How many meetings have you been to that are just the same old thing -- boring gatherings you cannot wait to leave. Most meetings are poorly managed and non-productive.
I have been a teacher, management consultant, and meeting facilitator for over twenty years. In the hundreds of classes and seminars I have taught, I have learned one truth -- people learn quicker if you make classes and meetings fun and interesting.
By using team building exercises and meeting icebreakers you can make your next meeting, class, or team building event something dynamic and productive.
It is wise to consider a few basic elements before choosing an exercise or a meeting icebreaker.
Ownership -- First, icebreakers tend to work best when participants have taken ownership of the activity chosen by the facilitator. You must put five key elements in place.
1. Explain the activity.
2. Provide the goals of the activity.
3. Outline the structure of the activity.
4. Allow time for questions.
5. Give permission to participate at their comfort level.
This last element is crucial and overlooked in many cases. Make an announcement at the beginning of an exercise to insure participants understand they are not "bound" to participate in the activity.
For those who opt out, perhaps ask them to be "observers" and see if they are comfortable providing a debriefing at the end of the event. Provide them something constructive to do during the exercise. When given the freewill to choose, people will take greater ownership of their participation.
Set the Climate -- Icebreakers set the climate for the event to proceed. With this understanding, it makes sense to choose an icebreaker that is in alignment with the climate of the meeting. An icebreaker or team building exercise could send a wrong message. The unintended message could send the meeting in a different direction. Therefore, it makes sense to spend the time to choose the proper meeting icebreaker.
Learning Objectives -- Some trainers and facilitators prefer using either a meeting icebreaker or team building exercise focused on the learning objectives related to the meeting, training program, or goal of the group. Others prefer using an unrelated exercise just to break the ice. However, each icebreaker is dynamic and has both intended and unintended consequences. Consider this prior to the event so you can maximize the experience and build a cohesive meeting.
Safety -- The first rule is not to take any chances that could cause physical injury to your participants.
One of my favorite team building exercises is called the "Terrorist Toxic Popcorn Situation." This is an easy exercise for both adults and teens. The goal is to decontaminate a can of "toxic" popcorn that has been secretly placed in the room by "terrorists." Your team must quickly come up with a plan of action; assemble tools and equipment, transfer the material into a "safe" container before the "toxic" substance explodes. This is a great game to identify the planners, doers, and thinkers in your group. It also demonstrates the importance of having a good plan.
A Great Day for Hats!
Give each participant a donut-shaped piece of felt or other material approximately 18 inches in diameter. Tell participants to form a hat with the material. Participants should have enough time to make their hat. At the end of the team exercise, allow each person to explain the hat they created. You can also put people on teams and have some friendly competition between the groups on who can come up with the most creative hat.
Letters and Names
Give each person a few moments to think of an adjective starting with the same first letter in his or her first name (e.g. "Great Greg"). Begin by modeling it yourself. Then go around the group asking each person to state their name/adjective combination. During various points of the exercise, or at the end, ask volunteers to remember and repeat each of the names and adjectives volunteered so far. Provide prizes to those who do the best job.
The Napkin Game
Ask participants to form equal size groups. Give each group a napkin and ask them to fold the napkin as small as possible. However, it must be large enough for members of the team to place their toe on the napkin.
Paper-Tearing Exercise
This meeting icebreaker only takes about 5 minutes to conduct.
Give everyone a blank 8 ½-by-11-inch sheet of paper. Tell them the following: “We are going to do something that will show us some important things about communication. Pick up your sheet of paper and hold it in front of you. Close your eyes and follow my directions—and no peeking -- you cannot ask questions.”
Then tell them the following. “Fold your sheet of paper in half. Now tear off the upper right-hand corner. Fold it in half again and tear off the upper left hand corner of the sheet.
Fold it in half again. Now tear off the lower right-hand corner of the sheet.”
After the tearing is complete, say something like “Now open your eyes, and let’s see what you have. If I did a good job of communicating and you did a good job of following my directions, all of your sheets should look the same!”
Hold your sheet up for them to see. It is highly unlikely any sheet will match yours exactly.
Ask the group why no one’s piece of paper matched yours. You will probably get responses like “You didn’t let us ask questions!” or “Your directions could be interpreted in different ways.” Then, lead them in a discussion about the need for effective communication.
Greg Smith's cutting-edge keynotes, consulting, and training programs have helped businesses build better teams, reduce turnover, increase sales, hire better people and deliver better customer service. He has authored nine informative books including his best-selling book called, Icebreakers and Teambuilding Exercises. He lives in Conyers, Georgia. Sign up for his free Navigator Newsletter by visiting www.chartcourse.com. Get more free meeting icebreakers by visiting http://www.chartcourse.com/icebreakers-book.html
Thursday, March 05, 2009
How to Use Team Building Exercises and Meeting Icebreakers
How many meetings have you been to that are just the same old thing -- boring gatherings you cannot wait to leave. Most meetings are poorly managed and non-productive.
I have been a teacher, management consultant, and meeting facilitator for over twenty years. In the hundreds of classes and seminars I have taught, I have learned one truth -- people learn quicker if you make classes and meetings fun and interesting.
By using team building exercises and meeting icebreakers you can make your next meeting, class, or team building event something dynamic and productive.
It is wise to consider a few basic elements before choosing an exercise or a meeting icebreaker.
Ownership -- First, icebreakers tend to work best when participants have taken ownership of the activity chosen by the facilitator. You must put five key elements in place.
1. Explain the activity.
2. Provide the goals of the activity.
3. Outline the structure of the activity.
4. Allow time for questions.
5. Give permission to participate at their comfort level.
This last element is crucial and overlooked in many cases. Make an announcement at the beginning of an exercise to insure participants understand they are not "bound" to participate in the activity.
For those who opt out, perhaps ask them to be "observers" and see if they are comfortable providing a debriefing at the end of the event. Provide them something constructive to do during the exercise. When given the freewill to choose, people will take greater ownership of their participation.
Set the Climate -- Icebreakers set the climate for the event to proceed. With this understanding, it makes sense to choose an icebreaker that is in alignment with the climate of the meeting. An icebreaker or team building exercise could send a wrong message. The unintended message could send the meeting in a different direction. Therefore, it makes sense to spend the time to choose the proper meeting icebreaker.
Learning Objectives -- Some trainers and facilitators prefer using either a meeting icebreaker or team building exercise focused on the learning objectives related to the meeting, training program, or goal of the group. Others prefer using an unrelated exercise just to break the ice. However, each icebreaker is dynamic and has both intended and unintended consequences. Consider this prior to the event so you can maximize the experience and build a cohesive meeting.
Safety -- The first rule is not to take any chances that could cause physical injury to your participants.
One of my favorite team building exercises is called the "Terrorist Toxic Popcorn Situation." This is an easy exercise for both adults and teens. The goal is to decontaminate a can of "toxic" popcorn that has been secretly placed in the room by "terrorists." Your team must quickly come up with a plan of action; assemble tools and equipment, transfer the material into a "safe" container before the "toxic" substance explodes. This is a great game to identify the planners, doers, and thinkers in your group. It also demonstrates the importance of having a good plan.
A Great Day for Hats!
Give each participant a donut-shaped piece of felt or other material approximately 18 inches in diameter. Tell participants to form a hat with the material. Participants should have enough time to make their hat. At the end of the team exercise, allow each person to explain the hat they created. You can also put people on teams and have some friendly competition between the groups on who can come up with the most creative hat.
Letters and Names
Give each person a few moments to think of an adjective starting with the same first letter in his or her first name (e.g. "Great Greg"). Begin by modeling it yourself. Then go around the group asking each person to state their name/adjective combination. During various points of the exercise, or at the end, ask volunteers to remember and repeat each of the names and adjectives volunteered so far. Provide prizes to those who do the best job.
The Napkin Game
Ask participants to form equal size groups. Give each group a napkin and ask them to fold the napkin as small as possible. However, it must be large enough for members of the team to place their toe on the napkin.
Paper-Tearing Exercise
This meeting icebreaker only takes about 5 minutes to conduct.
Give everyone a blank 8 ½-by-11-inch sheet of paper. Tell them the following: “We are going to do something that will show us some important things about communication. Pick up your sheet of paper and hold it in front of you. Close your eyes and follow my directions—and no peeking -- you cannot ask questions.”
Then tell them the following. “Fold your sheet of paper in half. Now tear off the upper right-hand corner. Fold it in half again and tear off the upper left hand corner of the sheet.
Fold it in half again. Now tear off the lower right-hand corner of the sheet.”
After the tearing is complete, say something like “Now open your eyes, and let’s see what you have. If I did a good job of communicating and you did a good job of following my directions, all of your sheets should look the same!”
Hold your sheet up for them to see. It is highly unlikely any sheet will match yours exactly.
Ask the group why no one’s piece of paper matched yours. You will probably get responses like “You didn’t let us ask questions!” or “Your directions could be interpreted in different ways.” Then, lead them in a discussion about the need for effective communication.
Greg Smith's cutting-edge keynotes, consulting, and training programs have helped businesses build better teams, reduce turnover, increase sales, hire better people and deliver better customer service. He has authored nine informative books including his best-selling book called, Icebreakers and Teambuilding Exercises. He lives in Conyers, Georgia. Sign up for his free Navigator Newsletter by visiting www.chartcourse.com. Get more free meeting icebreakers by visiting http://www.chartcourse.com/icebreakers-book.html
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Navigator #149 | What Happened to Personal Accountability?
Navigator #149
The Navigator is published by Greg Smith,
"Lead Navigator and Captain" of
Chart Your Course International Inc.
The Navigator is published by Greg Smith,
"Lead Navigator and Captain" of
Chart Your Course International Inc.
View this newsletter on our website:
http://www.chartcourse.com/Enav-149.html
See the bottom of this newsletter to subscribe or to unsubscribe.
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Superior Customer Service
Tough economic times provide a golden opportunity
to improve our businesses. Whether you are a large
corporation, hospital, clinic, or a small business,
customer service remains a vital element for driving
sales and improving loyalty. Instead of cutting back
and eliminating services, wise businesses are taking
steps to improve their service for their customers and
clients. We have six different customer service
programs available. If you are concerned about
improving your service, please visit our website or
call us for ways we might assist you.
http://www.chartcourse.com/captainscustomerservice.html
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Personal Note from the Captain of the Ship
An interesting thing happened in Atlanta this week –
It snowed! I mean it snowed a lot! In fact, it was
more snow than I have seen in years. I am now
sympathetic to those of you who live in the colder
climates and see snow all the time. I don't know about
you, but I can't wait for spring to arrive.
I am heading for Las Vegas next week to speak at
the Pizza Expo. The Pizza Expo is the world's largest
trade show catering to the Pizza and Italian food industry.
It is my favorite event because I get to sample some of
the best pizza in the world.
Greg Smith
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The Key Factor to Superior Performance –
Personal Accountability
Personal accountability is not only an important skill
to possess, but it is also in high demand. In 95% of
the jobs we studied, we found personal accountability to
be one of the top seven personal skills that are required
for superior performance on the job. Most companies
would agree that responsibility for actions is a major
component to success on the job and will look for this
skill in any employee review or selection situation.
Unfortunately, personal accountability can be difficult
to gauge and is often times not genuine until you can
scratch through the surface.
If personal accountability is so important to success
on the job, yet difficult to find, how can we look for this
skill in today's talent?
To help you identify the skill of personal accountability,
consider using the following interview questions in your
selection process or employee evaluation.
--What person from history do you most admire for taking the blame for a failure?
What did taking the blame do for that person?
--Give me an example of someone you know whose personal
actions led to disastrous results. How answerable was that
person for what happened? What advice would you give to that person?
--What is the worst business decision you ever made?
What made it the worst? What would have helped
you to avoid making that decision?
While questions like this might help you take a guess
at the level of personal accountability an individual has,
it is best to get a truly accurate picture of the skills they
have through an individual assessment process. This
will eliminate all bias and give you statistical results
that will easily help you take the next step in talent management.
Soft skills assessments and 360 degree surveys are
commonly used in business practices today to
accurately assess personal accountability and the
many other skills that make each person unique.
An in-depth understanding of the personal soft skills an
employee brings to the job is an important aspect in any
selection, development and coaching initiative. With
assessments that mathematically measure the personal
skills an individual has and is capable of accomplishing,
you can dig deeper than the typical resume and interview
process and truly discover the potential for superior performance.
We have developed assessment tools that measure
personal skills including accountability:
TTI Personal Talent Skills Inventory™
http://www.chartcourse.com/Assessment_Center.html
Source: © 2008 People Energizing People Newsletter | TTI DISC
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Employee Suggestion Campaigns
Getting your employees' ideas should not be an option.
If your organization is going to be competitive, it is mandatory
you involve the minds, hands, and ideas of everyone in
your organization. Getting employees involved not only
yields valuable ideas and suggestions, but also the
increased morale of workers who feel like they are being
listened to results in a more productive and satisfying
work environment.
Peter E. Drucker said, "One has to assume, first, that the
individual human being at work knows better than anyone
else what makes him or her more productive...even in
routine work the only true expert is the person who does the job."
Article continues at:
http://www.chartcourse.com/articleidea.htm
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Stats and Surveys
Workhours
According to the Working Time Around the World report,
614.2 million workers, or approximately 22 percent of the
global workforce, work more than 48 hours a week.
International Labour Organization ~ Geneva
Yuk!
Asked to choose which is more disgusting, the office
fridge or a public restroom, 28 percent of the 501
American office workers surveyed selected the fridge,
compared to 72 percent who chose the restroom.
Source: Kelton Research, Culver City, Calif.
Involuntary Separation
According to a multi-response survey of 1,308 U.S.
adults, the top five reasons people changed jobs, either
voluntarily or involuntarily, are:
Downsizing or restructuring - 54%
Seeking new challenges - 30%
Dissatisfaction with leadership effectiveness - 25%
Poor relationship with manager - 22%
To improve work/life balance - 21%
Source: Right Management, Philadelphia
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FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS
If you find our information interesting, please
send it to your friends. The Navigator newsletter is
received by over 27,000 subscribers in 49 countries.
Click here to join the Navigator
http://www.chartcourse.com/emailnavnews.htm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Copyright 2009, CYC International
This publication and the Navigator Newsletter
is provided by Chart Your Course International.
Published by Greg Smith
Chart Your Course International Inc.
Phone: 770-860-9464/800-821-2487
Address: 2814 Hwy 212, Conyers, GA. 30094
Sign-up for Greg's Navigator Newsletter by visiting
http://www.chartcourse.com/emailnavnews.htm
To unsubscribe go:
http://www.chartcourse.com/navigator-unsubscribe.html
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