Problem
solving is one of the the most difficult things a team will
have to do. Problem solving requires open and honest communication,
with a spash of critical thinking thrown in. Please don't
forget common sense.
Teams
that are good at problem solving draw upon the strengths of
every indidvidual and understand that diversity of opinion
is good.
Alphabet
Soup
This event is designed to stimulate dialogue about how team members work
together to be more efficient and effective.
A glimpse
of Alphabet Soup
The groups get multiple
attempts to touch a sequence of letter and numbers as fast as they can.
There is an overall time limit and the group can spend their time continuing
to try to do it faster by practice, or spend their time strategizing with
fewer attempts.
The activity is extremely
fun, is moderately active and is a great conversation stimulator for the
debrief.
Ideal For:
Problem solving, pure fun, communication.
Team challenges and tough choices - Discover the setbacks of communication gaps the fun way!
If you want your group to start interacting and enjoying themselves from the word go, then “Chain of Command” is your best bet.
‘Chain of Command’ is a game that fosters problem-solving skills but is an ideal icebreaker. Chain of Command enphasizes facing challenges as a team through trust and co-operation.
A glimpse into Chain of Command:
The game has a line-up pattern without the ability to turn around to communicate and therefore the name Chain of Command. The facilitator indicates a strict deadline. This will simulate a fair amount of “real life” office stress among the participants. Using the many variations to Chain of Command, you can help participants discover the pitfalls of gaps in communication and to appreciate the nuances of different communication styles.
This is a game that has a lot of fun in store for the facilitator too. You can create even more challenges and raise the bar in fun quotient, by making the going extremely tough for capable teams. But at the same time you can play benevolent, by simplifying the task for a troubled team that may be stuck and not having any fun at all!
Ideal For: Icebreaker, problem solving, trust, pure fun, communication.
China Syndrome
This event is often considered impossible in the beginning. To solve it,
the participants will need critical thinking, excellent coaching and communication
skills, shared leadership and perseverance.
This is a challenging
activity that works well with organizations that have cross-functional
rolls that support one common product or service. It addresses the issues
of alternate leadership and support roles that help accomplish the larger
task.
A glimpse into
China Syndrome:
The group must prevent
a 'China Syndrome' from occurring by pouring the contents of one bucket into
another using only the materials provided and staying outside a large
circle. Any person using the materials must be blindfolded. Given a short
timeline, this event can challenge ANY group.
Ideal For:
Coaching, problem solving, critical thinking, communication.
Spiraling conflict and a gathering
storm within the team but finally a strategic solution!
High pressure, stress, conflict and
divergent views that reflect the real life work place are simulated in
this well thought out and remarkable mind-bender game.
Every team member
is an important spoke in the wheel of an organization and wields a significant
influence on the group process. In this game, team members will find themselves pitted against
each others views. They must work through frustrations and differences
of opinion to solve this strategically challenging exercise.
A glimpse into Let Go My Ego:
Participants
will be asked to pick a partner and form two parallel lines with the partners
facing each other. A bar is placed along the index fingers of the team.
The team has to co-ordinate the movement of the bar based on the instructions
provided. A solution for this exercise is almost impossible!
While Let Go My Ego
is a 'team'- based activity, it also emphasizes the accountability of
each individual and their responsibility to communicate well.
Perfect Square
The Perfect Square is an easy event that can be very powerful. A blindfolded
event represents many of the 'filters' we view the world through. With
blindfolds on, communication can be difficult.
Interdependence is
clear in this activity and group consensus can be difficult to reach,
but very important.
A glimpse into
Perfect Square:
Putting the group
in a circle, they all reach forward to grab a rope that is laid down in
front of them. After putting on their blindfolds, the group must form
a perfect square. Once the group feels they have formed the perfect square,
they take off the blindfolds to see how close they are. Seemingly easy,
this activity is challenging.
Ideal For:
Problem solving, trust, critical thinking, pure fun, communication.
Team
Shackles Overcome challenges by ‘unlocking’ the
compartments in the mind!
If people in your organization tend
to work in isolation or in ‘compartments’, if information sharing or seeking
a co-worker’s counsel is non-existent, then you need Team Shackles. Team
Shackles can bring about a paradigm shift in attitudes toward fellow workers.
The game demonstrates how the whole team can benefit if there is willingness
to seek and give help. It will also build confidence within the group
and disprove the notion that some things are impossible.
A glimpse into Team Shackles:
This exercise has a simple setup but
offers a great challenge. Within each team participants are ‘handcuffed’
to each other. The challenge is not only in each pair untangling the Shackles
but in the entire team getting disentangling within a given time limit.
In this game you will notice some stereo-typical
behavior among participants. Although the game requires the entire group
to untangle, pairs that have managed to un-cuff earlier than others will
usually not offer their help to other team members until time is running
out or sometimes not even then. It was not in the 'rules'!
The game attempts to correct this behavior
and develop a more supportive and helpful attitude among participants.
Cultivate
the twin skills of decision making and consensus building
Decision-making
and consensus building techniques go hand-in-hand. Tied in Knots will
facilitate decision making as a group. The challenge in this game is posed by a series of ropes. The
exercise is designed with 10 levels of difficulty. Not only will the levels
add to the excitement of the challenge but will also help participants
discover their own managerial strengths. In the course of finding
solutions, participants recognize the best techniques that work for them
in-group decision-making. This game will tap
into problem solving skills and the ability to reason, critically assess
and arrive at a solution.
A
glimpse into Tied in Knots:
Participants will be shown a set of
independent ropes that have one rope holding them all together. Without
disturbing the arrangement, the team has to jointly identify the one rope
that is holding the rest together.
As each team moves one step higher
on the difficulty levels, this thought-provoking exercise will help the
participants discover the best decision making techniques that work for
them as a team.
Once a team identifies
a good technique to solve the activity, they will have a lot of fun by
setting for themselves time limits to arrive at a decision. This process
builds the ability for consensus speed within the team. The exercise requires
roughly 60 Minutes to cover the decision-making at various difficulty
levels.
Cisco
Western Union
WRH Realty
Monical's Pizza Corporation
HSC Pediatric Center
Riverside Medical Center
Surgical Care Associates
GPSG, J&J CO.
US Army Recruiting
Consumer Health Svcs.
College of Sequoias
Dell
Levy Books
Peabody Memphis
Duke CE
WellMed Medical Group
ECOLAB
United Nations
Cultivate
the twin skills of decision making and consensus building
