocolate (1 box of dark, 1 of milk and 1 of white).
• A stopwatch (optional).

Notes:
Great for use with junior staff as part of an induction where you want emphasise the importance of working together and sharing knowledge.

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Trainer Notes
Question Cards

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Come Dine With Us - Team Strengths and Diversity

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 20 minutes.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about the strengths and unique characteristics of their team.
• To encourage participants to think about what makes their team special.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about the strengths and unique characteristics of their team.
• To encourage participants to think about what makes their team special.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with all group of almost any size.

You'll Need:
Nothing.

Notes:
This exercise works best when your participants are a team who work together in the workplace.

Downloads
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Trainer Notes

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Course Introduction - A Basic Introduction to Training Events

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.

Aims:
• To welcome the participants.
• To introduce the facilitator(s) and participants to each other.
• To introduce the facilities.
• To agree the course objectives and timetable.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To welcome the participants.
• To introduce the facilitator(s) and participants to each other.
• To introduce the facilities.
• To agree the course objectives and timetable.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided.

Downloads
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Trainer Notes
Handout
Handout (Word)

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Know Your Colleagues? - Team Diversity

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information about themselves.
• To test participant's knowledge of each other.
• To consider the extent to which individuals' skills and abilities are utilised at work.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information about themselves.
• To test participant's knowledge of each other.
• To consider the extent to which individuals' skills and abilities are utilised at work.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need:
• Each participant to complete the questionnaire prior to the session, as you’ll be using the answers to create a team quiz.

Notes:
This exercise is for participants who already know each other. So do remind them to keep their answers private until after the quiz.

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My Role in the Team - Work v Home

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.

Aims:
• To explore how participants perceive their role in the team and if they adopt a similar approach away from work.
• To explore how their colleagues perceive their own roles in the team and if this differs away from work.
• To understand the importance of diversity of skills and abilities within a successful team.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore how participants perceive their role in the team and if they adopt a similar approach away from work.
• To explore how their colleagues perceive their own roles in the team and if this differs away from work.
• To understand the importance of diversity of skills and abilities within a successful team.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with pre-existing teams of up to 15 team members.

You'll Need:
• One set of My Role Cards per 8 participants, blu tack and flipchart.

Notes:
This exercise is designed for pre-existing teams, especially if they need to work more effectively together.

Downloads

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Sorting Out - Why Speaking Works Best

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 15 minutes.

Aims:
• To help participants to understand the limitations of electronic communication when working as a team.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To help participants to understand the limitations of electronic communication when working as a team.

Group Size:
This exercise is suitable for use with groups of 6 or more participants.

You'll Need:
• 1 set of Sorting Out Shape Cards and 3 envelopes per team of 3 participants.
• Every participant needs to use a mobile phone during the exercise.
• A stopwatch.

Filing Frenzy card packs are available to purchase - each pack contains 10 sets of the shape cards used in this activity.

Notes:
This exercise works best with break out spaces, but it’s not essential as long as you have space to separate the 3 sets of players.

Downloads
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Trainer Notes
Sorting Out Shape Cards

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The Wheel - The Importance of Teamwork (Icebreaker)

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 20 minutes.

Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of teamwork.
• To show how, by working together, we have the potential to achieve more.
• To encourage participants to consider the dangers of an overly competitive workplace culture.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of teamwork.
• To show how, by working together, we have the potential to achieve more.
• To encourage participants to consider the dangers of an overly competitive workplace culture.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need:
• 1 game board, 1 die and 1 counter per team (with up to 8 participants in each team).
• Prizes of wrapped sweets/chocolates.

Notes:
This exercise can be followed by The Wheel - The Importance of Teamwork (Review), found in the Review Activities section of Trainers' Library.

For a more challenging version of the exercise with more in-depth learning there's The Wheel - The Importance of Teamwork, found in the Team Building section of Trainers' Library.

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Verbal Shape Challenge - Do We Need More Than Words?

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 25 minutes.

Aims:
• To reflect on how effective communication relies on more than words.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 25 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To reflect on how effective communication relies on more than words.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of almost any size.

Useful For:
Anyone.

You'll Need:
• A flipchart and a set of coloured flipchart pens (see the image in the Handout for the required colours to include in the set of pens).

Downloads
Available to Essential
Trainer Notes
Handout
PowerPoint

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Where is This Team? (Icebreaker)

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 30 minutes.

Aims:
• To encourage the team to think about the team's strengths and weaknesses.
• To identify behaviour that the team needs to change.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage the team to think about the team's strengths and weaknesses.
• To identify behaviour that the team needs to change.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 20 participants.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This exercise is designed for teams that normally work together.

Downloads
Available to Essential
Trainer Notes

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Trainer Notes (Word)

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Working in Remote Teams

Time:
In total we estimate this exercise will take 20 minutes.

Aims:
• To understand all of the different elements needed to make remote teams successful.
• To generate creative ideas to summarise what remote teams require as a base for sharing knowledge and completing tasks.
• To challenge participants to work together against the clock to come up with examples of descriptive words.

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To understand all of the different elements needed to make remote teams successful.
• To generate creative ideas to summarise what remote teams require as a base for sharing knowledge and completing tasks.
• To challenge participants to work together against the clock to come up with examples of descriptive words.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
The exercise works best with participants who are just about to start working remotely, but can also be used as a re-energiser when remote teams become bogged down or 'stuck'.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads
Available to Essential
Trainer Notes

+ more for Pro
Trainer Notes (Word)

Counts as 1 download.

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