Training Tools

These are just a few questions amongst many that need answering. The answers are the keys to producing effective and synergetic teamwork.

Themes & Outcomes

Leadership training: identifying interdependencies in systems, leadership communication, dealing with risk, giving feedback

Team building: communicating effectively, cooperating, being an active listener, maintaining the balance, working with values

Project management: simulating strategic planning, working under time pressure

Communication training: metacommunication, facilitating, dealing with different perspectives

How It’s Done

The trainer places 8 wooden blocks upright on the floor. Each team member picks up one of the ropes that are connected to a crane. The task is to use the crane to build a tower by placing the blocks on top of each other. The participants are not allowed to touch the blocks with their hands or any other part of their bodies. The task appears simple but with each block cut at a different angle and the need for all participants to work together, building the tower starts to get tricky! This task can only be solved by precise planning, good communication and well-organised teamwork.

Variation

Have your group build a three-storey ‘house’. This way, you avoid the tower falling over (as could happen in the classic version) and mistakes during building can be easily integrated.

Themes & Outcomes

Team cooperation: reaching and modifying agreements, working towards a common goal, team communication

Managing change processes: collecting and integrating ideas for optimisation, CIP (continual improvement process), progressive development of new procedures

Leadership: effective and target-focused facilitation, motivating, maintaining the overview, steering optimisation processes

How It’s Done

The aim is to construct a StackMan from 15 elements in the shortest time possible. When the team members first start to put it together, they have a visual guide to help them. Once they have assembled it, however, the first version is taken apart and the team has to rebuild the construction as quickly as possible – but this time without the guide. The group can only succeed by optimising communication and by ensuring that all team members coordinate effectively with each other. In fact, the most well-coordinated teams manage to build the StackMan in less than 20 seconds!

This activity makes the process of how teams can become learning systems tangible: the team achieves excellence through developing skills together and through constant feedback on the status quo.

Themes & Outcomes

Team development: interacting, feedback, creating a learning system, integration of weaker members, accepting mistakes

Communication training: awareness of body language, sender/receiver issues

Leadership training: recognising needs, cooperating, dealing with stress and complex situations

Organisational development: prompt feedback as criteria for learning and development

How It’s Done

With a budget of ten £1,000 tokens, the group has the task of finding the hidden path across the field. After a short planning period, the group attempts the activity in silence. But there are traps and stumbling blocks along the way. If someone steps on the wrong square, the trainer gives a signal. Such unavoidable errors are not sanctioned. But, if the group repeats the same mistake again, the trainer gives the signal again and the group has to pay £1,000. Through mutual support and joint learning, the group manages to develop a strategy and use up as little money as possible so that, at the end, all participants can cross the field. The teams need to compensate for the weaknesses of individual members and silently develop a joint approach.

The Flip: The Maze is also perfect for the learning project ‘The Flip’. The whole group stands on the cloth. The task is to turn the cloth without stepping off it. With strategy and planning, even this challenge can be mastered! Learning names: a different way to learn names: 2 groups are formed who ‘hide’ themselves either side of The Maze, which is being held by 2 other people. Each group silently nominates a person to stand directly in front of the cloth. On a coordinated signal, the cloth is then dropped. The first to name the person from the opposite group wins the round. The ‘loser’ must go over to the winning group. The aim is to get all people from each group over to the other group, i.e. to switch sides.

Themes & Outcomes

Communication training: illustrating the sender/receiver relationship, experiencing multi-layered communication, impact of explicit and implicit language

Facilitation: bundling information, staying ‘on track’, attracting attention, being assertive, metacommunication, sales training - selling on the telephone, supplying the customer with detailed information, active listening

Team communication: active listening, resolving misunderstanding, dealing with information flow, discipline in communication

Leadership: gathering information, staying focused, attracting attention, winning recognition

Project management: knowledge transfer, developing strategies, dealing with incomplete information

How It’s Done

All participants sit blindfolded in a small circle. The trainer takes two of the thirty cards and distributes the remaining 28 among the participants. The group’s task is to discover the shape and colour of the two missing cards by sharing information as a team about their cards. The trainer merely supplies information about the colour. CommuniCards can also be played using fewer shapes and colours, depending on the size of the group. Ideally, each participant will get two cards.

Whereas the original 7-foot long bamboo version was difficult to transport (and one of the reasons why trainers drove estate cars), our four-part aluminium Zauberstab - Magic Stick makes a handy piece of luggage. Due to its variable length, it easily adapts to group sizes from 6 up to 22 delegates. Definitely a must-have for your next workshop!

Themes & Outcomes

Team building: communicating, focusing on goals, interacting, facilitating

Leadership training: assuming leadership positions, expressing oneself effectively

Self-organization: concentrating, focusing, drawing on resources

Energiser: in the morning, post-lunch

How It’s Done

The participants form two lines, facing each other. The trainer places the Zauberstab - Magic Stick on their extended index fingers, gently but not overtly pushing it downwards. The group’s task is to lower the stick to the ground. The only rule to observe is to never lose contact between their fingers and the stick. But, at the count of three, as the trainer releases her/his hold, the stick begins moving up instead of down, as if full of helium! The reason: In trying to maintain contact with this extremely lightweight stick (thanks to a special aluminium alloy, it weighs only 200 grams at 4 metres length), each delegate pushes upwards just ever so slightly. All others follow this motion, effectively raising the stick instead of lowering it. Detailed planning, concentration, self-organization and leadership are the keys to mastering this task.

When the group are really having fun, then the most important pre-requisites of learning for successful communication have been achieved.

Themes & Outcomes

Communication training: sender/receiver issues, active listening, meta-communication, persuasion, and many others

Teamwork: developing a common vocabulary, agreeing on interfaces, feedback process, motivation

Customer orientation: speaking the customer’s vocabulary, needs analysis, seeing the customer’s ‘map’

Systemic thinking and acting: self-organisation

Solving conflicts: dealing with misunderstanding

Moderation training: interim summaries, getting the overview, maintaining discipline in discussions

How It’s Done

The delegates are handed pieces of an octagonal form. The outer edges of these pieces have a printed symbol on them. Each symbol has a matching counterpart on the outer edge of another piece, all together making up the complete form. The goal is to put this eight-sided form together and put it all down at once on the table with the printed side underneath. However, the symbols on each person’s pieces must be kept hidden.

The key to solving this task is successful, targeted communication, describing the symbols with the appropriate words so that the matching counterpart can be found. But how exactly can the team describe their own take on reality, their own perspective?

In this exciting phase, good self-organisation and moderation are particularly called for. When the correct matching counterparts have been found, the form can be placed down on the table in one complete form. And then the tension really rises... Has the group done a good job? Soon all will be revealed. With the aid of a magnetic plate, the trainer turns over the complete, form and the group gets to see the result of their own ‘communication’.

Themes & Outcomes

Working in a Team: developing creative solutions together, co-operation between departments, effective communication

Communication: using precise language, active listening, meeting culture

Dealing with change: flexible reaction to new conditions, job rotation, understanding change as an opportunity for optimisation

Leadership: motivating, maintaining the overview, keeping to arrangements

Intercultural communication: communication between several cultures and value systems, communication between company sites in different countries

Project management: planning and execution of a project, milestones, dealing with time pressure, sharing information, division of roles, dealing with complexity

Creativity training: utilising creativity strategies such as the Disney model

Quality management: planning, setting and evaluating quality criteria Marketing - customising a marketing concept, effect of brand and claim, word-image-product dialogue

How It’s Done

Each team is given the task of constructing a vehicle complete with brakes and steering system. Each soapbox vehicle should be capable of transporting one person and will be powered by up to two HP (Human Power). The vehicle will also need a logo and a slogan to go with it. One major sticking point in the task: the vehicles should be as similar in construction as possible, but differently equipped.

During the development phase, the leaders of the construction teams meet in a separate area to talk everything through in detail. In the ‘Change’ variant, the teams work for a specific length of time on their vehicle and are then re-deployed to continue working on an- other team’s vehicle. The learning project culminates in the MOT inspection of the vehicle followed by a soapbox vehicle parade.

To the original five shapes, we added another five. So now you can not only use Team2 with twice the number of delegates, but also change the difficulty level according to your needs by simply leaving out the more complicated shapes. This task will make any team sweat, because the solution can only be found through effective cooperation and nonverbal communication. The multi-coloured puzzle pieces are cut from plexiglass using laser technology. This process ensures precise size and fit as well as comfortable handling.

Themes & Outcomes

Team building: communicating nonverbally, focusing on goals, subordinating one’s own goals to the group interest, interacting, identifying shortages, assuming responsibility

Self-organization: concentrating, focusing, stamina

Project management: drawing on resources

How It’s Done

The group’s task is to put the differently shaped pieces together in such a way that they achieve a number of squares (one per person) of equal size. Talking is not allowed during the activity, and the delegates must follow a certain set of rules for exchanging pieces. To master this challenge, team spirit is the key: while individual squares can be put together in many different ways, there is only one single combination that allows for the completion of all ten at the same time. Therefore, some team members will have to break up their already finished squares to share their pieces with the rest of the group. The message is clear: if a group is to be successful at any task, all members must inevitably subordinate their personal goals (here: to complete their own square) to those of the group as a whole.

Themes & Outcomes

Team building: cooperating, communicating, focusing on goals, facilitating, identifying interdependencies in systems

Self-organisation: concentrating, focusing

Energiser: seminar start, post-lunch

How It’s Done

The group’s task is to lift a ball from the ground using a shovel-like tube, then transport it to a designated spot (such as a bucket) where it is then deposited. All participants take hold of one (or more, depending on group size) of the ropes attached to the device, forming a circle in the process. They then jointly manoeuvre Scoop towards their goal. There are various tried and trusted versions of this activity that you can use with your group: Remote Control: The group is split into a team of managers and a team of workers.

The managers are responsible for coordinating the project but are not allowed to touch the ropes. To master this challenge, they need to develop an effective and transparent communication style as well as be focused on achieving targets. Activation: The exercise is carried out by the entire group, focusing on team issues. Self-Organisation: Without explicitly defining a team of managers, the group needs to solve the task by organising itself efficiently. The challenge here is to identify and assign the various roles needed to get the job done within the team.

Important goals in team development create stability within the group and improve the ability to bridge gaps and overcome obstacles. Let your group face this challenge! Leonardo’s Bridge will result in visible success that will promote team spirit.

Themes & Outcomes

Team building: communication interchange, dealing with shortages, coordination, team interaction, facilitating

Project management: dealing with sparse resources, sharing know-how, finding creative solutions

Intercultural communication: adjustment, accepting views and ideas of others

How It’s Done

The participants’ task is to construct a self-supporting bridge of 4 metres in length, using only the 28 sticks provided. No other tools may be used. After first brainstorming in smaller subgroups, all participants start constructing the bridge. The key factors for success are coordination within the group, creativity and sharing of knowledge. The result will be a self-supporting construction, which can serve as a metaphor for internal and external team stability. Another issue that can be addressed is how teams grow closer, for instance, in an intercultural environment. The participants start constructing the bridge, beginning at two ends. The bridge brings them closer together. In the end, the two parts of the bridge become one. The key factors for success are coordination, cooperation and adjustment (as regards the method of construction) between the two subgroups.

HeartSelling generates direct feedback on how the behaviour of the other person is experienced. That’s what makes it so valuable.

Themes & Outcomes

Communication training: interpreting body language, creating trust, how mistrust develops

Sales training: managing ‘relationship accounts’, relationship-focused interaction, sales culture, strategies and goals, short-term vs. long-term

Negotiation training: integrating objections, relationship and factual levels, negotiating under pressure

Team training: dealing with arrangements, delegation, meeting culture, appreciation, pursuing different goals, cooperation, cooperation within teams

Change Management: values, subcultures, dealing with information

How It’s Done

The group is divided into four teams. Each team’s goal is to exchange or to sell parts through intelligent and fair trading. Each team’s task is to create a complete shape from these parts. The teams come together for three trading phases and attempt to sell high and buy low. Between trading phases, they meet for team briefings to further develop their strategy and to agree concrete steps. As in a real market, more and more new information comes to light that influences events and needs to be responded to. At the end of the trading rounds, the teams give each other feedback

The question here is: “How did you experience the contact with the others?” The main point here is that this mutual feedback can either be debited from, or credited to, the total team result - just like a ‘relationship account’. So, with a trustworthy negotiating style, the team that was initially behind in points could end up coming first – constantly moving within the area of conflict between appreciation and profit, HeartSelling is an ingenious tool for anyone who wants to offer first class relationship management training.

Themes & Outcomes

Team building: Communicating between departments, illustrating sender/receiver issues, communicating implicitly and explicitly, resolving misunderstandings, active listening, controlling information flow, establishing balance, establishing trust

Leadership training: assuming responsibility, identifying interdependencies in systems, deciding in uncertain situations, dealing with risk, working with secondhand information

Project management: developing strategies despite lack of information, focusing on goals, working successfully

Sales training: accepting/understanding the customer’s point of view, building customer trust, developing suitable language for talking to customers, learning how to read the customer’s body language

How It’s Done

SysTEAM is a flexible learning tool. There are a number of variations that have proven successful in practice. Keep in mind, however, that when it comes to staging SysTEAM, there are no limits to your creativity as trainer or coach. Roles: The participants are split into teams of 2–3 ‘actors’. 3–4 such teams can work together on one SysTEAM. There are different roles in each team: a blindfolded ‘grabber’, who is allowed to touch and move the figurines on the board. The second, sighted person is the ‘speaker’ who verbally directs the grabber’s hand, but without actual physical contact. Clearing the table: The figurines are unevenly spread out on the board. The teams’ task is to remove all figurines. The board must remain in balance. Placing: Using tape, a 20 x 20 cm field is created in the middle of the empty board. Each figurine is then to be placed one after the other on the board but figurines are not allowed to be placed inside the field itself. At the end, the board must rest completely level on the pedestal.